From vlloyd from mta.ca Sat Sep 5 15:33:15 2009
From: vlloyd from mta.ca (Vett Lloyd)
Date: Mon Sep 7 06:47:38 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] w+ y+ P element vector
Message-ID: <1252182795.4aa2cb0b1572e@webmail.mta.ca>
Dear Fly People,
Can anyone recommend a P element vector that has w+ and y+ (or another visible
marker) as transformation markers? Advice and suggestions on where to get such
a vector would be much appreciated.
Thank you in advance,
Vett
Dr. Vett Lloyd
Dept. Biology
Mt. Allison University
From vlloyd from mta.ca Mon Sep 14 06:19:36 2009
From: vlloyd from mta.ca (Vett Lloyd)
Date: Mon Sep 14 07:48:49 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] p{SUPor-P} vector
Message-ID: <1252927176.4aae26c800d37@webmail.mta.ca>
Hello Flyland Folks,
Can anyone tell me where I could get a copy of the p{SUPor-P} vector DNA?
Thank you in advance for any suggestions.
Vett
Dr. Vett Lloyd
Dept. Biology
Mt. Allison University
From shingle9 from msu.edu Mon Sep 14 10:17:08 2009
From: shingle9 from msu.edu (Alexander Shingleton)
Date: Mon Sep 14 10:33:38 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] Graduate Position: MichiganStateU. Evol.
Genetics/Development.
Message-ID: <16801578-818F-4597-A323-A5535E07B33A@msu.edu>
PhD Studentships in Evolutionary Genetics and Integrative =20
Developmental Biology, Michigan State University, USA.
Four graduate positions in evolutionary genetics/developmental biology =20=
are available in the laboratories of Dr. Alex Shingleton and Dr. Ian =20
Dworkin in the Department of Zoology and Program in Ecology, =20
Evolutionary Biology and Behavior at Michigan State University. The =20
positions are funded as part of three NSF grants working at the =20
interface of evolution, development and genetics. The Shingleton and =20
Dworkin laboratories work closely together and employ molecular, =20
genetic, genomic, physiological and behavioral methods to address =20
their research questions, using Drosophila as a model organism. More =20
details on the research being conducted in the laboratories are =20
available at www.msu.ed/~shingle9 and www.msu.edu/~idworkin. Students =20=
will be immersed in an integrative and collaborative research =20
experience within the diverse and dynamic life-science community at =20
Michigan State University.
Potential projects for graduate students include:
1) Elucidating the molecular and developmental regulation of =20
morphological scaling relationships. Previous research in the =20
Shingleton lab has identified the insulin-signaling pathway as being =20
differently regulated in organs that differ in their scaling =20
relationship with body size. The goal of the project is to elucidate =20
the molecular basis for this differential regulation.
2) Exploring the evolution of wing-body scaling in Drosophila =20
populations. This project involves applying artificial selection on =20
scaling relationships in Drosophila and elucidating the genetic and =20
developmental basis for the selection response.
3) Examining the role of conditional and pleiotropic genetic effects =20
in the evolutionary process, and mapping genetic modifiers that =20
contribute to these effects. Previous work (Dworkin et al. 2009) =20
demonstrated that a genetic modifier of the allelic effects of a =20
mutant results in profound difference in phenotypes. The student will =20=
fine map the genetic modifier and examine its potential pleiotropic =20
contributions in natural populations.
4) Explore the effects of different genetic backgrounds on gene =20
interactions and ordering of allelic series for mutations that affect =20=
wing development and shape. This work will examine the effects of a =20
series of mutations in different =93wild-type=94 genetic backgrounds, =20=
across several rearing environments (manipulations of diet and =20
temperature).
The projects will suit students with an interest in evolutionary =20
genetics and/or integrative developmental biology. The ideal candidate =20=
should have good general laboratory skills, with a firm grasp of basic =20=
statistical methods.
Michigan State University is a large land-grant institution with an =20
outstanding faculty and inter-disciplinary programs at the =20
departmental and university levels. Interested applicants are =20
encouraged to review additional background on faculty and graduate =20
programs in Zoology (http://www.zoology.msu.edu), and in the Ecology, =20=
Evolutionary Biology and Behavior (EEBB) program =
(https://www.msu.edu/~eebb=20
).
