""""""""Parasitism"""""""" refers to the successful invasion of and survival within a host by a microbe. Microbes use various strategies to evade or suppress host defenses and successfully parasitize a mammalian host. This application is based upon the hypothesis that different parasitic organisms face similar obstacles, and therefore design related strategies to survive in the mammalian host environment. Progress in microbial and host genomics, proteomics, and imaging technology has greatly enhanced the tools available to scientists in addressing both sides of the equation, i.e., the survival mechanisms of the microbe and the defense strategies of the host. Consequently, scientists studying protozoal, bacterial, and viral pathogens can learn from one another. This Mechanisms of Parasitism training program represents a union between the fields of parasitology, bacterial pathogenesis, viral pathogenesis and immunology into a single program. Its goal is to enhance collaborative research and training among laboratories at the University of Iowa specializing in these disciplines, and in the process provide a rich environment for the development of trainees. In the nine years since its beginning, the Mechanisms of Parasitism program has funded 32 trainees, conducted annual research retreats, continuously held a weekly Journal/Research Club meeting, sponsored outside speakers, and provided centralized computerized equipment to trainees. In this application we propose to: (1) increase support to 4 predoctoral and 3 postdoctoral trainees from the current 3 predoctoral and 3 postdoctoral trainees;(2) expand our core facilities to a real-time PCR machine, maintained by the DNA core of the University of Iowa;(3) initiate a summer seminar series in which faculty with expertise in digital imaging, bioinformatics, microarrays, proteomics, and genome analysis work directly with trainees;(4) initiate trainee-invited speakers;and (5) institute an outside and internal evaluation process. Our goal is to continue to maintain a productive environment for exchange of creative ideas among faculty and trainees working on different aspects of microbial infection.
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