January 26, 2001

First complete DNA sequence of a plant generated

By David Linzee

School of Medicine research- ers are part of a team that has generated the first complete DNA sequence of a plant. The team sequenced the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana, a flowering mustard.

Because Arabidopsis is a widely studied model organism, its sequence will enable scientists to study genes that control basic plant functions. This knowledge will be useful for improving important crops such as wheat, corn and soybeans. It also will aid the ongoing effort to identify genes in the human sequence.

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Wilson: Genetics researcher

New hepatitis C replication method will enable scientists to study disease

By David Linzee

Scientists studying the virus that causes hepatitis C have found a way to grow it rapidly in the lab so they can perform genetic studies on it.

The inability to replicate the virus quickly and reliably in cell cultures had been a serious handicap to progress against the disease, which affects approximately 170 million people worldwide. In the United States, hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplants.

"This is a strong, workable system that we can use to learn how this poorly understood virus causes disease and to develop drugs against it," Keril J. Blight, Ph.D., said.

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Baby day Nathan Burlis, 19 months, jumps to his mother, Tammy Burlis, P.T., M.H.S., C.C.S., instructor in physical therapy, during a kinesiology class in which professional physical therapy students study the development of movement with the help of babies. Evaluating Nathan's coordination and balance are (from left) physical therapy first-year students Nicole Frank, Kerri Scherer, Erica Herron, Katie Pohl, Danielle Jurjevich and Shelly Blanksteen. This course is part of the entry-level professional program, which, beginning next fall, will be converted to a new doctorate in physical therapy (DPT) program. The new three-year program will prepare students for general practice by blending academic course work with clinical experience in a variety of practice settings. The University has been ranked the No.1 physical therapy school by U.S. News & World Report since it began ranking PT schools. For more information, contact Tracy McMurtry at 286-1402.

Pacemaker study needs volunteers

People with a history of heart failure might be eligible for a new School of Medicine study that will test whether a special pacemaker can improve survival rates and quality of life.

The new pacemaker regulates both sides of the heart, making them contract at precisely the same time. "It's been shown that making the heart beat in a more synchronized fashion may help patients feel better long-term," said Gregory A. Ewald, M.D., assistant professor of medicine.

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Nervous system tumors investigated by Gutmann

By Gila Reckess

David H. Gutmann, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology, genetics and pediatrics, received a four-year, $1 million grant to study the gene for neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2), an inherited disorder characterized by the development of tumors in the nervous system.

This gene is also implicated in the formation of meningiomas, which originate from the meningeal lining covering the brain and is the second-most-common brain tumor in adults. The research is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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