SEP 27 - 28 2017

Cell Biology 2017

Our first annual Cell Biology virtual event is now On-Demand!

Join us in advancing basic biology and recent tools and techniques in cell research by coming together with like-minded colleagues.

Cell Biology 2017 creates a valuable platform for inspiring global and interdisciplinary collaboration in a virtual environment. The Conference will bring together professors, post-docs, biologists and biomedical professionals from all over the world. Attend interactive sessions, first-class exhibitions and virtual poster presentations.

A cell is the smallest individual unit of any living organism. Cell biology studies cells – their physiological properties, structure, the organelles they contain, environmental interactions, life cycle, division and death, on a microscopic and molecular level. This field spans through most scientific disciplines, studying cell imaging, stem cells, cell physiology and structure, cell signaling, cell culture, and translational biology, and encompassing other scientific fields such as cancer biology, neuroscience, genetics, bioengineering and so much more.

Our virtual conference allows you to participate in a global setting with no travel or cost to you. You can participate in exactly those parts which you are interested in and be back at your desk or bench in an instant. Virtual events remove time and place restrictions and ensure that everyone who wants to participate can do so.

Topics for this years virtual conference included:

Stem Cell Biology
Cytoskeletal Dynamics, Mechanics, and Cell Motility
Cell Biology of Neurons
Data Analysis and Informatics
Cell Signaling and Cancer
Evolutionary Cell Biology
Multicellular Interactions, Tissues and Organs

Continuing Education
By participating in this virtual event and watching webcast presentations, you can earn Free Continuing Education (PACE) credits. To earn educational credits, you must view an entire presentation. Following the presentation you must click on the educational credit link provided for that particular speaker and follow the required process. Once you have completed the process, you will receive a certificate for the educational credit.

Use #LRcellbio to follow the conversation!

Speakers

Robert Singer, PhD

Professor & Co-Chair of Anatomy & Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Gene Yeo, PhD

Principal Investigator, Professor, UCSD
Amr Abdeen, PhD

Postdoctoral Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Anita Bandrowski, PhD

Scientific Lead, Neuroscience Information Framework, Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA; Founder and CEO of SciCrunc
Joshua Brody, MD

Assistant Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology Director, Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ajit Divakaruni, PhD

Assistant Professor, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
Johanna Farkas, PhD

Post Doc: Biologist, Northeastern University
Danielle Folkard

Product Manager, Horizon Discovery
Idan Frumkin, PhD

Graduate Student, Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science
Anna Kashina, PhD

Professor of Biochemistry, University of Pennsylvania
Laura Lowery, PhD

Assistant Professor of Biology, Boston College
Abhishek Sharma

Senior Global Market Manager, Sample Technologies, QIAGEN
Alison Wirshing, PhD

Graduate Student, Northeastern University

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The RRID Initiative, what is needed for scholarship in the 21st century

Anita Bandrowski, PhD

Scientific Lead, Neuroscience Information Framework, Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA; Founder and CEO of SciCrunc

The Resource Identification Initiative supports NIH's new guidelines for Rigor and Transparency as these apply in biomedical publications. Authors are instructed to authenticate key biological resources: Antibodies, Model Organisms, and Tools (software, databases, services), by finding or generating stable unique identifiers. Like a library catalog, these identifiers stick around no matter if the company continues to sell the product or not. This persistence is required for good scholarship and forms a bridge between the static world of the scientific paper and the dynamic world of products and tools.

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Back to basics: Fundamental concepts and special considerations in RNA isolation

Abhishek Sharma

Senior Global Market Manager, Sample Technologies, QIAGEN

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SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

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Engineering stem cell biology for disease modelling and therapeutics

Amr Abdeen, PhD

Postdoctoral Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Stem cells can self-renew and differentiate into multiple different cell types. Engineering of stem cells has enabled new methods to study development and organogenesis in humans as well as develop new disease models and therapies. Stem cells can be obtained from multiple sources in vivo or generated in the lab. Engineering of pluripotent stem cells, for example, can potentially generate any tissue in the body and can be used for tissue repair or organoid formation. Furthermore, advances in gene editing technologies have enabled precise editing of stem cell genomes, creating possibilities for establishment of models for diseases and personalized therapies. In this lecture I will discuss the sources and properties of various stem cells as well as their utilization in modelling, therapy and tissue engineering.

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SEP 28, 2017 9:00 AM PDT

Fine tuning of myosin activity shapes actomyosin network organization and tissue contractility of the C. elegans spermatheca