Applicants should submit a statement of interest, a CV, GRE scores and =20=
their cumulative GPA along with names and contact information of three =20=
references (everything as one PDF document) to shingle9@msu.edu. =20
Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. The =20
start date is September 2010, although applicants who wish to start =20
sooner should also apply.
From white-cooperh from cf.ac.uk Tue Sep 15 08:38:35 2009
From: white-cooperh from cf.ac.uk (Helen White-Cooper)
Date: Tue Sep 15 09:36:31 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] Food issues, please help
Message-ID: <4AAF98DB.9070601@cf.ac.uk>
Dear all,
We have recently had serious problems with some of our fly stock
cultures, and would really like some input into what could be the
problem, and how to solve it.
We use a standard maize/dextrose/yeast/agar recipe. cooking is done in
a large food cooker, typically 40-50 litres per batch. We add propionic
acid and nipagen (dissolved in ethanol) just before dispensing. We cook
every 3-4 weeks. After dispensing we leave the vials/bottles overnight
before plugging. We store cooked food wrapped in autoclave bags at 4C.
We leave the food to come to room temperature before use. Fly stocks
are cultured in an 18C room, or at room temperature.
Last year (september) we bought a new batch of maize. Initially the
food was good and all the flies were happy. Over the next few months
the quality of the food declined, and stocks began to suffer. By March
this year we had big problems. In the most seriously affected stocks
the adults died after being put on the new food. In other stocks the
flies were alive, laid eggs, but no eggs hatched. In many stocks eggs
hatched (at least some did), but it would be 4 weeks or more before
adults eclosed (rather than the expected 3 weeks). Some stocks were
unaffected.
We bought new maize (March 09), and the problem went away, BUT, over the
next few months (june/july) it came back... So, we thought it was due
to maize going off, and switched to another batch, this one had been
bought a while ago, used with no problems and stored at -20, so should
stay fresh. Again, initially (july) everything was fine, but now the
stocks are slowing their generation times / dying off again.
We have had the first batch of maize tested for pesticide residue but it
came back negative. We have also tested it for Bt spore contamination
(yes it is organic...), by heating a maize /water mix to 80C for 15
minutes and plating on media suitable for Bt. we do not get Bt growth,
however there is growth of something (fungal). we have tested this with
flies in a laying bottle and it does not seem to retard egg hatching,
neither is it toxic to adults or larvae (indeed the larvae love it...).
So, does anyone out there have any ideas what could be causing the
problem, and most importantly, how to make it go away? The only things
we can think of are the temperature the food gets to after adding the
maize/ sugar/ yeast mixture (might it have to get up to 85C?, ours
probably only gets to 80C), should we add the nipagen earlier (could the
ethanol be causing the problem?).
Yours in desperation
Helen
--
Dr Helen White-Cooper
School of Biosciences
Museum Avenue
Cardiff University
Cardiff
CF10 3AX
Tel 029 20875492
From Bakker.Hans from mh-hannover.de Wed Sep 16 03:55:46 2009
From: Bakker.Hans from mh-hannover.de (Bakker.Hans@mh-hannover.de)
Date: Wed Sep 16 07:50:47 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] Food issues, please help
References: <4AAF98DB.9070601@cf.ac.uk>
Message-ID: <35B075301B671740AC2BA17468165C74040D3461@exch07.mh-hannover.local>
Dear Helen
Dear Helen
Do you see something in your cultures? We had problems with the
development of a slimy layer of bacteria or fungi in the vails. Our
problem was solved by using more Nipagen/methyl paraben (1 gr/liter),
wich I think you should indeed ad late as it is heat sensitive. Our
protocol was not so clear about the amount and we were using much less
before, but I see also protocols using 2-3 gr/liter.
If not all stocks are affected, it might rather be something carried by
the flies than comming from the food.
