magazine - Yale Combined Program in the Biological and

B
magazine
Ya l e U n i v e r s i t y
We take the bs out of bbs.
B says goodbye to the many graduates who are listed on pages 6 to 8 and who are all clearly visible in
In this issue
1 New Dean of Graduate School
2 World Cup 2010; Are you ready for it?
4 Book Review
4 Annie Le Fellowship
5 Music Review
6 OUTTA HERE!
8 The Playlist
9 Summer Festival Overview
10 Students Who Bake
11 Lifestyles of the Poor and Academic
12 Buzz
12 B Contest
http://www.bbs.yale.edu/about/b/b.aspx
Student life in the Combined Program
in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Volume 11 Issue 2 June 2010
the graduation ceremony photo above. B also says hello to the new Dean of the Graduate School (and
BBS faculty member) in our article below. Be nice to him. He’s the guy who will hand you your diploma
someday! Enjoy this issue, and have a great summer.
BBS Faculty Member Becomes Dean
By Olivia Hendrick
Many of you may know Thomas Pollard for
being a great instructor or as the department chair
of MCDB, a position he has held since 2004. Even
if you did not know him as such, you now have the
opportunity to know him as the newly appointed dean of the Graduate School of the Arts and
Sciences.
Professor Pollard received his B.A., cum laude,
in chemistry and zoology from Pomona College in
1964 and continued on to obtain his M.D., cum
laude, from Harvard Medical School in 1968. After
a medical internship at Massachusetts General
Hospital, he spent three years in a biochemistry
lab at the National Heart and Lung Institute in
Bethesda, MD, before returning to Harvard Medical
School to teach. He then founded and directed the
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy at Johns
Hopkins University School of Medicine and spent
nineteen years accruing teaching awards and
research honors. After leaving Hopkins, Pollard
served as the President of The Salk Institute for
Biological Studies in California for five years
before coming to Yale in 2001 as a Eugene Higgins
Professor of Molecular Cellular & Developmental
Biology and of Cell Biology. He co-directed the
MCGD Track after its founding in 2002 until he
became the chair in 2004 and a Sterling Professor
in 2005.
Perhaps most interestingly, Professor Pollard’s
research here at Yale involves understanding the
processes of cell motility and cytokinesis. For
those of us who need a refresher, cytokinesis is
the process during mitosis when the cytoplasm
divides into two daughter cells, and it seems as
though failure to regulate this process can lead
to tumor progression in some cancers, though
the process itself is not yet well understood.
Additionally, the movement of cells from a primary
tumor often leads to mortality in cancer progression. Both cytokinesis and cell motility are actinbased, and his lab studies intensively how cells
control the assembly and disassembly of actin
filaments during these processes in order to better understand them.
Now is a difficult time to assume deanship,
when the Graduate School has been facing cutbacks and admissions have had to decrease.
Professor Pollard plans to follow the agenda he
created as chair of the dean search committee
and will address current funding at the Graduate
School, especially in the sciences, so that resources are used as efficiently as possible. Having
a dean come from such a strong scientific and
leadership background should serve us well in
our future and provide many opportunities for students and for the departments he will oversee. B
World Cup 2010; Are you ready for it?
B maga zi n e sta f f
th e de pa rtm e nts / p rograms
Cell Biology
Comp Bio &
Bioinformatics
Ex Pathology
Genetics
Immunobiology
INP
MCDB
MCGD
Microbiology
BBS Program
Andrea Stavoe
Kevin Keating
Jamie Duke
Kathryn Tworkoski
Khalid Fakhro
Natalie Powers
Pamela Chan
Jessica McDonald
Olivia Hendrick
Kristi Rudenga
Alice Ly
Mary Kunjappu
Phillip McCown
Jason Wallace
Monica Bowen
Alexander Kukreja
Elizabeth Schroeder
Nicole Pagliaccetti
Felicia Barriga
John Alvaro
Bonnie Ellis
B Thanks Carol Russo for the Graduation
Photo on the cover.
B magazine
B y K h a l i d F a h k ro
Let’s get one thing straight: There is no bigger sporting event in the world than the FIFA
World Cup. Over the past 3 years, 204 nations
played nearly ~900 qualifying matches in a bid
to earn one of 32 spots in this prestigious competition. Unfortunately, despite the significant
improvement of the MLS and the US men’s team
over the past decade, many Americans still treat
‘soccer’ as a second rate sport. Here’s a fact: if
you think the World Series (116m) or the Super
Bowl (107m) have an incredibly high viewership
rate, you are in for a shock. The 2006 World Cup
Final alone had 1.1 bn viewers, which is but a
fraction of the cumulative audience of over 26
billion who watched the entire competition as it
aired on 376 channels in 214 countries, generating a total coverage of 73,000 hours (nearly 8
years of non-stop video!). And if these numbers
aren’t convincing enough, try a staggering 300
million viewers tuning in last December just to
witness the draw placing the 32 participating
nations into eight groups.
So if you’re still wondering what this fuss is
about, you have come to the right place!
I’m not here to explain football’s rules or
delve into the extensive history of the World
Game; rather, I am going to give you a brief
guide to this mesmerizing competition, and
(more importantly!) to provide you with some
material to carry an intelligent conversation with
us “foreigners” during this Holy Month.
Let’s start at the top?
Football is a game of intense physical exertion for the sake of pride and glory; for followers
of the sport, there is no more emotional a time
than the World Cup. The event started as a natural progression of Olympic football tournaments
in the early 20th century, with the first world
cup (1930) including 13 teams, and won by the
host nation Uruguay. Since then, only 7 nations
have won this prestigious competition: Brazil
with 5 titles, followed by Italy on 4, Germany
on 3, Argentina and Uruguay with 2 each, and
England and France with 1 each.
So how do teams get there?
Qualifying for this competition is done by
breaking the world into six continental zones,
with each zone’s qualifiers overseen by their
respective confederations. When all is said and
done, 204 teams are whittled down to 32, which
are subsequently drawn into eight groups (A-H)
of four.
The group stage games started on June 11th,
with each team playing the other three in their
group only once. A win counts for 3 points, a
draw for 1, and a loss for 0 points. The top two
nations from each group progress to the knockout stage (aka Round of 16). During this round,
nations are paired up such that the winner of
Group A plays the runner up from Group B, and
vice versa. The same is done between groups C/
D, E/F, and G/H. Beginning at the Round of 16,
all games are single elimination, i.e. if the 90
minutes of full time elapse and the teams are
still tied, then the match moves into extra time
(2 more 15 minute halves). If the draw persists,
penalty shootouts decide the winner. The winners proceed to the Round of 8 (quarterfinals),
followed by the semi-finals and the final, to be
played on July 11.
Ok, I get it, so who’s going to win this year?
