University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill
Grant: $18,008 - Department of Health and Human Services - Jul. 16, 2009
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Award Description: Award Title: NIDDK Program for Administrative Supplements Utilizing Recovery Act Funds: Summer Student Research Experiences for Students and Science Educators (NOT-OD-09-05). Parent Grant # & Title: 2 R01 DK 054452: Macrophage Gene Expression in Mucosal Inflammation. Description: This ARRA funded project was to support an undergraduate student in the laboratory two consecutive summers. This funding created a position to enhance his scientific training, and to give him the skills to successfully compete for and begin a graduate career in the biomedical sciences after the project is completed. The candidate identified in the application, Mr. Steven Russo, is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has a strong interest in the biomedical sciences and a prior background in research. He previously spent the summer of 2008 in the laboratory under a Summer Student Fellowship Award from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Given Mr. Russo’s familiarity with the content and methodologies in the parent RO1 grant, the creation of two concurrent summer positions for Mr. Russo had two important goals: 1) it has accelerated progress on the parent grant and, 2) has provided Mr. Russo with an intensive didactic and practical research experience to prepare him for graduate training in the biomedical sciences. Over these two summers, work performed by Mr. Russo will add to the understanding of causes of the human inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and will describe new pathways that can be further explored to develop new treatments. Importantly, this supplement is giving the candidate an intensive laboratory and educational experience, providing a firm foundation for a successful career in disease oriented research. The ARRA funded project outlined two Specific Aims, consistent with the goals of the parent R01 (relevant to Specific Aims 3 and 4 of the parent R01), which formed the basis of Mr. Russo’s lab experience. Our laboratory has characterized a novel mouse model of IBD defective in the PI3-kinase p110d (PI3K p110d) subunit. The goals of Specific Aims 3 and 4 of the parent R01 and Mr. Russo’s ongoing summer project are to understand the role of PI3K p110d in innate immunity in the intestine by further characterizing this mouse model of IBD. In Aim 1, he has characterized peripheral and mucosal cytokine expression in PI3K p110d mutant mice. In Aim 2, he is following up on a new observation that there are defects in bactericidal activity in macrophages from PI3K p110d mutant mice which may explain the pathogenesis of IBD in this model.
Project Description: Mr. Russo completed his first summer training experience under the ARRA project. He worked in the laboratory from June 1, 2009 through August 31, 2009. Over this time, he made significant progress on the research project. In support of Specific Aim 1, he completed a comprehensive analysis of cytokine expression in mucosal and peripheral lymphoid tissue from PI3K p110d mutant mice. In support of Aim 2, he completed experiments evaluating bactericidal activity in wild type and PI3K p110d mutant mice. Bactericidal activity was determined against two strains of E. coli, and a gram positive enteric bacteria, Enterococcus fecalis. This work will be included in a manuscript that we are currently preparing for submission. Mr. Russo’s laboratory experience was supplemented with educational activities. He presented his research at our weekly laboratory meetings. The PI had weekly one hour meetings with students in the laboratory. He completed a web-based course in basic immunology through the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies. He was also an attendee at research conferences in the Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease. During the current academic year, Mr. Russo will continue to work in the laboratory in an unpaid position (not under ARRA support). He is enrolled in MCRO615 002, Undergraduate Research, to receive 3 credits for a continuing educational experience in the laboratory during the school year through the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and will receive three credits. He will also attend one national scientific meeting in the spring. Under the direct support of this ARRA project, Mr. Russo will return to the laboratory from June 1 through August 31, 2010. Over the next summer we anticipate that he will significantly advance the goals of Aim 2 of this ARRA proposal. He will determine whether PI3K p110d regulates phagosomal maturation, NADPH oxidase, production of reactive oxygen species, and whether PI3K p110d regulates autophagy.
Jobs Summary: This ARRA project has created one new job. This funding has allowed for a talented undergraduate student with an interest in the biomedical sciences to perform two summers of intensive disease oriented research. Without this support, Mr. Russo would not have been able to obtain this advanced scientific training. Although this project created six months (over two summers) of a full time equivalent position for Mr. Russo, the most important role of this project was to provide him with a strong background in biomedical research to help him to achieve his goal of becoming a physician-scientist. Additionally, given his background, Mr. Russo has significantly advanced the aims of the Principal Investigator’s parent R01. Data generated by Mr. Russo will be used to support subsequent grant applications as well as the Principal Investigator’s competitive renewal application in 2011. Therefore, the potential of this project to create new employment positions in the future is extremely high. (Total jobs reported: 1)
Project Status: More than 50% Completed
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