Good luck, Hans
Dr. Hans Bakker
Hannover Medical School
Dept. Cellular Chemistry OE4330
Build. I3, Level 2, Room 3110
Carl-Neubergstrasse 1
30627 Hannover, Germany
bakker.hans@mh-hannover.de
+49.511.5328245
-----Original Message-----
From: dros-bounces@oat.bio.indiana.edu
[mailto:dros-bounces@oat.bio.indiana.edu] On Behalf Of Helen
White-Cooper
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 3:39 PM
To: dros@magpie.bio.indiana.edu
Subject: [Drosophila] Food issues, please help
Dear all,
We have recently had serious problems with some of our fly stock
cultures, and would really like some input into what could be the
problem, and how to solve it.
We use a standard maize/dextrose/yeast/agar recipe. cooking is done in
a large food cooker, typically 40-50 litres per batch. We add propionic
acid and nipagen (dissolved in ethanol) just before dispensing. We cook
every 3-4 weeks. After dispensing we leave the vials/bottles overnight
before plugging. We store cooked food wrapped in autoclave bags at 4C.
We leave the food to come to room temperature before use. Fly stocks
are cultured in an 18C room, or at room temperature.
Last year (september) we bought a new batch of maize. Initially the
food was good and all the flies were happy. Over the next few months
the quality of the food declined, and stocks began to suffer. By March
this year we had big problems. In the most seriously affected stocks
the adults died after being put on the new food. In other stocks the
flies were alive, laid eggs, but no eggs hatched. In many stocks eggs
hatched (at least some did), but it would be 4 weeks or more before
adults eclosed (rather than the expected 3 weeks). Some stocks were
unaffected.
We bought new maize (March 09), and the problem went away, BUT, over the
next few months (june/july) it came back... So, we thought it was due
to maize going off, and switched to another batch, this one had been
bought a while ago, used with no problems and stored at -20, so should
stay fresh. Again, initially (july) everything was fine, but now the
stocks are slowing their generation times / dying off again.
We have had the first batch of maize tested for pesticide residue but it
came back negative. We have also tested it for Bt spore contamination
(yes it is organic...), by heating a maize /water mix to 80C for 15
minutes and plating on media suitable for Bt. we do not get Bt growth,
however there is growth of something (fungal). we have tested this with
flies in a laying bottle and it does not seem to retard egg hatching,
neither is it toxic to adults or larvae (indeed the larvae love it...).
So, does anyone out there have any ideas what could be causing the
problem, and most importantly, how to make it go away? The only things
we can think of are the temperature the food gets to after adding the
maize/ sugar/ yeast mixture (might it have to get up to 85C?, ours
probably only gets to 80C), should we add the nipagen earlier (could the
ethanol be causing the problem?).
Yours in desperation
Helen
--
Dr Helen White-Cooper
School of Biosciences
Museum Avenue
Cardiff University
Cardiff
CF10 3AX
Tel 029 20875492
_______________________________________________
Dros mailing list
Dros@net.bio.net
http://www.bio.net/biomail/listinfo/dros
From ovef from uni-mainz.de Wed Sep 16 07:40:29 2009
From: ovef from uni-mainz.de (Vef, Dr. Olaf)
Date: Wed Sep 16 07:53:50 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] is there transposase repressor construct?
Message-ID: <2CCAE9D34A30B649A1AD248EC2FD7A8F019AE1ACAF72@EXCHANGE-01.zdv.uni-mainz.de>
Dear Drosophilist’s
If you want to construct deletions using P-elements in trans (Adam C. Paré et al., Genetics, Vol. 181, 53-63, 2009), one have to combine one (first) p-element with the transposase source (Delta2-3). In this first step you can not avoid the mobilisation (or local hop) of this first p-element before you combine it with the second p-element.
My idea is to repress (inhibit respectively) P-element mobilization by the transposase repressor (product of the first three exons of the transposase gene).
Does anybody of you know if there is an existing transposase repressor element (containing only the first three exons of the transposase gene) inserted in genome of Drosophila? It shouldn’t be able to be mobilized by the wild type P-element transposase (like the Delta2-3 element or in a piggyBac element e.g.)?