According to FIFA, the top 8 seeds this year are
(in order): Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands,
Italy, Germany, Argentina and England. I would
tend to agree with this list, and these are the
best candidates for your money to lift the trophy.
An outside bet on Mexico, South Korea or the
USA may pay huge dividends, given their favorable group stage draws. So who should you be
watching in these teams?
Brazil: Bookies have the Samba kings at 5-1
to win a sixth World Cup; if achieved, Brazil will
be the only nation in the world to have won a
world cup on 5 different continents. Key to their
successes is Kaka, the center attacking midfielder who plays at club level for Real Madrid.
With power, acceleration, directness and technical ability, Kaka makes superb football look
easy. Watch him link up with the lightening
fast Robinho to terrorize opponents’ defenses.
Moreover, outstanding Brazilian goalkeeper
Julio Cesar and club teammates Maicon and
Lucio will look to keep things very tight in the
back as they did to win the treble with Inter
Milan last season, with Maicon asserting his
spot as the best right-back in the world.
Spain: The 2008 European Champions are
the number one seed at the tournament, and
at 4-1 are the bookies favorites to carry the trophy. With its superlative backbone of Barcelona
players, Spain’s tiki-taka one-touch approach to
football is key to their success. The team thrives
on possession, making it difficult for opponents
to get the ball in the first place in order to test
the Spanish’s sometimes sub-par defense.
Central to these plans is Xavi Hernandez, the
30-year-old metronome that keeps the best
Barcelona and the best Spain sides in history
ticking. Players of his caliber thrive on finding the perfect pass, and being surrounded by
Iniesta, Silva, Villa and Torres will give him fantastic options to split defenses wide open.
Portugal: Alongside Brazil, Ivory Coast and
North Korea, the Seleccao das Quinas will have
to perform exceptionally well in order to survive
their group of death. Key to their plans is the
$130m former World Player of the Year, Cristiano
Ronaldo. This is a man to watch closely, as
his dribbling speed will literally have defenders falling over, which will also probably make
him the most fouled player of the tournament.
Unfortunately, Ronaldo has not scored a single
goal in his nation’s qualifying campaign, and
the country will be hoping this jinx is lifted at
the championships. This will most likely come
through his powerful swerving set-pieces, which
are a goalkeeper’s nightmare.
Netherlands: As pioneers of Total Football,
the Oranje are undoubtedly going to be the
most entertaining team at the competition.
Midfield maestro Wesley Sneijder will be pulling all the strings, and the attacking quartet of
Huntelaar, Kuyt, Robben and Van Persie should
instill fear in any opponent. Unfortunately, the
Dutch lack the quality and experience in their
own rearguard, putting even more pressure on
the attacking half to score more goals than the
rear-half concede. Expect their matches to be
high-scoring; and if you’re a neutral, this would
be a great team to support.
Italy: For many viewers, the Azzurri were certainly surprise winners at the 2006 World Cup.
But any pundit will tell you that the Italians have
great mental strength, as they tend to overachieve in these big tournaments. Unlike many
of the other teams that rely on star players in
the attacking half of the pitch, Italy’s quality resonates through its defense. Despite a club season marred with injury, Gianluigi Buffon is still
considered the best goalkeeper in the world,
and his consistency over the years make him an
incredible asset. Italy’s midfield and attack will
rely heavily on a younger crop of heavily talented players, including the trio of Montolivo, Pepe
and Gilardino who could combine to produce
some of the most creative goal-scoring opportunities. Their exploits will be heavily supported
by veterans Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo
whose experience will be vital to setting the
pace from the middle of the park.
Germany: Too often thought of as a machine,
the Nationalmannschaft have proved time and
again they have the quality to lift a fourth trophy. They unfortunately come into this tournament with too many injury doubts, including
first choice goalkeeper Rene Adler and Captain
Michael Ballack; and with top-strikers Podolski
and Klose seriously struggling for form, though
both players consistently produce remarkable
performances when in the national team jersey. In midfield, the Germans will rely on much-
matured defensive midfielder Schweinsteiger to
link-up with playmaker Ozil to dictate the pace
of play. But as a viewer, expect to see the most
flair from the diminutive veteran Philipp Lahm,
a dynamic full-back who is comfortably playing
on the right or left. Defensively he can match
almost any opponent, but his real qualities lie
in his attacking abilities. His small frame gives
him a distinct advantage when cutting inside
into opponent territory, allowing him to create
marvelous goal-scoring opportunities out of
nothing.
Argentina: For the first time in years,
Argentina fans surprisingly do not consider their
team true contenders to lift the World Cup. The
reason for this is simple: Diego Maradona. There
is no doubt that as a player, Maradona was deified by fans; but the general consensus is that
as a manager, he is more concerned about proving critics wrong than about the national team.
Maradona’s headache is compounded by the
fact that in his 5 strikers, he has top-class individuals who collectively scored a staggering 155
goals at club level last season! The man to watch
of course is Lionel Messi, who is on course to
win his second World Player of the Year award
in a row this year, having led Barcelona to a
second title in two years. However, Maradona’s
management of Messi has been extremely poor,
and unless he is given a license to roam freely
as he has at Barcelona, Argentina fans are right
to be pessimistic about their nation’s chances
for a third World Cup.
England: Having performed poorly in 2006,
and then missing out on Euro 2008 altogether,
the English players know this is possibly the
last chance for some of them to leave a mark on
a major tournament. In Fabio Capello’s appointment, England have an extremely experienced
tactical manager at the helm, who proved his
worth by winning 9/10 qualifying matches and
having a healthy goal difference of 28. The
Italian’s tactical key to such an incredible record
was playing Wayne Rooney in his preferred central forward position, from where he managed
34 goals for his club this season. However,
despite the significant individual talent in the
squad, English players are continually criticized
for failure to reproduce club form at international level. This is compounded by recent injury
news ruling out superb center-back captain Rio
Ferdinand from the tournament, which could
prove a huge defensive blow for a nation with
an already embarrassing shortage of good goalkeepers. However, if Lampard and Gerard could
do for country half of what they do for club,
England would have a very good chance this
year. For now, though, Rooney is England’s only
hope; they have no plan B.
Whoa! That was a lot of info. So who’s going
to win it?
If you’ve ever participated in NCAA Basketball
Championship Bracket pools, you will appreciate that in a tournament, it is impossible to
predict who will reign supreme. There are many
other nations who are likely to go further than
expected, including Mexico, USA, South Korea,
and of course, South Africa, who in their capacity as hosts are statistically 100% likely to make
it to the next round (though their group draw
may make it very difficult).
It is also of note that unlike previous Cups,
this World Cup is being played in winter condicontinued on page 6
B magazine Book Review
Why We Love:
The Nature and
Chemistry of
Romantic Love
(By Helen Fisher)
B y A n d r e a S tav o e
I picked up this book on Valentine’s Day
– it was just sitting lonely on a bookshelf
and I thought it was an opportune moment
to explore the chemistry of romantic love.