Alison Wirshing, PhD

Graduate Student, Northeastern University

Contractile non-muscle cells, including smooth muscle and myoepithelial cells, provide the mechanical forces required for tissue homeostasis in numerous organ systems. For example, smooth muscle cells surrounding the vasculature contract in response to increased intraluminal pressure to maintain lumen diameter and blood pressure and myoepithelial cells in the mammary gland provide the contractile force required for milk ejection and to shape the mammary gland mechanical microenvironment. Dysregulation of mechano-perception and force production in these contractile cells contributes to the pathophysiology of numerous diseases ranging from hypertension to breast cancer progression. This highlights the importance of understanding how contractility is regulated and maintained in these mechanically stressed cells throughout animal lifetime. To study this question, we use a component of the C. elegans reproductive system, the spermatheca, as a novel model contractile tube. The spermatheca is composed of 24 myoepithelial cells that encompass the sperm. During ovulation, spermathecal cells are dramatically stretched by the incoming oocyte. The oocyte is immediately fertilized and resides in the spermatheca for a regulated period until coordinated spermathecal cell contractions push the embryo into the uterus. This process occurs 150 times throughout the lifetime of the animal requiring robust regulation of tissue contraction to expel the embryo at the correct time and in the correct direction. In this work, we use live animal imaging to monitor Ca2+ signaling and actomyosin dynamics in spermathecal cells during ovulation. We show that Ca2+ transients are produced only after cell stretch and that Ca2+ signaling is required to initiate actomyosin contraction. We further characterize the role of myosin activity in actomyosin network organization and show that both increased and decreased myosin activity alter network properties including connectivity, orientation, and anisotropy. We conclude that tight spatiotemporal regulation of myosin activity throughout successive rounds of ovulation shapes actomyosin network development and maintenance required for tissue function and animal fertility.

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SEP 28, 2017 7:30 AM PDT

Keynote Presentation: RNA-targeting CRISPR and application to diseases

Gene Yeo, PhD

Principal Investigator, Professor, UCSD

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SEP 28, 2017 6:00 AM PDT

The axolotl salamander as a model for nerve-dependent regeneration

Johanna Farkas, PhD

Post Doc: Biologist, Northeastern University

The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an aquatic salamander that possesses some of the most astonishing regenerative abilities found in nature. Able to fully regenerate amputated limbs, the axolotl may hold the key to unlocking similar abilities in others animals. Salamander limb regeneration has been a source of scientific study and fascination for centuries, but only recently have the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind this process begun to come to light. Our lab focuses on elucidating the molecular relationship between peripheral nerves, which are essential for regeneration, and the proliferative regenerating limb. Nerve dependent wound healing and regeneration have been observed across a vast array of animals, and we have found that a certain nerve-derived protein, Neuregulin-1, is essential to this process in axololts and is capable of rescuing limb regeneration even in the absence of nerves. The goal of this talk is thus to introduce the axolotl as a model for the study of cell and regenerative biology while providing an overview of our recent findings on the molecular basis of nerve dependent tissue growth.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

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SEP 27, 2017 1:30 PM PDT

Evolutionary Cell Biology is a powerful paradigm to study complex biological systems

Idan Frumkin, PhD

Graduate Student, Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science

Although the cell is commonly referred to as “the most basic unit of life”, it is actually so complex that despite over 350 years of research we are still far from fully understanding its structural, functional and evolutionary workings. Even the simplest unicellular organisms routinely carry out complicated tasks such as processing and responding to signals from the environment, maintaining an efficient metabolic network, communicating with other cells, and adapting to new evolutionary challenges.

Studies in cell biology have illuminated many molecular pathways and protein functions that govern cells, but we still do not fully understand how these complex systems are established and function. I, and others, argue that a better dissection of the evolutionary mechanisms that produce cellular functions will significantly advance our understanding of the fundamental principles governing the complexities of cell biological systems by providing the rationale behind variations in cellular functions and networks. Bringing the fields of cell biology and evolution together into an integrated field of “evolutionary cell biology” has historically produced major advances in our understanding of cells. For example, the development of the “endosymbiotic theory” of how mitochondria arose revolutionized our understanding of the origins and structure of eukaryotic cells. Hence, further development of this interdisciplinary field will ultimately allow us to better address diverse areas of cell biology.

Throughout my PhD, I found that combining evolutionary and cell-biological studies brings unique insights on cellular innovation, complexity, limitation, and adaptation. To this end, in my research, I combined molecular genetics methods and large-scale synthetic libraries with long-term lab-evolution protocols. With this approach, I manipulated the translation and splicing machineries, separately, to present them with molecular challenges. I then followed and deciphered the adaptation mechanisms used by these complex systems to restore their proper function. My work demonstrates how an evolutionary perspective on cell biological questions can teach us about the workings of living cells.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
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CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering: Experimental Design and Applications

Danielle Folkard

Product Manager, Horizon Discovery

Sponsored By: Horizon Discovery

The manipulation of the genome to study disease, evaluate drug targets and to stratify patient populations is now a widely accepted concept in the field. At Horizon Discovery, genome engineering is the core of everything we do and following the breakthrough in 2013, with numerous publications into the capabilities of CRISPR-Cas9 engineering, the use and applications of this technology have grown exponentially. Our selection of cell lines and engineering capabilities allows you to bring definition to your research with genotype specific cell line models.
In order to be successful with CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering, there are key considerations that need to be addressed, from the cell line you want to use, to guide design and screening for the mutations of interest. In this presentation, we will discuss each stage of the experimental design and will introduce you to several cutting-edge applications of CRISPR-Cas9 including generation of reporter cell lines and the development of new variations on this technology, CRISPRa and CRISPRi.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 27, 2017 12:00 PM PDT

Enhancing Checkpoint Blockade in Lymphoma with In Situ Vaccination

Joshua Brody, MD

Assistant Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology Director, Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Checkpoint blockade therapy for cancer has had tremendous impact on clinical outcomes, yet only a subset of patients respond. Recent studies show that response to checkpoint blockade does not always correlate with tumor-associated antigen (TAA) load and so must be determined by factors beyond mutational burden. This suggests that checkpoint blockade is limited by suboptimal cross-presentation of TAA by activated dendritic cells (DC) and will be potentiated by recruitment, loading and activation of cross-presenting DC at the tumor site.