Any suggestions or critics to the idea are welcomed!
hypothetic crossing scheme:
marked chromosome first p-element / CyO ; TMS (containing Delta2-3) Sb / Lyra or Drop (marked chromosome) p-(transposase-repressor)
crossing to
marked chromosome second p-element / CyO ; +/+
collect male offspring (Sb without Lyra or Drop)
marked chromosome first p-element / marked chromosome second p-element ; TMS (containing Delta2-3) Sb /+ (in the germ line of these males the transposase induced male recombination takes place)
crossing to
Plum-balancer / CyO
collect balanced male offspring (without Sb)
-------------------marker-------------first p-element--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------second p-element-----------marker-----------------------------------------------------
male recombination results in
-------------------marker-------------first p-element ### second p-element-----------marker-------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------balancer------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(deleted segment = ###)
principle of method (Adam C. Paré et al., Genetics, Vol. 181, 53-63, 2009)
Best regards,
Olaf
Dr. Olaf Vef
Institute for Genetics
Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz
Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 32
D-55128 Mainz
GERMANY
email: ovef@mail.uni-mainz.de
Tel.: 049-(0)6131-3925347
Fax: 049-(0)6131-3925845
From kercook from indiana.edu Wed Sep 16 11:09:33 2009
From: kercook from indiana.edu (Kevin Cook)
Date: Wed Sep 16 11:10:54 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] is there transposase repressor construct?
Message-ID: <4AB10DBD.3070207@indiana.edu>
Hi Olaf--
Using a repressor construct in crosses to make deletions from
trans-heterozygous P elements is a reasonable idea. I considered it when
we were using the method to make deletions for the Bloomington Stock
Center collection (described in Parks et al. (2004) Nature Genetics 36:
288-292), but decided it wasn’t worth it for our screens. Let me see if
I can explain my thinking.
First, it’s impossible to predict the exact positions of breakpoints of
deletions made by the Hybrid Element Insertion (HEI) mechanism in the
presence of trans-heterozygous P insertions. One breakpoint should
correspond to the insertion site of one of the starting insertions. The
other breakpoint will usually be in the vicinity of the insertion site
of the second P element, but you can’t predict exactly where it will
be--it could be proximal or distal to the second insertion or within the
transposon. No one knows why the hybrid element usually inserts near one
of the starting insertions. It’s probably a physical constraint on the
chromatids involved, but that’s just speculation. For an in-depth look
at the HEI mechanism, you should work your way through the following
three papers. It’s straightforward to see how their results apply to
trans-heterozygous P insertions.
Gray, Y.H., Tanaka, M.M., Sved, J.A. (1996). P-element-induced
recombination in Drosophila melanogaster: hybrid element insertion.
Genetics 144(4): 1601--1610.
Preston, C.R., Engels, W.R. (1996). P-element-induced male recombination
and gene conversion in Drosophila. Genetics 144(4): 1611--1622.
Preston, C.R., Sved, J.A., Engels, W.R. (1996). Flanking duplications
and deletions associated with P-induced male recombination in
Drosophila. Genetics 144(4): 1623--1638.
We were generating very large deletions. A local hop in the intermediate
generation preceding the Hybrid Element Insertion event giving rise to
the deletion wouldn’t change the predicted size of the deletion by very
much. Indeed, most of our deletions had the expected breakpoints at the
level of polytene cytology. A few kb of doubt about the positions of the
endpoints probably doesn’t matter too much for a deletion in the
megabase size range. I figured that anyone wanting to know the exact
genomic coordinates of the deletion breakpoints could characterize them
by sequencing off the ends of the P element retained on the chromosome
following the HEI deletion event.
I understand that it’s a different situation when you’re trying to
generate small deletions. A few kb difference between the size of the
deletion based on the insertion sites of the starting P elements and the
actual deletion size can make a big difference if you’re trying to
delete specific genes. Using a repressor construct MIGHT make sense, but
I think you still need to think about whether it’s worth the effort.
Basically, you’re playing a numbers game. Not every P element hops in
the presence of transposase in every generation. The probability of P
transposition in the intermediate generation of the screen is not that
high. It can happen, but the odds are in favor of it not transposing.
