9602259 This award renews support for a Research Training Group in Signal Transduction at Iowa State University first established in 1991. During the term of this second award , NSF support will be phased out; it is expected that other sources of funding will be secured during this period. The 13 member faculty group is a mixture of outstanding senior and junior investigators who come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, but share a common interest in intra- and extracellular signal transduction. In its initial year, the renewal award will provide stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral trainees at levels similar to the previous award and, in combination with institutional funds will significantly increase the number of undergraduate students sponsored for a summer research program. and will defray part of the cost of the trainees' research. In addition, funds will be used to bring outstanding investigators from other research and academic institutions to the campus for seminars and symposia. Signal transduction within and between cells is fundamental to all types of cells and plays a crucial role in normal cell development and function. Examples of signal transduction might include the cell-cell interactions involved in development and function of the nervous system, and the molecular mechanisms by which extracellular signals effect temporary or permanent changes in the metabolism, gene expression or structure of individual cells. Typically, studies of signal transduction are directed at any of a number of levels of cell organization, from the atomic to the organismal. The faculty participating in this training group study a variety of organisms using a variety of biophyisical and molecular biological techniques. By integrating their research programs and training activities in these various areas, the group promotes a cross fertilization of intellectual and experimental approaches that should provide a superb experience for faculty and s tudents alike. ***