Helen Fisher explores numerous aspects of
romantic love – from its feeble beginnings
to lasting, stable loving relationships to love
that fizzles out to love that tragically and dramatically crashes. The various topics were
neatly organized into chapters and smaller
sections, allowing me to read about stalking and depression before bothering to learn
how Ms. Fisher used fMRI to follow brain
chemistry – but I kept coming back and picking up the book to read more.
As an anthropologist, Ms. Fisher explores
the possible evolutionary and biological
reasons for modern trends in romantic love,
such as divorce rates. She also postulates
how and why romantic love developed in our
early human ancestors – apparently, it had
something to do with our huge heads. One
very memorable (and disturbing) fact was
that individuals that have recently fallen in
love (as determined by self-reporting) could
think about their significant other up to
90% of the time. I couldn’t imagine thinking
about anything 90% of the time. Given this
information, I think PIs across the world will
attempt to make us fall in love with our thesis projects – I’m pretty sure that I’d be done
already if I thought about my project 90% of
the time. I certainly wouldn’t be able to write
this article if that was the case. B
B magazine
Left Julie Button, Microbiology, Center Anton Bennett, Pharmacology, Right Jason Wallace, MCDB.
Photo Courtesy of Phil McCown.
Annie Le Fellowship
B y J oh n A lva ro
Congratulations go to Julie Button in
Microbiology and Jason Wallace in MCDB for
being selected as very first recipients of the
Annie Le Fellowship. The Annie Le Fellowship
Fund was established by the university early
this year to honor the memory of Annie Le, a
Pharmacology student B staff member, and to
recognize students who exemplify the qualities that made Annie so special. In order to be
selected for the award, students must have
demonstrated high academic achievement,
leadership in or service to the Yale and New
Haven communities, and very strong interpersonal skills.
At an awards ceremony on April 19, Julie
and Jason were recognized in remarks by Jon
Butler, Dean of the Graduate School, Elias
Lolis, Annie’s former DGS in Pharmacology, and
Anton Bennett, Annie’s former thesis adviser.
Ron Breaker, Jason’s thesis adviser, and Jorge
Galan, Julie’s thesis adviser, also attended and
spoke about their respective students. From
their advisers’ remarks, attendees at the ceremony learned of the students’ stellar academic
records and scientific acumen. Also highlighted
were their gentle spirits and good citizenship
inside and outside the lab. Perhaps most telling
were the comments about their altruistic activities in the community. Among other things, Julie
went beyond the call of duty to mentor a New
Haven middle school student and Jason even
sold his blood for medical studies in order to
raise money for local charities.
As recipients of the Annie Le Fellowship,
each student will receive a stipend bonus of
$1,000 and up to $1,000 in additional funds
to support their research and career development.
B magazine is thrilled to recognize these two
wonderful students. B
Music Review:
Experiments in Sound and Music – The Works of Alvin Lucier
By Alex Kukreja
By the mid-1960’s, a new trend
was emerging in music that
relied heavily on intricate studio production techniques to
generate not only crisper and clearer
sounding music but also to integrate
novel, complex noises that could almost
only be produced within a studio setting. For
example, the Beatles’ experimentation with
studio manipulations of music began as early
as on their album Revolver, with backwards guitar solos (“I’m Only Sleeping”), sampling, and
recording amplified playback of pre-recorded
material (“Tomorrow Never Knows”). With the
release of their album The Beatles (The White
Album), listeners would be exposed to the
infamous weirdness that is “Revolution 9”, a
song composed entirely through sampling and
other studio techniques that, at the time of its
release, would have been almost impossible to
reproduce in a live setting. While many musicians now use these methods to complement
and diversify their music, very few artists have
actually based their careers on the investigation and experimentation with the properties
of sound. Amongst the relatively small field of
experimental musicians, Alvin Lucier remains
one of its most prevalent figures.
Lucier attended both Yale and Brandeis
Universities and in 1960 he traveled to Rome
on a Fulbright fellowship. While in Europe, he
witnessed performances by John Cage, David
Tudor, and other pioneers in the field of experimental music. These performances challenged
and inspired Lucier’s musical conceptions
and undoubtedly influenced his own forays
into the realm of experimental music. Many of
Lucier’s works involve either the manipulation
of sound by both external and internal means or
the production of sounds that rely on physical
and biological phenomena. His earliest experiment, 1965’s Music for Solo Performer, had the
performer attach electrodes to his head which
detected brain alpha waves to produce an electrical signal. These electrical impulses were
wired to various percussion instruments placed
around the room, causing them to vibrate and
clang. In another collection of experiments,
1982’s Crossings, Lucier wrote pieces for the
clarinet, a string quartet, and a small orchestra
which were performed with a sine-wave oscillator producing pitches closely matched in fre-
quency to the instruments being played. The
result was a series of interference patterns which
produced complex beats as the wave frequencies were adjusted. After establishing his place
amongst the avant-garde and experimentalist
composers of the time, Lucier became a founding member of the Sonic Arts Union, a collection of experimental musicians that toured and
performed throughout the United States and
Europe from 1966-1976. Since the disbandment
of this group, Lucier has taught as a professor
of music at Wesleyan University in Middletown,
CT, where he continues to compose and experiment with the elements of sound.
Lucier has produced many significant works
throughout his career, but perhaps his most
enduring piece is 1969’s I am sitting in a room.
While many of Lucier’s performances require
visualization for full appreciation (e.g. while
the concept behind Music for Solo Performer
is interesting, the recording is merely a random
collage of cymbal hits), the success behind I am
sitting in a room is largely due to the fact that
it is a piece meant solely for listening. The idea
is simple and explained by Lucier himself from
the onset of the piece:
I am sitting in a room, different from the one
you are in now. I am recording the sound of my
speaking voice and I am going to play it back
into the room again and again until the resonant
frequencies of the room reinforce themselves so
that any semblance of my speech, with perhaps
the exception of rhythm, is destroyed. What you
will hear then are the natural resonant frequencies of the room articulated by speech. I regard
this activity not so much as a demonstration of
a physical fact, but more as a way to smooth out
any irregularities my speech might have.
As the number of playbacks increases, the
listener begins to hear tiny distortions and
undertones within the speaker’s words. After
about 15 minutes, the speech becomes unrecognizable and has transformed into a stream
of ambient, resonant tones that vibrate with a
beautifully ethereal quality. By the 30 minute
mark, it is hard to believe that the sounds were
ever produced by human voice and are more
akin to whale sounds, or something that might
be heard on the X-Files. The setup for the performance of this piece is not difficult to reproduce;
all that is needed is a sound recorder and a
device to playback the recordings. Furthermore,
the results will differ with the room in which the
piece is performed. Thus, one can easily explore
the resonant frequencies of any room, as can be
heard in the various re-interpretations of this
piece found on youtube.com.
