View from the Frontiers of Molecular Biology

Queenstown Molecular Biology Meeting

http://www.qmb.org.nz

Media Release
Friday August 24, 2007

The View from the Frontiers of Molecular Biology

The keynote speaker at this year’s Queenstown Molecular Biology meeting (QMB) is 1997 Nobel prize winner in Chemistry, Professor Sir John Walker from Cambridge UK. International experts will join more than 200 leading University and Crown Research Institute scientists at New Zealand’s premier molecular science meeting from Sunday August 26-31.

Sir John will describe his latest research at the cutting edge of international molecular biology as head of MRC-Dunn Human Nutrition Unit, Cambridge UK, examining how food and oxygen are transformed within the cell itself, into energy crucial for life and survival.

This happens through tiny structures called mitochondria, which are the powerhouses present in every cell in our body. However, the ageing process, and many human diseases can also damage these crucial internal “combustion engines”.

Sir John Walker is the keynote speaker at the opening of the main conference on Tuesday August 28 at 7pm. While the general theme of the 17th QMB meeting reflects the nutrition and health interests of convenors Dr John McCallum (Crop & Food Research) and Dr Mark Hampton (University of Otago), topics range from peas and maize, to hearts and colons.

QMB will be preceded by two concurrent satellite meetings from the evening of Sunday August 26 to Tuesday August 28. The first satellite meeting the Molecular Basis of Cancer and Development focuses on factors operating during foetal development, which when co-opted by cancer cells in adulthood play a key role in cancer cell growth, self-renewal, and metastasis. Themes covered include genetic changes in cancer cells, and identification and targeting of cancer stem cells.

The major themes of the second satellite meeting, Plant Gene Expression and Development are the molecular control of the development of leaves, flowers, fruit and seed, and regulation of flowering time, flower and fruit colour and ripening. Plants underpin a large portion of the economy, with 63% of our exports plant-based

This year the Invitrogen Life Science Award ($5000) winner is Dr Peter Dearden from the University of Otago. The QMB Promising Researcher Award winners are Dr Bjorn Oback, AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, and Dr Debbie Hay, University of Auckland.Their presentations and Awards will take place on Wednesday August 29 (see separate release).

Wednesday evening promises to be another highlight when scientists go head to head in The Queenstown Debate: ‘Targeted vs basic research. Have we got the balance right?’ The debate spotlights the contentious issue of science funding in New Zealand, and whether more emphasis should be given to basic or applied research.

Some of the other presenters of interest at QMB 2007 are:

Dr Ahmed El-Sohemy. University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine
Dr El-Sohemy has examined links between our genetic make-up and coffee consumption, as responses to caffeine such as elevated mood or anxiety differ and could result in preference or avoidance. The study found that genetic differences in the targets of caffeine action in different individuals affect consumption behaviours, rather than the way caffeine is metabolised in the body. This finding may affect studies looking at caffeine and health impacts.

Dr Lynnette Ferguson. University of Auckland, Discipline of Nutrition.
The basic premise of nutrigenomics is that an individual’s genetic make-up determines how they respond to food. Dr Ferguson is exploring how to match food to people’s genes, focusing on Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She is investigating how certain foods ‘turn on’ the genes which trigger this chronic illness that blights thousands of lives. Nutrigenomics will allow the development of specific diets that to help manage IBD and other chronic diseases.

Dr Peter Dearden. University of Otago, Dunedin
Evolutionary biologists are trying to discover how shapes and structures of animals have evolved. How do genes make these shapes in the embryo, and the how do those genes change through evolution to produce new shapes. Dr Dearden has discovered is that shapes evolve according to how genes are actually used. It’s not what you have, it’s what you do with it.

Dr Barry Palmer. University of Otago, Christchurch
Identifying gene variants that influence the development of heart disease has potential to aid in sorting patients into high- and low-risk groups. Study of a group of approximately 1000 heart attack patients recruited from Christchurch Hospital has shown variants from three genes help to predict patient survival after a heart attack. Patients with the high risk forms of three particular genes are up to 2.5 times more likely to die after a heart attack than those with the low risk forms.

Professor Ariel Ruiz i Altaba. University of Geneva, Switzerland. (Cancer & Development August 26-28)
Professor Ruiz’s research interest is in a plant derived compound which was first identified when it led to cyclopia (Cyclops or one-eyed monsters in mythology) in farm animals that ate the plants. He has demonstrated that this plant may be a new and effective means of treating some types of cancer by targeting developmental pathways.

Dr Dominique Bergmann. Stanford University, California (Plant gene satellite meeting. August 26-28)
Dr Bergmann is investigating how the pattern and numbers of stomata are regulated. Stomata are important microscopic pores mainly found on leaves that are used for gas exchange (water and carbon dioxide), between the plant and the atmosphere. These pores are important for the ability of plants to cope with stress as they will close if leaves begin to wilt or if there is a high concentration of carbon dioxide in the air space of the leaf.
Dr Anna Koltunow from CSIRO in Adelaide (Plant gene satellite meeting. August 26-28)
Dr Koltunow is investigating the formation of seeds in plants asexually, without the need to go through the fertilisation process. Applied to crops it is expected to substantially reduce the costs of seed production. This research is being carried out in collaboration with the Bicknell group at Crop and Food CRI at Lincoln.

ENDS

For a full programme visit www.qmb.org.nz

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