To test this hypothesis, an early-phase trial (NCT01976585) in low-grade lymphoma was carried out testing a unique in situ vaccine (ISV) combining: 1) fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT3L) to recruit DC, 2) radiotherapy to load FLT3L-mobilized DC with TAA, and 3) toll-like receptor agonist (TLRa) to activate TAA-loaded DC for cross-presentation. Strikingly, Brody and colleagues found partial and complete systemic tumor regressions at distant, untreated tumors. They also found specific elimination of malignant B cells with sparing of healthy B cells, suggesting a systemic anti-tumor immune response.

This data prompted a new trial in which anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and ISV (used to increase efficacy) are combined with a novel immune-monitoring approach involving co-administration of "surrogate antigens (Ag)" at the ISV site. The approach is being applied to multiple cancer types, including breast, head and neck, melanoma and sarcoma.

In this webinar, Brody will discuss these studies, including the key role mass cytometry played in defining the effects of treatment on the intratumoral and systemic immune repertoire with high resolution and in profiling the distinct checkpoint/co-activator molecules on TAA-specific, surrogate-Ag-specific and bulk CD8 T cells.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 27, 2017 10:30 AM PDT

Ants, wasps and bees: The cell biology of virgin birth

William Sullivan, PhD

Professor of MCD Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

While sexual reproduction in animals is the norm, many species are capable of parthenogenesis: that is normal development in the absence of fertilization. For example in vast insect order Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps), unfertilized eggs develop into males and fertilized eggs develop into females. Parthenogenetic reproducing animal species have independently evolved many times from obligate sexual species. This is surprising because dramatic cellular adaptations are required for successful development without a sperm-derived centrosome and chromosome complement. Here I describe the extraordinary cellular structures and processes that have facilitated the evolution of virgin birth.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Read More
SEP 27, 2017 10:30 AM PDT

Combining Seahorse XF analysis with stable isotope tracing to reveal novel drug targets for metabolic and neurodegenerative disease

Ajit Divakaruni, PhD

Assistant Professor, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Sponsored By: Agilent

To study cell metabolism, our laboratory has found it exceedingly informative to integrate Agilent Seahorse XF Analyzers with mass spectrometry-based measurements of metabolomics and stable isotope tracing to fully reveal metabolic changes in response to drug candidates. This seminar will discuss how merging quantitative, rate-based measurements of oxygen consumption with detailed pathway analysis using mass spectrometry have revealed the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) as a central regulator of metabolic flexibility. Metabolic flexibility is the ability of cells to fuel energy metabolism and biosynthesis with multiple nutrients, and its loss is associated with disease pathogenesis in contexts as varied as type 2 diabetes, cardiac dysfunction, neurodegeneration, and certain cancers.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Read More
SEP 27, 2017 9:00 AM PDT

Regulation of actin during cell migration by nucleotide coding sequence and arginylation

Anna Kashina, PhD

Professor of Biochemistry, University of Pennsylvania

Actin cytoskeleton drives cell migration in muscle and non-muscle cells and plays a major role in such diverse processes as tissue morphogenesis, muscle contraction, and cancer metastases. In non-muscle cells, two major actin isoforms, beta and gamma actin, incorporate into different cytoskeletal structures and mediate cell migration and contractility. In our work we identified that beta, but not gamma actin, is possttranslationally arginylated, and that this arginylation is essential for normal cell migration. Differential arginylation of actin isoforms is regulated at the level of their nucleotide coding sequence. This regulation is a dynamic event that dynamically responds to cellular stimuli and is universal to multiple cell types. Thus, actin arginylation at the cell leading edge is a new regulatory process that acts at post-transcriptional and post-translational levels and is highly selective in targeting actin during cell migration.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 27, 2017 7:30 AM PDT

Keynote Presentation: What Microscopy Can Tell Us About the Life of an mRNA in Living Cells

Robert Singer, PhD

Professor & Co-Chair of Anatomy & Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Einstein researcher Robert Singer, Ph.D., discusses a breakthrough in microscopy that is allowing scientists to track messenger RNA in living cells in real time. The study, published in the September 15 online edition of Nature, marks a major advance in the use of microscopes for scientific investigation and the findings could lead to treatments for a variety of disorders, such as myotonic dystrophy, in which mRNA gets stuck inside the nucleus of cells.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 27, 2017 6:00 AM PDT

Regulation of microtubule plus-end dynamics during axon guidance and cell migration

Laura Lowery, PhD

Assistant Professor of Biology, Boston College

A fundamental question in neuronal development is how growth cone cytoskeletal dynamics are coordinated to promote accurate axonal navigation. To address this question, we focus on microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs), which may play a key role in axon guidance. We determined that TACC3 is a +TIP that promotes microtubule polymerization and axon outgrowth. We have begun to test the hypothesis that TACC3 spatially restricts microtubule polymerization in response to guidance signals in Xenopus laevis axons in vivo and ex vivo. We demonstrate that TACC3 is required to promote axon outgrowth and prevent spontaneous retractions. Additionally, we find that manipulation of TACC3 levels interferes with the growth cone response to axon guidance cues. Finally, we observe that ablation of TACC3 causes pathfinding defects in Xenopus laevis embryos. Together, our findings suggest that TACC3 functions as an axon guidance-regulating factor in embryonic neurons by spatially promoting microtubule polymerization dynamics.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar

Cytoskeletal Dynamics, Mechanics, and Cell Motility
SEP 27, 2017 6:00 AM PDT

Regulation of microtubule plus-end dynamics during axon guidance and cell migration

Laura Lowery, PhD

Assistant Professor of Biology, Boston College

A fundamental question in neuronal development is how growth cone cytoskeletal dynamics are coordinated to promote accurate axonal navigation. To address this question, we focus on microtubule plus-end tracking proteins (+TIPs), which may play a key role in axon guidance. We determined that TACC3 is a +TIP that promotes microtubule polymerization and axon outgrowth. We have begun to test the hypothesis that TACC3 spatially restricts microtubule polymerization in response to guidance signals in Xenopus laevis axons in vivo and ex vivo. We demonstrate that TACC3 is required to promote axon outgrowth and prevent spontaneous retractions. Additionally, we find that manipulation of TACC3 levels interferes with the growth cone response to axon guidance cues. Finally, we observe that ablation of TACC3 causes pathfinding defects in Xenopus laevis embryos. Together, our findings suggest that TACC3 functions as an axon guidance-regulating factor in embryonic neurons by spatially promoting microtubule polymerization dynamics.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 27, 2017 9:00 AM PDT

Regulation of actin during cell migration by nucleotide coding sequence and arginylation

Anna Kashina, PhD

Professor of Biochemistry, University of Pennsylvania

Actin cytoskeleton drives cell migration in muscle and non-muscle cells and plays a major role in such diverse processes as tissue morphogenesis, muscle contraction, and cancer metastases. In non-muscle cells, two major actin isoforms, beta and gamma actin, incorporate into different cytoskeletal structures and mediate cell migration and contractility. In our work we identified that beta, but not gamma actin, is possttranslationally arginylated, and that this arginylation is essential for normal cell migration. Differential arginylation of actin isoforms is regulated at the level of their nucleotide coding sequence. This regulation is a dynamic event that dynamically responds to cellular stimuli and is universal to multiple cell types. Thus, actin arginylation at the cell leading edge is a new regulatory process that acts at post-transcriptional and post-translational levels and is highly selective in targeting actin during cell migration.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 27, 2017 10:30 AM PDT

Ants, wasps and bees: The cell biology of virgin birth

William Sullivan, PhD

Professor of MCD Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz

While sexual reproduction in animals is the norm, many species are capable of parthenogenesis: that is normal development in the absence of fertilization. For example in vast insect order Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps), unfertilized eggs develop into males and fertilized eggs develop into females. Parthenogenetic reproducing animal species have independently evolved many times from obligate sexual species. This is surprising because dramatic cellular adaptations are required for successful development without a sperm-derived centrosome and chromosome complement. Here I describe the extraordinary cellular structures and processes that have facilitated the evolution of virgin birth.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Read More
SEP 28, 2017 6:00 AM PDT

The axolotl salamander as a model for nerve-dependent regeneration

Johanna Farkas, PhD

Post Doc: Biologist, Northeastern University

The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an aquatic salamander that possesses some of the most astonishing regenerative abilities found in nature. Able to fully regenerate amputated limbs, the axolotl may hold the key to unlocking similar abilities in others animals. Salamander limb regeneration has been a source of scientific study and fascination for centuries, but only recently have the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind this process begun to come to light. Our lab focuses on elucidating the molecular relationship between peripheral nerves, which are essential for regeneration, and the proliferative regenerating limb. Nerve dependent wound healing and regeneration have been observed across a vast array of animals, and we have found that a certain nerve-derived protein, Neuregulin-1, is essential to this process in axololts and is capable of rescuing limb regeneration even in the absence of nerves. The goal of this talk is thus to introduce the axolotl as a model for the study of cell and regenerative biology while providing an overview of our recent findings on the molecular basis of nerve dependent tissue growth.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
Evolutionary Cell Biology
SEP 27, 2017 7:30 AM PDT

Keynote Presentation: What Microscopy Can Tell Us About the Life of an mRNA in Living Cells

Robert Singer, PhD

Professor & Co-Chair of Anatomy & Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Einstein researcher Robert Singer, Ph.D., discusses a breakthrough in microscopy that is allowing scientists to track messenger RNA in living cells in real time. The study, published in the September 15 online edition of Nature, marks a major advance in the use of microscopes for scientific investigation and the findings could lead to treatments for a variety of disorders, such as myotonic dystrophy, in which mRNA gets stuck inside the nucleus of cells.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 27, 2017 12:00 PM PDT

CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering: Experimental Design and Applications