You may save yourself work by doing the screens as we described in Parks
et al. and then characterizing the breakpoints in the resulting
deletions. You can keep the ones with desirable breakpoints and discard
the others.
It would be interesting to know if the inclusion of a repressor
construct would prevent transposition in the intermediate generation of
the screen, so I’m not discouraging you from trying. I’m just saying
that it’s not absolutely necessary to get what you want.
If you want a single gene deletion, you may be able to get it more
easily from a conventional male recombination screen employing a single
P insertion as described in the Preston, Sved and Engels article cited
above. Those screens are easier and generate a lot of deletions of less
than ~10 kb. I don’t think screens using trans-heterozygous P insertions
would be my first choice for recovering small deletions. Of course, the
FLP-FRT system would be my first choice, but I’m guessing that
appropriate insertions aren’t available for the gene you’re interested
in if you’re thinking about HEI screens. You could also check to see if
appropriate insertions are available to use hobo transposition to make
deletions using P{wHy} insertions (see
http://flystocks.bio.indiana.edu/Browse/insertions/PwHy-top.htm).
I hope this helps a bit,
Kevin
--
Kevin Cook, Ph.D.
Bloomington Drosophila Stock Center
Department of Biology
Indiana University
1001 E. Third St.
Bloomington, IN 47405-7005
kercook@indiana.edu
812-856-1213 (office), 812-855-2577 (fax)
http://flystocks.bio.indiana.edu
From dmerrill from ksu.edu Mon Sep 21 12:29:51 2009
From: dmerrill from ksu.edu (Doris Merrill)
Date: Mon Sep 21 13:41:14 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] ARTHROPOD GENOMICS SYMPOSIUM, June 10 to 13, 2010,
in Kansas City
Message-ID: <428E39A085564C6DAADEF66A2B1033A5@ecogenoffice>
Please SAVE THE DATES of.
June 10 to June 13
on your calendar and plan to attend the
4th ANNUAL ARTHROPOD GENOMICS SYMPOSIUM.
DATES: June 10 to 13, 2010
PLACE: Kansas City Marriott on the beautiful Country Club Plaza
SPONSOR: K-State Arthropod Genomics Center, Kansas State University
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:
Thursday evening, June 10 - Keynote presentation and welcome reception
Friday & Saturday, June 11 and 12 - Platform and Poster sessions
Sunday morning, June 13 - Roundtable discussion with
the ArthropodBase Consortium
Noon, Sunday, June 13 - Activities will conclude
Speakers who are experts in arthropod genomics and bioinformatics with
applications in genomics will be announced soon! Additional speakers will
be selected from contributed posters.
Demonstrations: Database and bioinformatics tools developers will be
available at the meeting to provide hands-on demonstrations.
Visit our website, www.k-state.edu/agc, for updates as details are
finalized.
Please share this announcement with colleagues and students!
Doris Merrill, Program Coordinator
K-State Arthropod Genomics Center
Division of Biology, Kansas State University
104 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-4901
(785) 532-3482, dmerrill@k-state.edu
www.k-state.edu/agc
From gilbertd from indiana.edu Mon Sep 21 11:49:52 2009
From: gilbertd from indiana.edu (gilbertd@indiana.edu)
Date: Mon Sep 21 13:58:36 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] Bionet Arthropods news/discussion list request for
comments
Message-ID: <200909211649.n8LGnq014880@net.bio.net>
There is interest among biologists who study various Arthropods
for a shared public news and discussion group. Please comment if
you would like to see a new Arthropod mailing list.
Values of sharing biology discussion and news among those who
study insects and crustaceans has been noted at recent venues,
including the Arthropod Genomics Symposia
(http://www.k-state.edu/agc/), Entomological Society meetings
(e.g. http://www.entsoc.org/), and recent arthropod genome projects.
BIOSCI/Bionet (www.bio.net) continues to serve such bioscience
community news needs, as it has since its inception 20
years ago by Michael Ashburner and others. Community group
lists at Bionet include DROSOPHILA, ARABIDOPSIS, MAIZE,
Medicago, CELEGANS, CHLAMYDOMONAS, Mycology, YEAST, and ZBRAFISH.