Other pieces by Lucier are met with limited
success. Music on a Long Thin Wire involves a
wire that is extended across the room and connected to a setup of amplified oscillators and
magnets. The tones and pitches heard on the
recordings of this piece produce some stimulating patterns and eerie, discordant tones of
feedback. Clocker has the performer connect
a galvanic skin response sensor from his body
to a clock. The sensor detects changes in the
body’s electrical resistivity (a property that can
be affected by the mood and emotions of the
performer and a principle behind lie detector
tests) to speed up and slow down a clock’s ticking which is being amplified through a digital
delay system. In North American Time Capsule,
Lucier told a chamber chorus to, “prepare a
plan of activity using speech, singing, musical instruments, or any other sound producing
means that might describe—to beings very far
from the earth’s environment either in space or
in time—the physical, social, spiritual, or any
other situation in which we find ourselves at
the present time.” A vocoder was then used to
distort the sounds produced by the performers
and, with no intention of debasing the piece,
the result quite literally resembles the kind of
music that might be played as a means of sensory deprivation torture.
By its very nature, the pieces that define
the experimental music genre are unlikely to
gain success amongst mainstream audiences,
but then again, this is rarely the point of experimentation. While these pieces should not be
approached and listened to in the same way as
traditional and popular music, the results can
often times be just as rewarding and invigorating. Any exploration into the experimental
music genre should include a listen to I am sitting in a room. In other instances, the results
can be off-putting, boring, frustrating, or even
borderline torture. The music/sounds produced
by avant-garde artists such as Lucier are vital
to expanding and altering the musical forms
of expression, and, as is true with all forms of
experimentation and music, has its successes
and failures. B
B magazine World Cup continued from page 3
tions, which will undoubtedly favor Northern
European teams over South American, African
and Asian teams. The one other game changer will be the Vuvuzela, the South African
trumpet whose loud rasping noise is almost
as painful as pulling teeth. Players will need a
new level of mental strength to block out the
discomfort, with some coaches (most notably
experienced Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld) hiring Vuvuzela blowers to recreate the ghastly
atmosphere to condition players during their
training sessions!
There you have it; whatever ends up happening, South Africa 2010 promises the fans
a very competitive and satisfying football
tournament. From June 11-July 11, do not
expect to see us “foreigners” anywhere but
glued to our TV and computer screens as the
biggest sporting event in the world unfolds.
You, dear reader, are encouraged to join the
football-mania! B
Cell Biology
OUTTA
Hannah Chapin (Michael Caplan)
The Regulation of Polycystin-1 Delivery to
the Plasma Membrane and Primary Cilium
Stephen Francis (Ira Mellman)
Sorting and Trafficking of Newly-Synthesized
Transmembrane Proteins and Mechanisms
for Primary Cilium Exclusion or Enrichment
of Apical Transmembrane Proteins
Joseph Franklin (Graham Warren)
A Biochemical and Bioinformatic Investigation of the Human Pathogen, Trypansoma
brucei
Elisabeth Wurtmann (Sandra Wolin)
A Bacterial Ortholog of the Ro Autoantigen
Acts in Stress-induced rRNA Metabolism
Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Michael Coggins (David Zenisek)
Exocytosis and Calcium Channel Properties
in the Goldfish Bipolar Neuron
Derek Erion (Gerald Shulman) Transcriptional Control of Hepatic Gluconeogenesis
Daniel Bennett (Michael Koelle)
Identifying Downstream Components of C.
elegans FAFR Signaling
Franziska Bleichert (Susan Baserga)
Structure and Function of Ribonucleoprotein
Enzymes Required for Ribosome Biogenesis
Sierra Colavito (Patrick Sung) Regulation
of Homologous Recombination by the Srs2
Helicase
Julia Etchin (Patrick Sung)
Roles of BRCA2 and PALB2 in Homology-Directed Repair of Chromosomal Breaks
Sorin Fedeles (Stefan Somlo)
Genetic Mechanisms of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Liver Disease (ADPLD)
Matthew Gillum (Gerald Shulman)
The Portrait of a Lipokine
Jennifer Long (Joe Madri) Determining the
Molecular Mechanisms of Vascular Sympathetic Innervation
Molly Kottemann (Allen Bale)
Characterization of DNA Damage Response
in a Menin-Deficient Model
Song Huang (Hongyu Zhao)
High-dimensional Gene Expression Classification and Genome-wide Association
Studies of Complex Traits
Sara Nichols (William Jorgensen)
High-throughput Methods in Computer-aided Drug Pertaining to Flexibility, Selectivity
and Lipophilicity
B magazine
Stephanie Airoldi (Lynn Cooley)
Analysis of the Composition and Function of
Follicle Cell Ring Canals in Drosophila
Jia Nee Foo (Richard Lifton)
Identifying Population Alleles in Renal Salt
Handling Genes that Influence Blood Pressure Variation and Hypertension Risk
Computational Biology and
Bioinformatics
Top Photo: Andrew Bellmer, Julie Golumb, Erika
Andrade, Robert Sears and Benjamin Lacar
Bottom Photo: Jamie Mazer and Julie Golomb
Photos courtesy of Carol Russo
Katherine (Williams) Waters (Valerie Reinke)
Characterization of the Role of VRK-1 in the
Proliferative Germ Cells of C.elegans
Genetics
Beth (Goldsmith) Russel (Kevin White)
Tissue Specificity in Estrogen Receptor Mediated Transcriptional Regulation
Maria Lebedeva (Gerald Shadel)
The Role of ATM/p53 Pathway in the Maintenance of Mitochondrial DNA and Mitochondrial Function
Joelle Perusse (Kevin White)
Comparative transcription at the onset of
metamorphosis in genus Drosophila
Althea Stillman (Matt State)
Functional Analyses of Genes Implicated in
Tourette Syndrome
Kathleen Wilson (David Stern)
The Role of NFBD1/MDC1 in the DNA Damage Checkpoint and Global Gene Regulation
Ming Wu (Tian Xu)
Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms
of Metastatic Tumors in Drosophila
H E R E !!
Jennifer Yamtich (Joann Sweasy)
The Role of Polymorphisms of DNA Polymerase
β in Individual Cancer Susceptibility
Immunobiology
Anant Jani (Tian Chi)
BAF Complex in T Cell Development and Function
Simone Nish (Ruslan Medzhitov)
TLR-mediated Control of Adaptive Immunity
and Peripheral Tolerance
Interdepartmental Neuroscience
Program
Andrew Bellemer (Michael Koelle)
Analysis of Chloride Transport Mechanisms
that Regulate Inhibitory Neurotransmission in
the Caenorhabditis elegans
Benjamin Lacar (Angelique Bordey)
Spontaneous Calcium Waves in Subventricular Zone Astrocytes Regulate Capillary Tone
through Pericytes.