Danielle Folkard

Product Manager, Horizon Discovery

Sponsored By: Horizon Discovery

The manipulation of the genome to study disease, evaluate drug targets and to stratify patient populations is now a widely accepted concept in the field. At Horizon Discovery, genome engineering is the core of everything we do and following the breakthrough in 2013, with numerous publications into the capabilities of CRISPR-Cas9 engineering, the use and applications of this technology have grown exponentially. Our selection of cell lines and engineering capabilities allows you to bring definition to your research with genotype specific cell line models.
In order to be successful with CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering, there are key considerations that need to be addressed, from the cell line you want to use, to guide design and screening for the mutations of interest. In this presentation, we will discuss each stage of the experimental design and will introduce you to several cutting-edge applications of CRISPR-Cas9 including generation of reporter cell lines and the development of new variations on this technology, CRISPRa and CRISPRi.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 27, 2017 1:30 PM PDT

Evolutionary Cell Biology is a powerful paradigm to study complex biological systems

Idan Frumkin, PhD

Graduate Student, Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science

Although the cell is commonly referred to as “the most basic unit of life”, it is actually so complex that despite over 350 years of research we are still far from fully understanding its structural, functional and evolutionary workings. Even the simplest unicellular organisms routinely carry out complicated tasks such as processing and responding to signals from the environment, maintaining an efficient metabolic network, communicating with other cells, and adapting to new evolutionary challenges.

Studies in cell biology have illuminated many molecular pathways and protein functions that govern cells, but we still do not fully understand how these complex systems are established and function. I, and others, argue that a better dissection of the evolutionary mechanisms that produce cellular functions will significantly advance our understanding of the fundamental principles governing the complexities of cell biological systems by providing the rationale behind variations in cellular functions and networks. Bringing the fields of cell biology and evolution together into an integrated field of “evolutionary cell biology” has historically produced major advances in our understanding of cells. For example, the development of the “endosymbiotic theory” of how mitochondria arose revolutionized our understanding of the origins and structure of eukaryotic cells. Hence, further development of this interdisciplinary field will ultimately allow us to better address diverse areas of cell biology.

Throughout my PhD, I found that combining evolutionary and cell-biological studies brings unique insights on cellular innovation, complexity, limitation, and adaptation. To this end, in my research, I combined molecular genetics methods and large-scale synthetic libraries with long-term lab-evolution protocols. With this approach, I manipulated the translation and splicing machineries, separately, to present them with molecular challenges. I then followed and deciphered the adaptation mechanisms used by these complex systems to restore their proper function. My work demonstrates how an evolutionary perspective on cell biological questions can teach us about the workings of living cells.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 28, 2017 12:00 PM PDT

Back to basics: Fundamental concepts and special considerations in RNA isolation

Abhishek Sharma

Senior Global Market Manager, Sample Technologies, QIAGEN

How are your RNA yields? Some sample types present special challenges in RNA purification and analysis. In this webinar, we will discuss and provide tips for the following topics:

• The basic methods and challenges of RNA purification
• Special considerations for challenging sample types

Join us to learn how you can apply these practical tips to high quality and quantity of RNA.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
Cell Biology of Neurons
SEP 27, 2017 10:30 AM PDT

Combining Seahorse XF analysis with stable isotope tracing to reveal novel drug targets for metabolic and neurodegenerative disease

Ajit Divakaruni, PhD

Assistant Professor, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Sponsored By: Agilent

To study cell metabolism, our laboratory has found it exceedingly informative to integrate Agilent Seahorse XF Analyzers with mass spectrometry-based measurements of metabolomics and stable isotope tracing to fully reveal metabolic changes in response to drug candidates. This seminar will discuss how merging quantitative, rate-based measurements of oxygen consumption with detailed pathway analysis using mass spectrometry have revealed the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) as a central regulator of metabolic flexibility. Metabolic flexibility is the ability of cells to fuel energy metabolism and biosynthesis with multiple nutrients, and its loss is associated with disease pathogenesis in contexts as varied as type 2 diabetes, cardiac dysfunction, neurodegeneration, and certain cancers.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Read More
Multicellular Interactions, Tissues and Organs
SEP 27, 2017 12:00 PM PDT

Enhancing Checkpoint Blockade in Lymphoma with In Situ Vaccination

Joshua Brody, MD

Assistant Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology Director, Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Checkpoint blockade therapy for cancer has had tremendous impact on clinical outcomes, yet only a subset of patients respond. Recent studies show that response to checkpoint blockade does not always correlate with tumor-associated antigen (TAA) load and so must be determined by factors beyond mutational burden. This suggests that checkpoint blockade is limited by suboptimal cross-presentation of TAA by activated dendritic cells (DC) and will be potentiated by recruitment, loading and activation of cross-presenting DC at the tumor site.

To test this hypothesis, an early-phase trial (NCT01976585) in low-grade lymphoma was carried out testing a unique in situ vaccine (ISV) combining: 1) fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT3L) to recruit DC, 2) radiotherapy to load FLT3L-mobilized DC with TAA, and 3) toll-like receptor agonist (TLRa) to activate TAA-loaded DC for cross-presentation. Strikingly, Brody and colleagues found partial and complete systemic tumor regressions at distant, untreated tumors. They also found specific elimination of malignant B cells with sparing of healthy B cells, suggesting a systemic anti-tumor immune response.

This data prompted a new trial in which anti-PD1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and ISV (used to increase efficacy) are combined with a novel immune-monitoring approach involving co-administration of "surrogate antigens (Ag)" at the ISV site. The approach is being applied to multiple cancer types, including breast, head and neck, melanoma and sarcoma.