Bionet currently is maintained at Indiana University by Don
Gilbert, a genome informatician specializing in arthropods.
There are related mailing lists (see below). The uses and content of
this proposed list would presumably be similar. Please comment
whether you believe existing lists cover this need or prefer
a new one. Comment also on proposed charter and areas. Perhaps
this group should focus on one area such as genomics of arthropods.
Send your comments to bioforum@net.bio.net for public discussion
or biosci-help@net.bio.net (private to Don Gilbert).
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposal for ARTHROPOD/bionet.arthropod (moderated)
One line Description: Arthropod Biology
Status: Moderated
Moderators: to be named
Proposed mailing list name: arthropod @ net.bio.net
bionet-arthropod @ net.bio.net (alias)
Proposed USENET name: bionet.arthropod
Charter:
The purpose of the ARTHROPOD newsgroup is to provide a public
forum for scientific discussion, communication and collaboration
of shared biology interests among scientists studying species of
Arthropoda, including insects and crustaceans. Topics may include
evolutionary biology, ecology and enviroment, genomics, molecular
and organismal biology, methods and biotechnology, informatics
and databases, and any other aspect touching on shared biology of
arthropods.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Related public mailing lists:
Arthropod Genomics Announcements
http://listserv.ksu.edu/archives/arthropodnews.html
Bionet Drosophila
http://www.bio.net/biomail/listinfo/dros
Vectorbase (mosquitoes, other human vectors)
http://www.vectorbase.org/Help/Mailing_lists
Aphid genomics
http://www.eco.princeton.edu/mailman/listinfo/aphidgenomics
Canadian Arthropods electronic mailing list
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/english/mailinglist.html
List of various insect and arthropod mailing lists
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/List/directory/94/vid/4
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Topics of Discussion:
-- please suggest areas of special interest
In addition this newsgroup will provide:
A forum for the exchange of information about future meetings
of interest to those studying insects, crustaceans and other
arthropods.
A venue for help and sharing of methods and techniques in areas
such as Biological resources; Evolutionary and phylogenetic
techniques; Genome analysis techniques; etc.
Proposed discussion leaders/moderators:
-- to be named
The suggested list name is ARTHROPOD or bionet.arthropod
Alternate spellings, ARTHROPODA or ARTHROPODS, can be considered
or other names.
Sincerely,
Don Gilbert
BIOSCI/bionet Manager
biosci-help at net.bio.net
From isabell.witt from uni-koeln.de Tue Sep 22 05:54:08 2009
From: isabell.witt from uni-koeln.de (Isabell Witt)
Date: Tue Sep 22 07:08:51 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] PhD fellowships in ageing biology
Message-ID: <000001ca3b73$02aa1820$07fe4860$@witt@uni-koeln.de>
Cologne International Graduate School
>From Embryo to old Age,
Development, Health and Disease
6 Fellowships
3-year Ph.D. programme starting spring 2010
The University of Cologne has a long-standing tradition and world-wide
reputation for top-level molecular biological research. Beginning in Spring
2010 the Research School in Biology ?From embryo to old age: the cell
biology and genetics of health and disease? will be offering a high-level
Ph.D. programme for students with excellent qualifications. The
participating research groups use microbial, plant and animal model systems
to investigate cell biological and genetic mechanisms whose perturbation
during the life cycle of an organism results in disease.
The three-year programme starts with a six-month rotation and course period,
followed by a PhD project in one of the participating groups. Seminars and
training courses complement the research work. Comprehensive support is
provided throughout the programme. The programme language is English.
Accepted students will receive a laptop computer and 500 EUR to get started
in Cologne. No tuition fees are charged.
Six competitive three-year fellowships (initially 1000 EUR, then a minimum
of 1300 EUR per month) are available.
We invite you to apply to the IGSDHD in Cologne, the exciting city in the
heart of Europe.