John Strumbos (Len Kaczmarek)
Potassium Channel Dysregulation in a Mouse
Model of Fragile X Syndrome
Christian von Hehn (Sven Jordt)
TRPA1 as a Sensory Neuronal Target of Chemical Irritants and Counterirritants - A Painful Tale
of Mushrooms, Tear Gas, and Smokes
Julie Golomb (Marvin Chun & Jamie Mazer)
Spatial Attention and Eye Movements: The
Retinotopic Attentional Trace
Robert Sears (Ralph DiLeone)
Melanin-concentrating Hormone Modulation
of a Nucleus Accumbens-mediated Feeding
Circuit
Microbiology
C o n g r at u l at i o n s
( a n d t h e i r P. I . s )
to a l l o f t h e s t u d e n t s
o n t h e i r s u cc e s s f u l t h e s i s
d e f e n s e s o v e r t h e pa s t
Molecular Biophysics and
Biochemistry
Dorottya Blaho (Andrew Miranker)
Investigating the Origins of Divalent Cation Mediated Self-Association of beta-2 Microglobulin
Via Mutagenesis
William Bradley (Tony Koleske)
The Mechanisms of Integrin-mediated RhoA
Inhibition by the Nonreceptor Tyrosine Kinase
Arg and p190RhoGAP
Chikio Chan (Tom Pollard)
Cooperative Structural Modulations of Actin
Filaments by Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Cofilin
Harvey Chin (Enrique De La Cruz)
Kinetic and Structural Adaptation in P-loop
Type NTPases: The Role of Nucleotide and
Exchange Factor Interactions in GTPase and
Myosin Function
Myun-Hwa Dunlop (Patrick Sung)
Role of RAD51AP1 in Homologous Recombination
Hsin-hao Hsiao (Demetrios Braddock)
At the Interface: Physical Basis for FIR/PUF60
to Navigate between Transcriptional Regulation
and premRNA Splicing
David Kingery (Scott Strobel)
Investigation of the Chemical Mechanism of
Ribosmal Peptidyl Transferase: A Transition
State Charge Analysis
Lenka Kundrat (Lynne Regan)
CHIP: The Link Between Protein Folding and
Protein Degradation
Walter Martucci (Karen Anderson)
Kinetic and Structural Characterization of
Species-Unique Regions in C. hominis TS-DHFR
Towards Novel Species-Specific Drug Design
Nicole Pagliaccetti (Michael Robek)
Functional Properties of the Type III Interferon
Family of Antiviral Cytokines
Prianka Patel (Don Engleman)
Computational Analysis of Membrane Protein
Families
Idina Shi (Patrick Sung)
Dissection of the Recombination Functions of
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Rad52
Justin Peacock (Tony Koleske)
Abl Family Kinases Coordinately Regulate Cell
Contractility and Adhesion in Migrating Cells
12
months
Rohit Prakash (Patrick Sung )
Role of Mh1 in Homologous Recombination
and DNA Repair
Sarmisthra Ray (Alanna Schepartz)
Detecting and Controlling Src Family Kinases
with Novel Molecules
Amanda Solem (Anna Pyle)
Exploring the Role of DEAD-box Proteins in
Group II Intron Self-Splicing
Richard Wing (Tom Steitz)
Structural Studies of the Prokaryotic
Yang Xie (Mark Hochstrasser)
Identification and Characterization of a SUMOtargeted Ubiquitin Ligase (E3) Complex in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Molecular, Cellular and
Developmental Biology
Peter Angelastro (Christine Jacobs-Wagner)
Analysis of the Spatio-temporal Distribution
and Function of the Caulobacter crecentus Essential Histidine Kinase CckA
Lei Bai (John Carlson)
Acj6, a Dual Regulator of Olfactory Receptor
Genes.
Matthew Cabeen (Christine Jacobs-Wagner)
Bacterial Cell Curvature Through Mechanical
Control of Cell Growth
Sirie Godshalk (Frank Slack)
MicroRNAs and Cancer: A Two-Part Study on
the Roles of MicroRNAs in Melanoma and
Oncogenic Virus Infection
On-Sun Lau (Xing-Wang Deng)
Roles of the Arabidopsis COP10-DET1-DDB1
Complex in Plant Development
Brian Reed (Sherman Weissman)
Genomic Investigation of SREBP Family Transcription Factors Using ChIP-Chip and ChIP-seq
Jennifer Round (Elke Stein)
The Role of Slit/Robo Signaling in Neuronal
Morphogenesis
Sean Taylor (Anna Pyle)
Exploring the Sequence Sensitivity and
Substrate Specificity of the Processive Viral
Helicase NPH-II
continued on page 8
B magazine OUTTA HERE! continued from page 7
David Van Goor (Paul Forscher)
Investigating the Role of Depolymerization in
the Steady State Actin Dynamics of Aplysia
Californica Bag Cell Neuron Growth cones
Linnea Weiss (John Carlson)
The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Bitter
Taste in Drosophila
Neurobiology
Matthew Johnson (Nenad Sestan)
Functional and Evoluntionary Insights into
Human Brain Development through Global
Transcriptome Analysis
Pharmacology
Erika Andrade (Angus Nairn)
Mechanisms of Neuroplasticity in Drug Addiction:Regulation of serine/threonine phosphatases and their roles in the striatum
Robert Carrillo (Haig Keshishian)
Electrical activity regulates developmental
plasticity at the Drosophila neuromuscular
junction
David Harburger (David Calderwood)
Structure/function analysis of the kindlin
family proteins
Kenneth Harrison (Bill Sessa)
Characterization of the Nogo-B Receptor: Identification of a nexus between intracellular
cholesterol trafficking and cis-prenyltransferase activity
Jiae Kim (Karen Anderson)
Determining the Role of Viral and Cellular
Proteins in Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Type-1 Replication
Jan Pawlicki (Joan Steitz)
Molecular mechanisms underlying efficient
and regulated microRNA production
Paulette Wright (Bill Sessa)
The role of Nogo-B in asthma pathogenesis:
An airway epithelial inhibitor of allergic
inflammation
B magazine
T h e P l ay l i s t :
Submitted By Alex Kukreja
Reviewed By Alex Kukreja
Playlist in Review:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
MC Lyte – “Lyte as a Rock”
Run-D.M.C. – “Hit it Run”
Eric B. & Rakim – “As the Rhyme Goes on”
The Beastie Boys – “Shake your Rump”
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – “The Message”
LL Cool J – “I Need a Beat”
Public Enemy – “Don’t Believe the Hype”
Queen Latifah – “Wrath of my Madness”
EPMD – “You Gots to Chill”
Bob Dylan – “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
Review:
Since there have been no submitted playlists since B’s last issue, I have decided to share
my own playlist. The above represents what I consider to be some of the finest examples of my
favorite sub-genre of hip-hop, old school rap. With the lyrical emphasis on boastful yet playful
witticisms and music full of hard-hitting beats atop layers of samples from funk, rock, disco,
and whatever else they could get their hands on, these tracks are a guaranteed block rockin’
good time. Opening with MC Lyte, one of hip-hop’s finest female MC’s, the rhymes and head
knocking beats are non-stop. Run-D.M.C.’s “Hit it Run” is notable for its beat box chorus and
its rough, heavy beat amidst scratched up horn samples. “As the Rhyme Goes on” features the
impressively cool yet rhythmically complicated delivery of Rakim, illustrating the far-reaching
impact this group has had on later hip-hop acts. The Beastie Boys’ “Shake your Rump” is an
aptly-titled collage of funky goodness, sampling a mere 14 different songs and full of hilarious
rhymes. Considered the first true hip-hop group (and the first of two hip-hop acts to be inducted
to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, the second being Run-D.M.C.), Grandmaster Flash & the Furious
Five’s “The Message” features an irresistible disco-esque, synth driven beat full of clever, socially conscious lyrics. LL Cool J’s, “I Need a Beat”, includes disorienting, reverb-intense beats and
rhymes, while the hook to “Don’t Believe the Hype” places hip-hop’s favorite hype man, Flavor
Flav, into the spotlight. The track by Queen Latifah proves that she can hold her own on the
microphone, and the beat to EPMD’s “You Gots to Chill” consists of a brilliant, straightforward
mash-up between Kool & The Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” with Zapp’s “More Bounce to the Ounce.”
