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| News especially for members of the genetics community |
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e-News
March 30, 2016
The Society is updating GSA e-News to be more accessible on a variety of devices. Email Chloe Poston at CPoston@genetics-gsa.org with your feedback as we perfect this layout. |
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| Society News |
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Interested in a leadership position within GSA?
Nominations are open for the GSA Board of Directors. The Board acts on behalf of GSA's members and sets direction for the Society. This is an excellent opportunity for those with a big picture perspective to participate in national and international discussions on genetics and scientific research and education in general. You can nominate yourself or a colleague for Vice-President, Treasurer, or Director. Check your email for your personalized link today. |
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Newly Funded Trainee–Organized Symposia
We are helping our student and postdoc members advance knowledge, foster new collaborations, and further the mission of GSA by providing support for Trainee-Organized Symposia. Read about the next round of events and their outstanding planning committees. |
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New Faculty Profile
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| Brent Neumann, a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Monash University uses C.elegans to address questions in neurobiology. |
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| Want to be considered for a new faculty profile? Complete this form. |
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2016 GSA Award Nominations
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Honor your outstanding colleagues by nominating them for a 2016 GSA award. Remember, individuals can't be chosen to receive an award unless they are nominated! Help us cultivate a strong and diverse pool of applicants for the following awards:
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Show your #IAmGSA Support
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| Tell us why you love genetics using #IAmGSA. You can share your response via text, photo or video. You can also use the #IAmGSA hashtag on social media sites to share news about members, outreach, and research breakthroughs with the GSA community. Check out this post featuring one of GSA's Trainee Organized Symposia at Harris-Stowe State University. |
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GSA Journals
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| Need to CRISPR some worms? The first chapter of Worm Book in GENETICS, authored by Daniel Dickinson and Bob Goldstein, provides a CRISPR overview and focuses on practical considerations in choosing between strategies. |
CRISPR-Based Methods for Caenorhabditis elegans Genome Engineering
Daniel Dickinson and Bob Goldstein
GENETICS. March 2016 202:885-901 |
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| Davey et al. present a substantially improved assembly of the Heliconius melpomene genome created using methods that should be useful for other wild organisms. The new data may partly explain the high speciation rate within this diverse genus. |
Major Improvements to the Heliconius melpomene Genome Assembly Used to Confirm 10 Chromosome Fusion Events in 6 Million Years of Butterfly Evolution
John W. Davey, Mathieu Chouteau, Sarah L. Barker, Luana Maroja, Simon W. Baxter, Fraser Simpson, Richard M. Merrill, Mathieu Joron, James Mallet, Kanchon K. Dasmahapatra, and Chris D. Jiggins
G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, March 2016 6: 695-708 |
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| Steering the biomedical workforce away from the iceberg |
| The past two years have produced a wealth of ideas on how to "turn the Titanic" of biomedical research in the US. The time is ripe for young scientists to help grab the ship's wheel. To get an idea of how things are progressing and ways graduate students and postdocs can get involved, Genes to Genomes spoke with some of the community leaders who are making waves and pushing for change. |
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| Thoughts on MIRA |
| GSA has begun to receive feedback from our members about the Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) program from NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). And we are interested to hear your perspective, especially if you were eligible to apply for MIRA. Let us know what you consider the strengths and weaknesses of MIRA so that we can suggest improvements in the program for the future. |
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| Luria & Delbrück: Jackpots and epiphanies |
| Salvador Luria and Max Delbrück published an article in GENETICS that marked the birth of bacterial genetics, revealing that this apparently Lamarckian inheritance was in fact a case of random mutation. Brought together by biophysics and war, the duo’s brief decade of collaboration also fostered the emergence of molecular biology by developing the viruses that infect bacteria into a streamlined genetic model. |
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Members in the News
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Daniel Voytas weighs in on the impact that CRISPR/Cas9 could have on agriculture in The Week Magazine.
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| Jennifer Doudna is among five CRISPR researchers who were honored with the 2016 Canada Gairdner International Award. |
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| Aimée Dudley shows the importance of S. cerevisiae in determining the distinct flavors of regional coffees and chocolates. |
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| Education and Professional Development |
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Postdoctoral Preparation Institute
Are you a late stage postdoc who is thinking about the next career transition? Consider attending FASEB MARC’s Postdoctoral Preparation Institute (PPI) in Bethesda, MD, June 2-3, 2016. PPI will provide insights about the various career pathways PhD-trained scientists may consider as they prepare to transition into independent careers in the biomedical research workforce. Travel awards are available for applicants who reside more than 50 miles away. |
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Career Advice
Stepping outside of your comfort zone might seem unpleasant, but also offers new experiences and opportunities. This piece from Naturejobs offers advice on how to develop your career from the edge of your comfort zone. |
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Looking for a job, or have one to offer? GeneticsCareers.org provides free job listings across the breadth of genetics—from academic, government, and industry positions to postdoctoral opportunities and much more. |
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| Funding, Fellowships, and Awards |
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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute—in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation—has launched the International Research Scholars Program, which will support up to 50 outstanding early career scientists around the world. The competition is open to scientists in most countries who have run their own labs for less than seven years and have trained in the U.S. or United Kingdom for at least one year. |
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| Graduate student and postdoctoral members of GSA should apply for DeLill Nasser Travel Awards for Professional Development in Genetics. Awards of $1,000 each will be presented for travel to national and international conferences or laboratory courses that take place between July 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. Deadline is tomorrow, April 1. |
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| The new OnPAR system from NIH and Leidos will let researchers upload rejected NIH proposals for other potential funders to take a look. The pilot program began this month, with seven foundations that focus on specific diseases including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation. |
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| NIH's Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) issued a program announcement for the Development of Animal Models and Related Biological Materials for Research. This opportunity "encourages highly innovative research to develop, characterize or improve animal models and related biological materials for human health and disease or to improve diagnosis and control of diseases that might interfere with animal use for biomedical research." |
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| Policy |
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| NIH Director Francis Collins, along with the leaders of NIH's institutes, centers, and offices, wrote a letter emphasizing their continuing commitment to basic science. |
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| The House is expected to issue subpoenas to seek the names of researchers engaged in fetal tissue research, drawing charges of intimidation. |
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| News Around the Web |
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| Billionaire Paul Allen, who cofounded Microsoft, pledged $100 million to fund cutting-edge life sciences research. Read More. |
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| Scientists from Goldsmiths, University of London have launched a new international consortium committed to improving public understanding about genetics in the fields of psychology and human development. Read More. |
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| Researchers have created a transgenic zebrafish with skin that fluoresces in thousands of colors. Read More. |
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In this episode of Science Happens, Carl Zimmer asks if worms hold the secret to aging.
Read More. |
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| Sign up your lab, team or department |
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| GSA now offers group membership |
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| Stay up-to-date by following us on social media: |
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Do you have a brief announcement to submit to GSA e-News?
e-News items include news about GSA members - new positions, book publication, awards or grants received and obits; short policy items; brief research news items and grant programs; award nomination announcements; and more.
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| Deadline for next issue: April 8, 2016. Send items (and feedback) to Chloe Poston, cposton@genetics-gsa.org. |
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