To obtain further information please visit our website at:
http://www.uni-koeln.de/bio-graduateschool/
Submission deadline for complete applications is October 31, 2009
Dr. Isabell Witt
Graduate School for Biological Sciences
Z?lpicher Strasse 47
D-50674 Cologne
+49 (0) 221 4701683
fax: +49 (0) 221 4701632
isabell.witt@uni-koeln.de
From robinhaw from gmail.com Thu Sep 24 10:57:15 2009
From: robinhaw from gmail.com (rhaw)
Date: Thu Sep 24 11:00:03 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] Reactome Pathway Database User Survey
Message-ID: <91f61dca-f796-4378-826d-8d7ec6b6566c@31g2000vbf.googlegroups.com>
Reactome is committed to providing access to high-quality pathway
information and helpful data analysis tools. With this in mind, we
are actively soliciting comments from the research community in order
to assess community needs. We are interested to hear about your
experience with Reactome, and would like to know a bit about your
background and research interests so that we can continue to improve
the Reactome site and tools.
You can access the survey at: http://tinyurl.com/l48zzq
Thank you for taking part.
Robin Haw
Manager of Reactome Outreach
Outreach [at] reactome.org
http://www.reactome.org
From flatt.thomas from gmail.com Fri Sep 25 07:32:52 2009
From: flatt.thomas from gmail.com (Thomas Flatt)
Date: Fri Sep 25 08:34:01 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] Postdoctoral Position in Drosophila Aging and
Physiology
Message-ID:
Postdoctoral Position in Drosophila Aging and Physiology
A postdoctoral research position in the biology of Drosophila aging
and physiology is available in the group of Dr. Thomas Flatt at the
University of Veterinary Medicine (Department of Biomedical Research,
Institute of Population Genetics), Vienna, Austria (http://
i122server.vu-wien.ac.at/pop/Flatt_website/flatt_home.html). The
postdoc position is funded by a grant from the Austrian Science
Foundation (FWF) and will be for three years.
This research project will focus on the identification of the
molecular basis of the trade-off between reproduction and lifespan in
the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, a powerful genetic model
system. In many organisms, from fruit flies to humans, reproduction
shortens lifespan, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely
unknown (see Flatt & Promislow 2007 in Science). Experiments in C.
elegans suggest that hormonal signals from the gonad affect longevity
(Hsin & Kenyon 1999 in Nature), and we have recently found that
germline ablation extends lifespan and affects insulin signaling in
Drosophila (Flatt et al. 2008 in PNAS). However, the details of this
systemic regulation of lifespan by the reproductive system remain
unclear. In our project we are interested in dissecting the endocrine
and physiological mechanisms that modulate the reproduction-longevity
trade-off. By employing mutant and transgene analysis, genetic
manipulation of the gonad, epistasis experiments, hormonal
manipulations, and physiological measurements we will examine the
mechanisms whereby signals from the reproductive system modulate
longevity.
We are seeking a highly talented, dynamic, independent, and self-
motivated young biologist with good social skills. The successful
candidate will have a Ph.D. and a strong background in genetics and
molecular biology using the Drosophila system. Some background in the
biology of aging, evolutionary biology, and/or physiology and
endocrinology would be ideal, but is not required. The working
language in the laboratory is English, so the candidate should be
proficient in spoken and written English. German skills, although
helpful, are not essential. The initial appointment will be made for
one year, with a possible extension to up to three years. The annual
salary is 54,180 Euro (before tax). The position is available as of
now, but the starting date is negotiable.
In a 2009 world-wide survey by the William M. Mercer Institute, Vienna
ranked first world-wide in terms of standards of living. Vienna is a
beautiful, historical yet modern city, located in the heart of Europe,
close to the Alps and to major cities like Munich, Zurich, Prague, and
Budapest. Being famous for its concert sites, opera houses, theathers,
museums, and coffee shops, Vienna also provides great outdoor
activities, such as sailing on the Neusiedler See, ice skating, biking
and hiking in the Viennese woods and the nearby Alps. Moreover, the
city has a wide range of great restaurants, bars, wineries, cinemas,
clubs, libraries, galleries, and art collections. The Vienna area is
also an exceptional and highly international research environment.
