GENETICS

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INBRE at the COLLEGE of CHARLESTON
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Overall goals and objectives of the program

• The goal is to develop a self-sustaining
  capability for garnering independent support from
  NIH and to raise the competitive status of the
  College in biomedical research.

• The theme of the College of Charleston proposal
  is "Molecular Models and Chemical Approaches to
  Disease Processes."
• The proposal supports 5 faculty members who have
  the clear potential for independent funding from
  NIH.

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Overall goals and objectives of the program

• Each of these investigators will mentor
  undergraduates over the course of their research.
  
• Each investigator will be required to develop a
  career plan that has as a key milestone the
  submission of an NIH grant.

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Overall goals and objectives of the program

• The College of Charleston will provide
  significant additional financial support
  over and above the requested amount

• to purchase three key pieces of
  instrumentation- Stopped flow absorption
  spectrophotometer - Confocal microscope- Liquid
  chromatography mass spectrophotometer
• to provide for additional dedicated time for
  research
• to provide funds for supplies and investigator
  travel, and to support additional student
  research.

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Structure of INBRE at the College of Charleston

• Guidance group
• Institutional Steering Committee (ISC)

• P.I. Dr. Norine Noonan, Dean of SSM
• Dr. Rick Heldrich Director of Undergraduate
  Research
• Dr. Andrei Straumanis minority recruitment
• All target faculties and one alternating
  department chair from either Biology or
  Chemistry.

• Drs. Daniel Knapp and Dr. Yusuf Hannun MUSC
• Dr. Eberhard Voit, Regents Professor of Systems
  Biology at the University of Georgia
• Dr. Jennifer Schnellmann, Assistant Professor of
  Pharmacy and Director of the Office of Grants
  Development at MUSC

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Structure of the Project
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Meetings with ISC

• A teleconference is scheduled for November
  29th.
• Agenda timeline and milestones
• budget adjustment
• discussion of other
  awards
• success indicators
• Full meeting of Guidance group and ISC is
  planned for early January.

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Target Faculty and Mentor Activity

• Dr. Agnes Ayme-Southgate muscle assembly and
  function mentor Dr. Tien Hsu, MUSC. Mentor
  provided suggestions on an NIH-AREA grant which
  is now funded.
• Dr. Christopher Korey membrane trafficking and
  signaling pathways involved in the Neuronal
  Ceroid Lipofuscinoses mentor Dr. Marcy
  MacDonald, MGH. Meeting with mentor is scheduled
  for early next year.
• Dr. Elizabeth Meyer-Bernstein biological clock
  regulation of behavioral and biological
  processes at the molecular level
  (photo-sensitivity rhythm in the retina) mentors
  Drs. Lawrence Morin and William Stark. Met with
  Dr. Morin at recent Neuroscience meeting.

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Target Faculty and Mentor Activity

• Dr. Pam Riggs-Gelasco, determination of
  structures of reactive enzyme intermediates in
  metalloproteins important in elucidating
  mechanism-based inhibitors for proteins
  implicated in human disease mentor Dr. Dan
  Knapp, MUSC. Met recently with mentor.
• Dr. Justin Wyatt, synthesis protocols for two
  newly-discovered antibiotics important in
  combating antibiotic-resistant bacterial
  infections mentor Dr. Thomas Walle, MUSC.
  Faculty has been in regular contact by e-mail.
  Meeting with the mentor is scheduled for
  mid-December.

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Student Involvement in Research Projects
Total 15 students 21
students
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Faculty and Staff Hiring Plans and Instrument
Acquisition. 

• Hiring none planned
• Instrument acquisition The acquisition of the
  first equipment, a stopped flow absorption
  spectrophotometer, was originally scheduled for
  late year one. Rebudgeting may allow a slightly
  earlier purchase.

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Changes in Budget

• Some rebudgeting is under consideration.
• The timing of the award did not allow a full use
  of salary money budgeted for Summer 2005,
  especially student salaries.
• Options are being considered and will be
  discussed with the ISC at the November 29th
  teleconference.

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Summary

• The College of Charleston is off to a good
  start.
• We met or even exceeded our student target for
  the first year.
• Faculties are making progress towards
  independent support of their research.
• We expect to meet all our INBRE goals.