In this webinar, Brody will discuss these studies, including the key role mass cytometry played in defining the effects of treatment on the intratumoral and systemic immune repertoire with high resolution and in profiling the distinct checkpoint/co-activator molecules on TAA-specific, surrogate-Ag-specific and bulk CD8 T cells.

SEE ABSTRACT HIDE ABSTRACT

Watch Webinar
SEP 28, 2017 9:00 AM PDT

Fine tuning of myosin activity shapes actomyosin network organization and tissue contractility of the C. elegans spermatheca

Alison Wirshing, PhD

Graduate Student, Northeastern University

Contractile non-muscle cells, including smooth muscle and myoepithelial cells, provide the mechanical forces required for tissue homeostasis in numerous organ systems. For example, smooth muscle cells surrounding the vasculature contract in response to increased intraluminal pressure to maintain lumen diameter and blood pressure and myoepithelial cells in the mammary gland provide the contractile force required for milk ejection and to shape the mammary gland mechanical microenvironment. Dysregulation of mechano-perception and force production in these contractile cells contributes to the pathophysiology of numerous diseases ranging from hypertension to breast cancer progression. This highlights the importance of understanding how contractility is regulated and maintained in these mechanically stressed cells throughout animal lifetime. To study this question, we use a component of the C. elegans reproductive system, the spermatheca, as a novel model contractile tube. The spermatheca is composed of 24 myoepithelial cells that encompass the sperm. During ovulation, spermathecal cells are dramatically stretched by the incoming oocyte. The oocyte is immediately fertilized and resides in the spermatheca for a regulated period until coordinated spermathecal cell contractions push the embryo into the uterus. This process occurs 150 times throughout the lifetime of the animal requiring robust regulation of tissue contraction to expel the embryo at the correct time and in the correct direction. In this work, we use live animal imaging to monitor Ca2+ signaling and actomyosin dynamics in spermathecal cells during ovulation. We show that Ca2+ transients are produced only after cell stretch and that Ca2+ signaling is required to initiate actomyosin contraction. We further characterize the role of myosin activity in actomyosin network organization and show that both increased and decreased myosin activity alter network properties including connectivity, orientation, and anisotropy. We conclude that tight spatiotemporal regulation of myosin activity throughout successive rounds of ovulation shapes actomyosin network development and maintenance required for tissue function and animal fertility.

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Data Analysis and Informatics
SEP 28, 2017 7:30 AM PDT

Keynote Presentation: RNA-targeting CRISPR and application to diseases

Gene Yeo, PhD

Principal Investigator, Professor, UCSD

I will present my lab’s effort on studying and manipulating RNA processing, with particular emphasis on using CRISPR/Cas systems for targeting RNA in living cells in diseases such as myotonic dystrophy.

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SEP 28, 2017 1:30 PM PDT

The RRID Initiative, what is needed for scholarship in the 21st century

Anita Bandrowski, PhD

Scientific Lead, Neuroscience Information Framework, Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA; Founder and CEO of SciCrunc

The Resource Identification Initiative supports NIH's new guidelines for Rigor and Transparency as these apply in biomedical publications. Authors are instructed to authenticate key biological resources: Antibodies, Model Organisms, and Tools (software, databases, services), by finding or generating stable unique identifiers. Like a library catalog, these identifiers stick around no matter if the company continues to sell the product or not. This persistence is required for good scholarship and forms a bridge between the static world of the scientific paper and the dynamic world of products and tools.

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Stem Cell Biology
SEP 28, 2017 10:30 AM PDT

Engineering stem cell biology for disease modelling and therapeutics

Amr Abdeen, PhD

Postdoctoral Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Stem cells can self-renew and differentiate into multiple different cell types. Engineering of stem cells has enabled new methods to study development and organogenesis in humans as well as develop new disease models and therapies. Stem cells can be obtained from multiple sources in vivo or generated in the lab. Engineering of pluripotent stem cells, for example, can potentially generate any tissue in the body and can be used for tissue repair or organoid formation. Furthermore, advances in gene editing technologies have enabled precise editing of stem cell genomes, creating possibilities for establishment of models for diseases and personalized therapies. In this lecture I will discuss the sources and properties of various stem cells as well as their utilization in modelling, therapy and tissue engineering.

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Posters

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Speakers

Robert Singer, PhD
Professor & Co-Chair of Anatomy & Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Biography
Dr. Robert H. Singer received an undergraduate degree in physical chemistry from Oberlin College, and a PhD in developmental biology from Brandeis University. He did postdoctoral work in molecular biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel. Oberlin College granted Singer an Honorary Doctor of Science in 2016. Singer holds the following positions at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York: Professor and Co-Chair, Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology; Professor, Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience; Professor, Department of Cell Biology; Co-Director, Integrated Imaging Facility; and Co-Director, Gruss Lipper Biophotonics Center. Singer is a senior fellow at the Janelia Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Virginia. Singer's career has been focused on the cell biology of RNA, its isolation, detection, expression, and translation. A patented in situ hybridization technique his lab developed for detecting RNA in morphologically preserved cells revealed that messenger RNA can localize in specific cellular compartments. This work has given rise to the field of RNA transport and localization, enhanced by Singer's and his colleagues' development of imaging technology and RNA reporters. His lab has shown that the dynamics of RNA transcription on a single gene can be interrogated by live cell imaging, as well as by multiplexed fluorescent probes. Singer's laboratories at Einstein and Janelia have been instrumental in developing rapid and sensitive microscopy that can study single molecules of RNA in living cells and in devising methods to track them through their life cycle. This technology has implications for understanding the role of RNA in such disease processes as cancer metastasis and intellectual disability. He holds 12 patents on his work.
Gene Yeo, PhD
Principal Investigator, Professor, UCSD

