3 Bullets: The barrier function of skin is integral to personal well-being and is associated with several widespread diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. ISB and Procter & Gamble researchers used human skin grown in the lab to measure changes in protein levels as the skin matures. The results of this study provide many new markers for healthy skin development. By Dr. Kristian Swearingen and Dr. Jason Winget In a…
3 Bullets: Inflammation causes cholesterol buildup and leads to cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the world ISB, Seattle Biomed, and Oregon State University researchers collaborate to identify a compendium of proteins that control expression of a key regulator of cholesterol efflux Targeting cholesterol efflux to HDL is a potentially important therapeutic strategy for preventing and treating cardiovascular disease By Dr. Mark Gillespie Cells of the immune system,…
3 Bullets: Proteomics experiments generate huge amounts of raw data, most of which cannot be easily shared or described in a publication. ISB researchers curate publicly accessible databases that allow researchers to share their data with the world and to use data others have collected. All data are analyzed in a consistent manner and results are presented via searchable, user-friendly web applications. By Dr. Kristian Swearingen Institute for Systems Biology…
3 Bullets: Dengue virus is the most prevalent mosquito-borne virus worldwide, infecting an estimated 400 million people per year and causing about 25,000 deaths. It’s necessary to understand the molecular mechanisms of dengue replication in order to develop an effective treatment. Researchers at ISB and Seattle BioMed developed a novel approach for identifying host proteins that associate with dengue replication machinery. By Thurston Herricks Dengue virus (DENV) infects approximately 400…
3 Bullets: Aggressive tumor growth is linked to high activity of a macromolecular assembly called RNA polymerase I. ISB and FHCRC researchers collaborate to map the architecture of the assembly using a powerful crosslinking-mass spectrometry (CXMS) technology. Structural maps provide important insights into therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. By Mark Gillespie Rapidly growing tumor cells require large amounts of protein for their survival. This increased protein synthesis, or translation, can…
Institute for Systems Biology has a dizzying breadth of research projects. But when we talk about what we do, it’s how we do it that matters most. The systems approach that we pioneered and exemplify continues to distinguish our ability to tackle the most complex biological and environmental challenges today. Because of how we apply our hallmark collaborative, cross-disciplinary and integrative approach, our collective success is greater than the sum…
3 Bullets: Institute for Systems Biology and Seattle BioMed researchers collaborated and discovered a new protein post-translational modification in the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Post-translational modifications are essential mechanisms used by cells to diversify protein functions and ISB scientists identified the rare phosphorylated tyrosine post translational modification on Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins using mass spectrometry. Inhibiting phosphotyrosine modified amino acids in Mycobacterium tuberculosis severely limits the growth of this widespread deadly…
The National Institute Of General Medical Sciences of the NIH has awarded Principal Investigator(s): Eric Deutsch, PhD, and Robert L. Moritz, PhD, a continuing R01 grant GM087221 for the ongoing development of the Trans-Proteomic Pipeline. The award titled “Development of Trans Proteomic Pipeline, an Analysis Suite for Mass Spectrometry” will continue the work of the ISB flagship proteomics analysis suite of open-source programs that has been downloaded thousands of times…
Researchers at EMBL-EBI, Institute for Systems Biology and other partnering organizations have launched ProteomeXchange, a public portal for exchanging proteomics data generated from mass-spectrometry experiments and other related information. From the EMBL-EBI-issued press release: Eric Deutsch, head of PeptideAtlas at the Institute for Systems Biology in the U.S., says: “I’m certain that the ProteomeXchange system is already leading to greater awareness and reuse of publicly available datasets. I’m regularly contacted…
Luis Mendoza and Eric Deutsch, of the Moritz lab, were at CINVESTAV (a federal institute in Irapuato, Mexico) last week to teach a workshop on the Trans-Proteomic Pipeline software. From Luis (pictured above): "We covered the basics of data analysis of tandem mass spectrometry data using the TPP, including the justification and theory behind the methods as well as interpretation of the results via hands-on tutorials. We had a full…
Congratulations to Dr. Jeff Ranish on his promotion to Associate Professor. Jeff has been with ISB since its founding in 2000. Read about the Ranish lab group.
John Nosta, a contributor to Forbes.com, posted this piece today and included a mention of a collaboration between Indi and ISB on a diagnostic that may help identify benign lung nodules. From Diagnosis to Treatment, Has Lung Cancer Begun To Turn The Corner? This study suggests the tremendous power of using systems biology and bioinformatics to better understand health and disease,” said Lee Hood, M.D., Ph.D., co-author of the study; co-founder…
ISB's annual report is now available. This year, we created a web site for the report. It highlights nine headlines from 2012 and also includes a stirring piece from our president, Dr. Lee Hood, on "Inventing the Future." You can explore the site at: annualreport.isbscience.net/2012.
What You Saw in the News: On Feb. 18, The New York Times published a front-page story headlined “Obama Seeking to Boost Study of Human Brain.” (Download PDF: ObamaNYTBrainMap.) While the administration has not formally announced this brain mapping project, the NYT was able to gather enough details from scientists involved in planning the project to publish a report. Participating government agencies and private foundations include the…
Above: Kristian Swearingen and the re-engineered FAIMS device. (Editor's Note: This post shows a wonderful example of the collaborative, innovative and entrepreneurial ethic that ISB nurtures. Even if the science or technology is difficult to explain concisely, the cross-disciplinary and integrative nature of how our work is done and the pioneering spirit come through. How cool is that?) By Terry Farrah What do you do when your mass spectrometer accessory…
By Terry Farrah Since I first learned about them as a college sophomore, protein molecules have been my scientific passion. I love them for the beauty of their shapes and functions. Protein molecules are central to the workings of life, but in popular culture they are the unsung hero next to their high profile cousin, DNA. Everyone knows that DNA is the blueprint for life. But does one section of…
