NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Japan

Linker Sara B, Coral Springs FL

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Sara Linker of the University of Miami to conduct a research project in Biology during the summer of 2013 at the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University in Kyoto, Japan. The project title is "Evaluating the Transgenic Applications of Mobile DNA in Human Pluripotent Stem cells." The host scientist is Dr. Knut Woltjen. Transgenics, delivering engineered genes stably into a target cell's genome, is a mainstay of functional genomics. For proper function, gene-trap transgenesis requires that an engineered vector integrates into the correct portion of a gene. Despite this requirement current gene-trapping methods proceed with little or no empirical knowledge of integration profiles, thereby limiting the efficiency of the approach. This study bioinformatically evaluates the integration profiles of transposons which are commonly used for integration and then couple each transposon with the best possible gene-trap. The successful completion of this project will result in a system of transgenic tools that are highly efficient for integration in human stem cells. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, the EAPSI Fellow will present a summary of research done at both the home and host institutions in order to foster collaboration between labs which have shared goals, but no previous partnership. The finalized research will be presented at scientific meetings both in the U.S. and Japan, and will be published for broad dissemination of knowledge. Data from the research will also be used to instruct students from underserved populations in Miami who participate in the University of Miami's J.J. Vance Program.