Lastly, give “Subterranean Homesick Blues” another listen in the context of this playlist before
criticizing Bob Dylan’s place alongside these old school hip-hop tunes. After experiencing his
torrential downpour of rhymes, there’s no denying that Dylan’s got mad flow. In the words of Eric
B. & Rakim, the only thing left to do is, “pump up the volume.” B
WANTED: Your Playlists
**Think you have the perfect playlist for listening to while in lab? Then share it! E-mail
your own original playlist to [email protected] and it could be reviewed in the next issue of
B Magazine. Guidelines to a good playlist: Try to keep it at ten songs and no longer than
70 minutes. Earn some extra points if your playlist is themed!
Summer Music Festival Overview
By Alex Kukreja
Now that classes are finally over and summer is here, I am sure
most of you are looking for a nice break to unwind. Personally, I like
to unwind by attending as many concerts as I can manage and the
summer is great for offering such opportunities. For those who love
witnessing live music, by far the greatest opportunities lie in the various music festivals that occur throughout the summer. Music festivals
offer the chance to see multiple bands perform over the course of a
weekend and are quite different from the single concert experience. For
one weekend, you will find yourself immersed in a community of musicians, artists, and fellow music fans all with the same goal in mind: to
have fun and to listen. While there are several festivals to choose from,
I have composed a summary of 5 of this summer’s biggest music festivals. While reading over this list, keep the following in mind:
1.
While ticket prices may seem high, divide the price by the
number of bands you will be seeing. You are definitely getting your
money’s worth.
2.
Some festivals offer on-site camping. While this significantly
lowers your costs by not having to pay for lodgings, spending an entire
weekend outdoors with thousands of other people and unpredictable
weather can be distressing for some.
3.
These music festivals offer too many acts to list here. The
headliners are not always indicative of the type of music that will be
at the festival and a lot of great bands were left unmentioned. Check
the festival websites for complete lineups and check regularly, as many
festivals will continue to add artists up until the date of the show.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival – June 10-13th – Manchester, TN
•
Headliners/Acts: Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder, Kings
of Leon, Jay-Z, The Flaming Lips (performing Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of
the Moon”) , Conan O’Brien, and 100+ others
•
Costs: $234.50-249.50/4-day pass. On-site camping is provided.
•
Distance from New Haven: ~1,000 miles, 16 hours by car
•
Overview: Since its beginnings in 2002, Bonnaroo has steadily grown in both the number of people it attracts and in the variety of
acts that it has to offer. Tickets are a tad expensive, but with 5 main
stages and several smaller stages, the music is almost non-stop (some
late night acts will go until sunrise!). Additionally, Bonnaroo is not all
about music and offers a modest selection of comedy acts and many
other activities to occupy your time. My advice for those who have
never been before: Bring plenty of bottled water and make sure you
have a tent that can withstand all types of weather. The first year I went
I was baked to a crisp and the second year I spent the first two days
sleeping in a rain-soaked sleeping bag.
Summerfest 2010 – June 24th-July 4th – Milwaukee, WI
•
Headliners/Acts: Tim McGraw, Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers, Eric Clapton, Usher, Santana, Rush, The Roots, Public
Enemy, 311, Less Than Jake, B.B. King, Guster, Counting Crows, and
150+ others
•
Costs: Tickets can be purchased at the festival gates for either
$8/day (if you come between Noon-4:00PM) or $15/day (after 4:00PM
and all day on weekends). Also, 3-day passes can be purchased for
$33 and can be used to enter the festival at any time on any day of your
choosing. No on-site camping.
•
Distance from New Haven: ~950 miles, 15.5 hours by car
•
Overview: Summerfest started in 1968 and has been around
ever since. At 11 days long and with a total of 11 different stages, it may
be too much to try and attend every day. However, one could easily
turn this into a relaxing vacation to the Midwest, mixing and matching
which days to spend at the festival with days for doing other leisure
activities. Prices are by far the best of any of the major music festivals,
even if you attend every single day. As far as the music goes, this festival literally has a little bit of everything. The hard part is sorting through
the long list of musicians and choosing which days you want to go.
Pitchfork Music Festival – July 16-18th – Chicago, IL
•
Headliners/Acts: Modest Mouse, LCD Soundsystem,
Pavement, Big Boi, plus 37 others
•
Costs: A three-day pass is $90, but those have already sold
out! If you decide to go, you will have to pay $40/day. Also, there are no
on-site camping grounds.
•
Distance from New Haven: ~850 miles, 14 hours by car
•
Overview: Sponsored by Pitchfork Media, a Chicago-based
internet magazine that specializes in independent music and indie
rock, this festival draws a wide array of up and coming artists spanning rock, electronic, lo-fi, psychedelic, folk, and many other genres.
The prices aren’t too bad, even if you weren’t fortunate enough to get
a three day pass, but you may find that there are very few bands of
which you have ever heard (at least I haven’t heard of most of them).
Pitchfork’s aim is to expose people to new and unique artists, so if you
like to experience new music then this festival may be right for you. The
festival’s main website offers song selections from many of the featured artists which can be listened to for free.