Biography
Dr. Gene Yeo is a scientist, entrepreneur, inventor and expert in the area of RNA, genomics and neurological diseases. Dr. Yeo obtained a bachelor of science in chemical engineering and a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a masters degree in business administration from the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego. Funded by the prestigious Lee Kuan Yew Graduate Fellowship from Singapore, Dr. Yeo earned a Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the joint guidance of Dr. Tomaso Poggio and Dr. Christopher Burge. Using comparative genomics and statistical learning theory Dr. Yeo pioneered new computational approaches to attack the problem of splicing and splicing-mediated gene regulation. In 2005 Dr. Yeo was appointed the first Junior Fellow at the Crick-Jacobs Center for Theoretical and Computational Biology at the Salk Institute under the mentorship of Dr. Fred Gage and Dr. Sean Eddy. Dr. Yeo's collaborative nature has generated successful projects and grants with experts in neuroscience and neurodegeneration (Dr. Fred Gage and Dr. Don Cleveland), RNA processing (Nobel Laureate Dr. Phillip Sharp, Dr. Manuel Ares, Jr, Dr. Brenton Graveley, Dr. Xiangdong Fu and Dr. Amy Pasquinelli) and virology (Dr. Deborah Spector). In late 2008, Dr. Yeo was appointed an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at UCSD. In 2011, Dr. Yeo was awarded the Alfred P Sloan Fellowship in recognition of his work in computational molecular biology. Since 2003, Dr. Yeo has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, invited book chapters and review articles. Dr. Yeo has successfully authored 3 and co-authored 2 grants from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine totaling $7.2 million. The National Institute of Health, ALS Association, Genentech and Roche Pharmaceuticals also fund Dr. Yeo's work. Dr. Yeo actively serves as a bioinformatics and business consultant to biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and has been involved with start-ups in the biotechnology space. Dr. Yeo reviews for many scientific journals including Science, Cell and Nature, and is on the Editorial Board of the journals Cell Reports and Cell Research. Dr. Yeo is an Adjunct Professor at the National University of Singapore and a visiting researcher at the Molecular Engineering Laboratory under Nobel Laureate Sydney Brenner's auspices. Dr. Yeo was a Sword of Honor recipient (the highest honor) in Officer Cadet School in 1999 and has served in the Singapore Navy as a Naval officer. In his free time, Dr. Yeo sails and is an avid amateur athlete racing in Ironman distance races and marathons.
Amr Abdeen, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Biography
Amr Abdeen received his Bachelors of Science from the German University in Cairo at 2010 in materials science and engineering. He pursued his PhD in materials science under the supervision of prof. Kristopher Kilian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied biomaterials for the control of adult stem cells. His thesis focused on controlling mesenchymal stem cell angiogenic potential via biomaterials methods. He joined the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery in 2016, where his current work focuses on CRISPR based gene editing in multiple cell types, including pluripotent stem cells.
Anita Bandrowski, PhD
Scientific Lead, Neuroscience Information Framework, Center for Research in Biological Systems, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA; Founder and CEO of SciCrunc

Biography
Anita is focused on establishing the means for communicating and utilizing the internet for effective scientific communication and discovery. She serves as the lead for the Resource Identification Initiative, a FORCE11, the Future of Research Communications and e-Scholarship, group dedicated to transforming scholarly communication. FORCE was one of the drivers in open access movement and continues to drive innovation in understanding principles behind sharing and utilization of data, software and the role for identifiers. In addition, she is working in the area of knowledge representation in genomics for both Celera (coding the completed human genome into PANTHER) and Human Longevity (gene variants VaNDa), and the neurosciences within the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF), funded by the Blueprint for Neuroscience a pan-NIH initiative. She is also the scientific lead of the NIF project, the largest source of neuroscience data and tools on the web. The NIF framework has been extended to develop data portals for NIDDK (dkNET) and the RRID community portal, where authors are able to improve their manuscripts prior to submission for publication. This has led to the launching of a new company (SciCrunch) which is focused on improving interactions between academic scientists and the business community, both of which are major stakeholders and contributors in driving science forward.
Joshua Brody, MD
Assistant Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology Director, Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Biography
Joshua Brody, MD, is an Assistant Professor in Hematology and Medical Oncology and the Director of the Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. He is also a member of the Lymphoma Research Foundation's (LRF's) Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium (MCLC) and an LRF Career Development Award (CDA) grant recipient. He received his MD from State University of New York (SUNY) Stony Brook School of Medicine and his BA in molecular and cellular biology from Harvard University. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital and his fellowship in Medical Oncology at Stanford University School of Medicine. With clinical focus in chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), cutaneous lymphomas, follicular lymphoma (FL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD), his lab at Mount Sinai focuses on basic and applied tumor immunology.
Ajit Divakaruni, PhD
Assistant Professor, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Biography
Dr. Ajit Divakaruni joined the faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles in January 2017 as an Assistant Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology. He earned his B.S. (summa cum laude) from the University of Arizona in 2006 with a triple-major (Honors) in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Applied Mathematics. He subsequently attended graduate school at University of Cambridge on a Marshall Scholarship and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. He conducted his doctoral research under the supervision of Dr. Martin Brand at the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, studying the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation and its regulation by mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCPs). In late 2011, he moved to the University of California, San Diego as a Seahorse Postdoctoral Fellow under Dr. Anne Murphy in the Department of Pharmacology, with a focus on developing mitochondrial proteins as therapeutic drug targets. He has a longstanding interest in assay development using the Agilent Seahorse XF Analyzer, and has authored over 20 peer-reviewed manuscripts using the technology.
Johanna Farkas, PhD
Post Doc: Biologist, Northeastern University

