Credit: University of Missouri
In the fight against cancers, activating mutations in the RAS family of genes stand in the way of finding viable treatment options. Now, scientists at the University of Missouri and Yale University have discovered that one of these mutations oncogenic RAS or RASV12 is also responsible for the regrowth of cancer cells following genotoxic therapy treatment, or drugs that cause damage to a cancer cell s DNA in order to eliminate it from the body. Most of our knowledge of how cells respond to DNA damage is mainly derived from studies looking at the single cell level, said Yves Chabu, an assistant professor in the MU College of Arts and Science. Therefore, we don t know much about how tumor cells respond to DNA damage in the broader context of the tissue level, and what possible implications these responses might have on a tumor s relapse following genotoxic therapies. To address this, we looked at how tissues containing patches of cells carryin
Larry Hufford
The
Daily Montanan reports the university is considering a $2.5 million dollar cut to the College of Humanities and Sciences. Hufford told colleagues in an email that UM’s ‘budget environment’ prompted his resignation.
The College of Humanities and Sciences has seen budget cuts totaling nearly 25% over five years. UM spokesperson Dave Kuntz said the administration has a new budget allocation process to better respond to student interests, and that the College of Humanities and Sciences will always be one of UM’s foundational cornerstones.
“But there are trends that are real, and we need to make sure that our budgets are allocated to ensure that we re putting money where there s growth and ensuring that those tradeoffs are appropriate, Kuntz said.
Bacteria use slimy strategy to defeat antibiotics that fight cystic fibrosis
University of Montana researchers and their partners have discovered a slimy strategy used by bacteria to defeat antibiotics and other drugs used to combat infections afflicting people with cystic fibrosis. The research was published Feb. 23 in the journal
Cell Reports.
Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits a person s ability to breathe over time. A common strain of bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, often thrives in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis, as well as in wounds from burns or diabetic ulcers. Once a P. aeruginosa infection is established, it can be incredibly difficult to cure, despite repeated courses of antibiotics.
John Maron to present Division of Biology Seminar
John Maron, professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Montana, will present Coexistence and community assembly as part of the Division of Biology Seminar Series at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, via Zoom.
Why don t species that produce the most propagules in a community outcompete those species that are less fecund? The ecological factors and functional traits that enable species varying in propagule size and fecundity to coexist remain unclear. We have been addressing this issue by examining how flowering plant species that differ in seed size, number and other traits coexist in perennial grasslands in western Montana. In particular, we have been experimentally evaluating two coexistence mechanisms competitive tolerance to the community dominant bunchgrass and vulnerability to post-dispersal seed predation by mice and how the strength of these differ among species depending on their seed size, fecundi
Researchers Unveil Detailed Genome of Invasive Malaria Mosquito
New ‘gold standard’ reference genome reveals thousands of new genes vital for targeting pathogen transmission and immunity
Adult female Anopheles stephensi mosquito.
Newswise Despite the broad notoriety of sharks, snakes, scorpions and other formidable creatures, mosquitoes remain the deadliest animal on the planet… by far. Mosquito-transmitted malaria remains the number one worldwide killer among vector-borne diseases, claiming more than 400,000 human lives in 2019.
In order to engineer advanced forms of defense against malaria transmission, including targeted CRISPR and gene drive-based strategies, scientists require intricate knowledge of the genomes of vector mosquitoes.
Mahul Chakraborty a project scientist at the University of California, Irvine, working with colleagues at the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) at UC San Diego and India, and the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biote