The N.I.H.-M.B.R.S. program at Texas A&M university-Kingsville consists of the following primary objectives: (1) establish and provide support for an appropriate biomedical research environment at TAMUK; (2) attract, nurture and encourage students to pursue research careers through participation in the research projects of the six principal investigators that comprise the core of the submitted research proposals; (3) provide a suitable infrastructure that permits participant investigators to examine key aspects of biomedical research (in particular the biological and chemical sciences); and 4) provide substantial and significant data and information regarding questions of biomedical relevance and importance. The six new projects are diverse in their scope and application to biomedical questions. The first question primarily examines the transcriptional control of the Herpes simplex virus and the mechanisms of viral latency and reactivation. The second project will elucidate the role of uterine-specific growth factors upon fetal hematopoiesis and effects upon cell differentiation. The third project consists of a detailed characterization of the Drosophila ether-a-go-go related gene (dERG) potassium channel at the levels of transcriptional control as well as genetic isolation and characterization of second-site modifiers of the dERG mutation. The fourth project consists of a study of rattlesnake venom and the functional characterization of snake venom metalloproteinases and novel mammalian antihemorrhaghins. The fifth project examines biological rhythms and the modulatory effects of reproductive status and energy metabolism. The sixth project examines novel tyrosine kinase-mediated signaling pathways in Shigella flexneri that participate and contribute to the invasiveness of that particular pathogen. The six projects support research in two different departments that provide ideal opportunities for the participant faculty to expand and enhance their individual research programs. The research goals of the individual investigators will also provide excellent opportunities for the training of undergraduate and graduate students in key aspects of biomedical research as well as suitable preparation for future careers in biomedical research, particularly in the biological and chemical sciences.
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