Susan Carlson et al. (2008) C.elegans Aging, Stress, Pathogenesis, and Heterochrony Meeting "Iowa State University ADVANCE Program's Collaborative Transformation: Advancing Women Faculty in STEM Fields"

Susan Carlson, Jo Anne Powell-Coffman, Lisa Larson, Diane Debinski, Sharon Bird, Kristen Constant, Jan Thompson, Charles Glatz, Bonnie Bowen, Carla Fehr, Fred Janzen, Sandra Gahn, Florence Hamrick

[C.elegans Aging, Stress, Pathogenesis, and Heterochrony Meeting, 2008]

The goal of the NSF-funded ISU ADVANCE program is to investigate the effectiveness of a multilevel collaborative effort to produce institutional transformation that results in the full participation of women faculty in science, technology, engineering and math fields in the university. Our approach focuses on transforming departmental cultures, practices, and structures, as well as university policies. Here, we summarize the findings of the Collaborative Transformation Project with the 3 departments that participated in the first round (Departments of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology; Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology; and Material Science and Engineering) (Bird and Hamrick 2008). A 3-step process for departmental transformation includes (1) focus groups to discuss aspects of department culture, practice and structure, (2) needs assessment meetings tailored to meet the needs of individual departments, and (3) collaborative problem solving sessions involving department faculty and ADVANCE program leaders. The findings include 6 major issues common to all 3 departments. Some issues do not specifically address gender or race, but these issues can have a disproportionate effect on underrepresented groups. Each of the 3 focal departments has developed strategies for change that address the issues identified in their departments. Examples of these strategies will be presented. Bird, Sharon R. and Florence A. Hamrick. 2008. ISU ADVANCE Collaborative Transformation Project: First Round Focal Department Synthesis Report. Ames, IA: Iowa State University ADVANCE Program. http://www.advance.iastate.edu

Caroline Bowen et al. (2006) European Worm Meeting "RNA Degradation in the Nematode Worm C.elegans"

Caroline Bowen, Alison Woollard

[European Worm Meeting, 2006]

Caroline Bowen and Alison Woollard RNA turnover is necessary to maintain basal levels of proteins, through mRNA regulation, and to remove aberrant mRNA transcripts. Here we examine processes of RNA degradation in C.elegans. This approach is based on a functional investigation of the C.elegans components of the RNA degradation pathways, identified from homology to other organisms.. The 5-3 RNA degradation pathway in C.elegans has been previously identified (Newbury and Woollard 2004). Here we investigate the 3-5 pathway in C.elegans, starting with the identification of its core and accessory components. 3-5 exoribonucleic acid decay, first identified in S.cerevisae, is brought about by a complex of exoribonucleases, helicases and associated factors, known as the exosome, (Mitchell et al 1997). The exosome was hailed as a proteosome for RNA, due to the degradation properties of the heteromeric complex.. We have used RNAi and an available mutant to show that disruption of the exosome complex, through the targeted destruction of individual components, results in worms with severe developmental problems including slowed growth rates. A full length GFP tagged exosome component, has shown the component to be largely confined to the nucleus of all cells, including the germline. Phenotypes associated with depletion of the exosome components include slow growth and developmental problems. These are attributed to effects on rRNA processing. When exosome components are silenced, there is a failure of the degradation of specific cleaved rRNA precursors, which in turn effects ribosome function and subsequently protein synthesis. We will present our findings on the nature of these rRNA processing defects, which will help to clarify the molecular basis of the phenotypes we observe.