Hot Topics & News Tips: Thursday, September 28

Newswise — Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) international research scholars—some of the world's leading biomedical researchers from outside the United States—will meet at HHMI's new Janelia Farm Research Campus in northern Virginia September 26-29. 2006.

All research is embargoed until the date and time of presentation.

Taming Anthrax — Diego de Mendoza, Argentina Presentation: 8:25 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 28

Gram-positive bacteria, such as the bacteria that cause anthrax, are a global health problem and potential bioterrorism threat. Diego de Mendoza, an Argentine HHMI international research scholar, is an expert in the field of lipid metabolism in Gram-positive bacteria. He has discovered a protein that regulates the activity of many of the genes involved in lipid metabolism. Proper lipid metabolism is essential for survival of the bacteria. He also identified an enzyme that helps maintain the integrity of the bacterial cell wall. His discoveries are expected to provide unique targets for more effective treatments of Gram-positive bacterial infections. De Mendoza is director of the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Rosario, National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), in Argentina.

E. Coli's Salad Days — B. Brett Finlay, CanadaPresentation: 11:25 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 28

More and more people are falling prey to E. coli infection from tainted spinach. E. coli experts like B. Brett Finlay, an HHMI international research scholar at the University of British Columbia in Canada, can explain how the E. coli bacteria place a death grip on intestinal cells. Finlay's lab determined the molecular structure of E. coli, information that could aid in development of a vaccine for humans, as well as a vaccine for cattle, because E. coli often is transmitted by ground beef. Finlay has been an HHMI international research scholar since the Institute's first competition for Canadian and Latin American scientists in 1991. In 2003 Time magazine named him one of Canada's top five scientists to have influenced health worldwide. Finlay just won the Flavelle Medal, the Royal Society of Canada's highest honor.

For more information on the HHMI International Research Scholars Meeting,please see http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/523627/ .