The objectives of the MBRS program at York College - """"""""Research and Training for Biomedical Career Development"""""""" - are to improve and strengthen the research environment and to broaden the scope of biomedical research in the departments of Natural Sciences and Health Education, for the primary purpose of providing our minority students with increased opportunities to acquire the knowledge expertise and motivation that will (a) direct them towards careers in biomedical research and (b) enable to successfully compete for positions in graduate and professional schools. Support is requested for 4 ongoing projects in immunology, microbial genetics, organic and physical chemistry and 3 new projects in cell biology, organic chemistry and epidemiology. Support is also requested for 21 students who will participate in all phases of the planning and implementation of the research, as well as in the reporting and publication of the results. In project #1, Properties of Alveolar Epithelial Cells from Injured Lung"""""""", the mechanism of the pulmonary response to chemically-induced injury will be investigated. In project #2, """"""""Androgen Sensitivity as a Factor in Immunocompetence"""""""", low immune response of high androgen responder mice will be studied. In project #3, """"""""Electronic Spectroscopy of Simple Porphyrins and Bacteriorhodopsin"""""""", excited electronic states of model biological chromophores will be studied. In project #4, """"""""Gentamycin-Induced Variant Cell Formation in Bacteria"""""""", the role of transposition events in producing the induced resistant cells will be examined. Project #5, """"""""A New Approach to Antiviral Nucleoside Analogues"""""""", will develop a novel route to nucleoside synthesis. In project #6, """"""""Lifestyle factors associated with Intra-Venous Drug Abusers (IVDAs) with AIDS"""""""", the history and status of drug abuse and its treatment, and sexual orientation an socioeconomic status in this group, will be studied. In project #7, """"""""Uniquely labelled Amino Acids for Protein NMR"""""""", 2H, 13C and 15N labelled amino acids will be synthesized and incorporated into proteins for further study by solution and solid state NMR.