Four major life science universities and three world-class research
institutes (GMI, IMBA, IMP) provide a dynamic and interactive setting.
Vienna hosts an active Drosophila community, and the onsite
availability of the Drosophila RNAi center (VDRC) provides a great
opportunity for functional Drosophila work. In population genetics and
evolutionary biology, the Vienna research area also provides excellent
prospects, due to a growing number of evolutionary research groups.
To apply for this position, please send a single pdf file including:
(1) a cover letter explaining why you would like to join our group,
(2) your Curriculum Vitae (including a description of your skills),
(3) your publication list, (4) a statement of research interests, and
(5) contact details for 2-3 academic references who are willing to
write a reference letter on your behalf to the following email
address: thomas.flatt@vu-wien.ac.at
Informal inquiries are welcome and should be sent to the same e-mail
address. For further information see (http://i122server.vu-wien.ac.at/
pop/Flatt_website/flatt_home.html).
The deadline for submission is 31 October 2009.
Dr. Thomas Flatt
University of Veterinary Medicine
Department of Biomedical Research
Institute of Population Genetics
Veterin?rplatz 1 / Josef Baumann Gasse 1
A-1210 WIEN
Austria
VOX +43(0)1-25077-4334
FAX +43(0)1-25077-4390
E-mail: Thomas.Flatt@vu-wien.ac.at
From m.v.rector from gmail.com Fri Sep 25 12:37:44 2009
From: m.v.rector from gmail.com (Michael Rector)
Date: Fri Sep 25 14:06:06 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] Drosophila Gal4 Gut Specific
Message-ID: <5e0895910909251037p2d4b27d0v4e09213e53bca69d@mail.gmail.com>
Hi -
I am interested in the microbiota in the gut of Drosophila. More specific,
I am interested in the effect of the enzyme paraoxonase 1 on the gut
microbiota. We already have transgenic paraoxonase flies, but I am
searching for the best GUT specific driver to express paraoxonase solely in
the gut. I guess my first choice right now is P{drm-GAL4.7.1}1.1 from the
Bloomington collection. Do you know of any others or better driver lines?
Thank you very much.
Mike R
--
Michael Rector, Research Assistant
University of Iowa - Internal Medicine
EMRB 440 - Zabner Lab
m.v.rector@gmail.com
(319) 795-1691
From jokel_89 from hotmail.co.uk Tue Sep 29 04:53:12 2009
From: jokel_89 from hotmail.co.uk (Redjokel)
Date: Tue Sep 29 07:04:31 2009
Subject: [Drosophila] Obesity In Drosophila
Message-ID: <822fed85-7a28-4c88-8b51-e528f7f28eef@k17g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>
Dear All,
I am new to these groups and somewhat stumbled across it if i'm
honest, currently I am a final year student at the University of Leeds
and for my research project I will be using drosophila.
The current idea is to take a group of obese drosophila and a group of
lean drosophila and identify how obesity may/or may not effect their
sleep patterns and identify possible reasons why. Hopefully I will
gain some interesting results that are meaningful as obesity and sleep
are big issues at the moment.
My question is how to make an obese drosophila? My intention was to
make a group of drosophila gorge on a high fat feed, but getting this
to occur maybe difficult and I was wondering if anybody knew a good
way on how to get obese flies?
I currently have a few ideas:
1. Starve the drosophila for a period then add a high fat food source
so hopefully they over eat
2. Try keeping the drosophila in a very small confined space with a
high fat food source
3. I am in the process of reading: 'A glucagon-like endocrine pathway
in Drosophila modulates both lipid and carbohydrate homeostasis
K. N. Bharucha,1* P. Tarr,2 and S. L. Zipursky2' here it mentions AKHR
mutants being obese, and so i was going to look into the possibility
of getting some of these mutants or creating them.
I must add that this is very much only an idea and work has not begun
properly yet, but any ideas on this plan or any helpful advice would
be appreciated immensely.
Thank-you
Joseph Kelly
contact emails: jokel_89@hotmail.co.uk
bs07j5k@leeds.ac.uk