Gathering of the Vibes – July 29th-August 1st – Bridgeport, CT
•
Headliners/Acts: Furthur feat. Phil Lesh & Bob Weir, Primus,
Damian Marley & Nas, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Robert Randolph
& The Family Band, plus around 40 others
•
Costs: $197.50 for a four-day ticket and includes on-site
camping.
•
Distance from New Haven: Only 20 minutes away!
•
Overview: I mention Gathering of the Vibes primarily because
of its proximity to New Haven. Although there is onsite camping,
the less adventurous can easily drive home every night and grab a
refreshing night of sleep (and a shower!). Originally created by fans
continued on page 10
B magazine Students Who Bake: Birthday Edition
B y B. M ó n i c a B ow e n
Summer Music Festival continued from page 8
of the Grateful Dead, the festival brings
an eclectic group of musicians, with a
notable appearance from the prog-rock
group Primus (the first sign of activity
from them since 2006. While some may
be turned off by the hippie vibe this festival most certainly captures (look out for
the Deadheads), overall this looks like a
laidback weekend of good music.
Lollapalooza – August 6-8th –
Chicago, IL
•
Headliners/Acts: Soundgarden,
Green Day, Lady Gaga, The Strokes, The
Arcade Fire, Phoenix and 100+ others
•
Costs: $215 for a three-day
pass; single-day tickets go on sale June
8th (pricing info not available yet). No onsite camping grounds.
•
Distance from New Haven: ~850
miles, 14 hours by car
•
Overview: Originally created in
1991 by Perry Farrell as a farewell tour for
his band Jane’s Addiction, Lollapalooza
has become one of the most popular
summer music festivals and has witnessed several reincarnations over the
years. Previously a traveling music festival that toured cities throughout the U.S.,
as of 2005 the festival has stationed itself
in Chicago’s Grant Park and has signed a
deal to stay there until at least 2018. As
far as the lineup goes for this year, there
appears to be nice blend of grunge/alternative 90’s rock bands (true to the festival’s origins) as well as a wide assortment
of more recent pop and rock acts. I envy
all of those who will be attending a most
certain epic weekend of music. B
10 B magazine
Do you have a tendency to procrastinate by baking outlandish or other-worldly concoctions? Have
you optimized the hell out of that cookie baking protoc—I mean, recipe? Share your creations with us!
Below are some examples in case you’re in need of inspiration.
Everyone needs a hobby. Here is one of mine. It brings me great joy to bake my friends birthday
cakes, and it brings me even greater joy to eat said cake in their fine company. I try to make each cake
in the likeness of the birthday celebrant, whether via a literal likeness or a likeness to their alter-egos.
To see what I mean, read below.
Birthday Darwin
I baked this cake for my friend Steve. This particular cake was a two-layer chocolate cake topped
with a solid layer of semisweet chocolate, then decorated with butterscotch-flavored buttercream
frosting, powerdered sugar icing, and funfetti sprinkles.
For the cake, you will need:
4 bowls
2 9x12 in. cake pans
3/4 cup (61.5 g) natural unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup (240 ml) boiling water
1/2 cup (1 stick/113 g) plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups (210 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup chocolate pudding
To decorate, you will need:
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate pudding
Funfetti sprinkles
Food coloring
For the buttercream frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) + 3 tablespoons (160 g)
softened butter
3 cups (7.2 dl) powdered sugar or
confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup butterscotch pudding
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 tablespoons lukewarm milk
For the icing:
Powedered sugar
Water
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F/175° C. Prepare the boiling
water, then mix the cocoa with the water in a small bowl.
Stir the mixture until smooth, then set aside to cool. In
another bowl, beat the butter and sugar in until fluffy. Add
each egg one at a time and beat well after each egg. Stir in
the vanilla, then add the cocoa mixture, stirring well. In a
medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. In
a liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk and yogurt.
Pour about 1/3 the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl,
then about 1/3 of the milk and yogurt mixture. Beat well.
Continue until all of the ingredients are incorporated. Pour
the batter equally into the two prepared cake pans. Bake
20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center
comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then
remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a
wire rack.
Pour the semisweet chocolate chips into a bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds (save a few
for Darwin’s eyes and mouth). Stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate over the cake and down the sides
to let it cool. While it is cooling, in a bowl, combine the softened butter and powedered sugar, then
slowly add the vanilla, pudding and milk. Stir until homogeneous. Use this frosting for Darwin’s face.
If any leftover frosting remains, split it into two batches and add the food coloring to make Darwin’s
birthday hat. Next, to make the icing, take one cup of powerded sugar and add water in tablespoons
until pasty. Then add a bit more water. Use the icing for Darwin’s beard and eyebrows. If you are weary
of smearing frosting or icing with a knife, scoop it into a plastic Ziploc bag and nick one lower corner
to make a decorating pen. Use chocolate chips and sprinkles for the eyes, nose and mouth. Garnish
the birthday hat with funfetti. Naturally select (giggle) to eat the cake immediately. B
Lifestyles of the Poor and Academic
The Art
of
Wa… Winemaking
B y P h i l i p M c C ow n
To quote the poet, “In vino, veritas” (Bonus
points if you know who said it and what it means
without looking it up on Wikipedia). That being
said, I’ve been asked to give some general tips
and a general procedural method for making
your own wine.
So, to start, you have to pick which type of
wine you would like to make. For a first-timer,
such as yourself, I would opt for a red wine, if
you are starting from grapes. If you are starting
from a concentrate bag, like I do when I cannot
get wine grapes, it is vintner’s choice. If you are
starting with grapes, I recommend a red wine
for starters because of the initial crushing step.
This step, as with all wine, comes in different
varietals depending on how messy you want to
get. First, the optional washing step. Some wine
grapes are sprayed with pesticides, so it may be
good to get rid of them. Next, place the grapes
into some sort of filter bag (cheesecloth, nylon,
etc). You guessed it. If you don’t want to get
dirty, you can press it down, either with a press
or something else that’s firm (your broken computer, that annoying fax machine [more bonus
points if you get the movie reference], etc.)
However, if you want to have a good time and
don’t mind ruining a set of clothes, take off your
socks and shoes, roll up your pants (or wear
shorts), hop in to the container, and start stepping. The reason why I also suggested red wines
for first timers is this step. White wines are whitish/yellow due to the minimized contact the
juice has with the skins (specifically the tannins
in the skins, for you science types out there).
The shorter the contact time, the brighter your
wine will be. With a red, however, the longer the
contact time, the more full-bodied it becomes.
After you get juice (or if you’re using a concentrate bag, this is where you start), you add in a
few things. Some people cheat by adding sugar.
