This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2007. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in US science. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.
The research and training plan is entitled ""Proteomic and Functional analysis of the ACTIN cytoskeleton in the early diverging eukaryote, Giardia instetinalis.? Giardia intestinalis is a flagellate intestinal parasite that causes dysentery in more than 100 million people each year. This intestinal parasite belongs to the earliest diverging eukaryotic lineage known and is less closely related to yeast than yeast is to humans. The organism exhibits a single form of actin, a key molecular component of the cytoskeleton of eukaryotic cells. Other eukaryotes possess multiple forms of actin, and this project will investigate how the primitive actin of Giardia functions. Cell processes requiring this giardial actin will be identified through actin localization and inhibitor studies. A proteomic strategy will be used to identify novel or highly divergent giardial actin-binding proteins.
The sponsoring scientist is W. Zachaeus Cande at the University of California at Berkeley.
The training goals include learning protein biochemistry, scientific networking, honing of presentation skills, and effective public outreach with the eventual goal of a career in science and academia.