Biography
Johanna is a postdoctoral researcher working in the labs of Dr. James Monaghan and Dr. Sandra Shefelbine at Northeastern University. Her doctoral work, conducted under the guidance of Dr. Monaghan, focused on the regenerative abilities of the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), an aquatic salamander capable of fully regenerating amputated limbs. Her research has elucidated some of the molecular mechanisms of this regenerative process, particularly with regard to the relationship between peripheral nerves and cell proliferation. Her postdoctoral work has expanded her interests from cell biology to bioengineering, and she is currently exploring the regulation of skeletal morphology during limb regeneration.
Danielle Folkard
Product Manager, Horizon Discovery

Biography
Danielle Folkard has been with Horizon Discovery since 2014, beginning in Technical Support and progressing into Product Management, with a focus on combining genome engineering and complex cellular models to create translational disease models. After gaining her PhD from The Institute of Food Research (now The Quadram Institute), Danielle has been enjoying applying her molecular biology background in academia to more commercial applications.
Idan Frumkin, PhD
Graduate Student, Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science

Biography
Idan Frumkin is a graduate student at the Weizmann Institute of Science in the lab of Prof. Yitzhak Pilpel. Idan is mostly interested in studying how cellular processes and machineries change and become optimized in the course of evolution. Specifically, during his PhD, Idan applied an evolutionary perspective on both the translation apparatus and splicing machine to reveal new molecular mechanisms by which cells optimize their gene-expression regulation. His research is funded by an Azrieli PhD fellowship and a Wolf foundation scholarship. Idan will soon move to a post-doc at MIT in the lab of Prof. Michael Laub.
Anna Kashina, PhD

Professor of Biochemistry, University of Pennsylvania
Laura Lowery, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biology, Boston College

Biography
Laura Anne grew up in the San Fernando Valley outside of Los Angeles. She discovered her love of academia and biomedical research while an undergrad at the University of California, San Diego. In the lab of Dr. Bill Schafer, she studied the neural circuitry underlying worm egg-laying behavior. In 2008, Laura Anne received her PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working in the lab of Dr. Hazel Sive at the Whitehead Institute, where she pioneered research studying early brain ventricle morphogenesis. Laura Anne then did post-doctoral research in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School, in the labs of Dr. David Van Vactor and Dr. Gaudenz Danuser, where she became fascinated by the inner workings of the neuronal growth cone. In 2014, Laura Anne began as an Assistant Professor in Biology at Boston College, and she has obtained research funding from the NIH, American Cancer Society, and March of Dimes. Her current research focuses on the cytoskeletal mechanisms that promote cell migration in neurons, neural crest cells, and metastatic cancer cells.
Abhishek Sharma
Senior Global Market Manager, Sample Technologies, QIAGEN

Biography
Abhishek Sharma trained as a biochemist and has hands-on experience in nucleic acid and protein purification, tissue culturing and recombinant DNA technology. Previously, he was as a market analyst on emerging technologies in life science research. Sharma also worked in a USA-based healthcare consultancy on the discovery, development and commercialization of new disease treatments across multiple therapeutic areas. Currently, he's involved with managing QIAGEN's sample preparation portfolio, specializing in RNA technologies.
Alison Wirshing, PhD
Graduate Student, Northeastern University

Biography
Alison Wirshing received her BS in Biology from the University of New Hampshire in 2012 where she worked in the labs of Dr.s Farag, Jahnke, and Minocha on an interdisciplinary project marrying plant genetics and molecular biology with chemical engineering towards the goal of improving biofuel production from microalgae. While staying true to her passion for basic cellular biology, Alison chose a different research topic for her doctoral work and transitioned to working with C. elegans in the Cram Lab at Northeastern University. Currently, her work is focused on using the C. elegans spermatheca as a model contractile tube for identifying the molecular mechanisms underlying cell response to mechanical perturbation. Specifically, she is interested in how the actin cytoskeleton reorganizes in response to cell stretch and how this influences tissue contractility. molecular mechanisms underlying cell response to mechanical perturbation. Specifically, she is interested in how the actin cytoskeleton reorganizes in response to cell stretch and how this influences tissue contractility.

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