Do not do this. Bacchus or Dionysus (depending on if you like the Romans or the Greeks) will
hate you for it, as you’re ruining the flavor. If you
want to know what Dionysus did to people who
provoked his rage, read or watch The Bacchae
by Euripedes. Add water to the juice, as this will
give you more wine. I typically add water in a
volume that is a little less than the volume of
the juice, as I don’t want to water it down too
much. Add in a pinch of sulfites (unless you’re
allergic), some pectin (though this is optional),
and diammonium phosphate (yeasties need
these metabolites). As a secret, I also add a B
complex vitamin (yes, you can get this from the
pharmacy, grind it up, and toss it in). I add the
complex a couple of times during the process,
as this prevents the yeast from directing energy
away from glycolysis and fermentation in making B vitamins.
Next is the selection of the yeast. This can
be a tricky selection. Do not go to a grocery
store and buy the kind of yeast used in making
bread. Also, for the yeast biologists out there,
I would highly advise against using lab strains
here. For red wines, I recommend Pasteur Red.
For white wines, it is vintner’s choice, though be
careful you don’t wreck your flavoring by selecting the wrong strain. Add yeast to the juice and
wait, making sure the juice is open to the air. It
takes about a week for the culture to get going.
You will definitely know when the culture starts
going based on the carbon dioxide bubbles
that come out of the juice. The culture should
progress for a week and you should check it to
make sure the culture is ok. Having been a yeast
biologist for some time, and for the other yeast
biologists out there, you can smell when your
culture is going bad or has been infected.
After a week, transfer the juice from the initial container into one that is fitted with an airlock, as this rids the juice of oxygen and forces
the yeast to ferment. Here, if your wine has
additional flavorings (such as oak or berry), add
them in here. DO NOT SEAL THE CONTAINER! If
you decide to do that, please email me because
I want to put a camera in your domicile to see
the reaction you have when the bad event happens. This process takes anywhere from 2-4
weeks. After this, add a bentonite/potassium
metabisulphite solution then wait at least 4-6
hours (I personally wait a day). Then, add in a
little more potassium metabisuphite (unless
you are allergic), ascorbic acid, and potassium
sorbate. This mixture sterilizes the wine, stabi-
lizes it, makes it resistant to oxidation (vinegar),
and allows it to be bottled without risking a
secondary fermentation to turn your wine into a
bottle rocket.
Next, there is filtering the dregs and bottling.
There are several fun ways to bottle a wine;
however, one thing is crucial. After you seal the
bottle with a cork, leave the bottle upright for
a day or two before storing it on its side. This
allows the cork to dry and properly form in the
bottle. You will have to filter your wine a couple
of times over the course of the next few months,
but in the end, you will have nice, clear wine.
Feel free to take a swig or two while you make
your wine (you probably will due to siphoning
the wine between containers and bottles). One
last thing to do is come up with a label. You
can take the traditional approach and name
your wine after your family name, something
else docile, or something historically significant, e.g. Blackstone, Benziger, Chateauneuf
du Pape, Castello di Gabbiano, etc. You can
also take the approach of coming up with
something ingenious for your label, for example Bored Doe, Scraping the Barrel, Cardinal
Zin, ChardonnAlien, Ideal with Friends, The
Full Monte pulciano, Goats do Roam, 3 Loose
Screws, etc. One that is taken, however, is my
own “Phil’s Swill”. As always, drink responsibly.
Salute! B
B magazine 11
B magazine's
1st Place
“eBay” Contest
For hire: Indentured servant. Will do minipreps for food and rent money.
Catherine Hofler, Genetics
The
BUZZ
Olivia Hendrick (INP 2nd Year
Graduate Student) became
engaged over Memorial Day
weekend to Alan Farr.
2nd Place
Lobotomy Instrument Variety Pack. *STERILE* Like New.
3rd Place
Make an offer: Own a piece of the New Haven skyline! Vintage 1970's
giant rectangular brick object, as seen off I-91. A 'must have' for any serious collector. This item is sold as is- seller is not liable for any leaks,
power failures, bats, or wind-tunnel effects. Local pick up only.
Spiro Razis, Genetics
Callen Hyland, MCDB
Honorable Mention
7th year grad student up for auction. Slight wear. A little slow, but reliable. Like a puppy. Just outgrew its welco--I mean, home. Please take it. Half off original asking price!
Sarah Gray (4th Year INP Graduate
Student) got engaged to Will Richards
in March.
Monica Bowen, MCGD Track
Other Notable Entries
Bunsen Burner Bench Paper Scorch Mark: L@@ks like Charles Darwin.
Spiro Razis, Genetics
Genuine Antique Mad Scientist Lab Coat: Includes a Certificate of Authenticity verifying
the name, academic credentials, and clinical diagnosis.
Sarah Gray (4th Year INP
Graduate Student) completed the NYC
half marathon in March!
B says goodbye to Nicole Colon,
Pharmacology registrar, who will be
returning to her hometown in upstate NY.
The BBS Program expects an entering
class of 71 students in the fall.
B congratulates Tom Pollard, Professor of
MCDB, on his selection as the new Dean
of the Graduate School.
Spiro Razis, Genetics
**MYSTERY Biomedical Waste GRAB BAG**
Spiro Razis, Genetics
For Sale: Hamburger from Vending Machine in basement of Yale Kline Biology Tower. I
would say this won't last, but in fact, I can guarantee it will! It has lasted in the vending
machine for over 8 months and it is still going strong on my lab bench. Perfect if you
think your country will soon be attacked by nuclear or chemical warfare. Your burger will
survive and you will not go hungry (though I cannot guarantee that you will retain all of
your teeth). No returns. $1.53
Imran Babar, MCDB
BRCA2 protein fragments. Although soon to be outdated (as the purified full length protein is about to appear on the market), this is one of the most popular proteins studied
in oncology. The fragments contain the essential motif and domain that exhibit similar
function as its full-length counterpart. If properly used in experiments, may get you a
Nucleic Acid Research or Journal of Biological Chemistry paper, or provide additional
data for certain grant applications. $5,000 per ug.
Xiao-Feng Zheng, Genetics
For Sale: Charles Darwin Western Blot!! The other day, I was developing a western blot,
and I was amazed to see that it miraculously bore an uncanny resemblance to Darwin's
face! A less political alternative to Obama toast, this would be a great one-of-a-kind
collector's item for any science-lover's home or laboratory. Item is 1 PVDF membrane.
Bidding starts at $500.
Oriana Fisher, Pharmacology/Mol Med Track
Pheromone X-traodinaire 100% natural fragrance of German Escherichia. Irresistable
for females or multiple X chromosome carriers. Tested in nerds.
Yong Pan, Cell Biology
Feel like a real scientist! Buy my rejection letters. Letters available from Science, JBC,
PNAS, Cell, and Nature (with more sure to come). Collect them all!
Anonymous
12 B magazine