NEWSLETTER

Volume 4, Issue 7
July 2007


Once again MIP is demonstrating that all of that science-talk in the labs, lecture halls and hallowed hallways is not just a bunch of hooey. Despite well -publicized cutbacks in success rates for funding from NIH and other federal agencies, MIP research funding continues to be very strong. For the fiscal year that ended on June 30th, MIP researchers brought in an impressive 124 independent awards totaling $33,802,604, breaking the $33 million mark for the third year in a row. Furthermore, the department overall has 222 active "5-3" grant accounts totaling a whopping $143.5 million. None of this would be possible without the hard work and truly impressive synergy demonstrated by MIP researchers at all levels. Thanks for your hard work.


Despite numerous changes in key staff positions, the hard working MIP Administrative Staff have once again ‘cowboy- and cowgirl-ed up’ and closed the books for fiscal year end. They are now getting the department ready for FY ’08 (which began on July 1). Please take a moment out of your busy day this week, visit your facility office and thank the hardest working staff at the institution for their efforts in making MIP truly work.


.and, as is often the case, they're correct! The new Typhoon Trio Imager is now installed in Micro B319 and available for your imaging needs. The instrument can detect radioactive isotopes from 32P to 3H and a wide range of fluorescent molecules including various protein stains (e.g. SYPRO Ruby, ProQ Diamond), and fluorescent dyes (e.g. Cy3, Cy5). You can now image and quantify practically any gel or blot you like from protein gels to gel shifts to northern blots with extremely high sensitivity and a wide linear range. The Trio is compatible with 2D-DIGE, and in conjunction with a spot-picker (to be purchased soon) can be used to identify and excise spots from 2D gels for identification by mass-spec. Three communal phosphor screens are available for imaging radioactive experiments (or you can buy your own at a discount). Training sessions were held on July 12th, so if you missed them please contact Carol Wilusz (x14919) for training before using the machine.


In the News...
  • Barry Beaty and Lars Eisen were quoted in the June 15 Coloradoan regarding Dengue Fever prevention work the AIDL is currently involved with.
    Read the article.
  • Andrey Ptitsyn was quoted in the June 16 Coloradoan regarding his bioinformatics work associated with biological cycles.
    Read the article.
  • The Wilusz's Cat, Sally, makes front page headlines in the Coloradoan over the July 4th holiday. Read the article.


Toby Mai is the new college Computer Resources Group IT Tech assigned to the Microbiology and Pathology Facilities. He comes to CSU from New York where he worked as an IT Tech in private industry. He has a lot of experience working with computers and a very strong customer service ethic. Furthermore, Toby is a natural for this position - being nicknamed 'Chip' in grade school and was always 'IT' when playing tag at recess. He comes equipped with a large database of information, enjoys spam everyday for lunch, plays the keyboard with the best of them, relaxes at the golf course (his favorite club is the driver) and rumor has it that he can sure handle his hardware. Be sure to say "Hi" to this soon-to-be Icon of the CVMBS CRG when you get a chance!


MIP Publications Late June-early July 2007


The Prion Biologist search committee is formed and will begin advertising soon! Committee Members include;

Sandra Quackenbush, Chair
Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
Eric Ross
Vara Vissa
Jeffrey Wilusz


9 ‘steppers’ and 22 minute men/women are currently actively involved in the CSU Staying Alive exercise program, making MIP the unit with the most participants on campus. The current mean baselines for the participants are 5058 steps/day or 27.3 minutes of daily exercise. How do you measure up?

Also a reminder that CSU has arranged with Anthem to allow employees to track their healthy habits on the Anthem Rewards Program. By tracking your exercise/nutritional activities on the site, so earn points towards a variety of gifts. Check it out at anthemrewards.com.

SUNDAY - SEPT 16th

Where will MIP find the motivation to keep fit after Staying AliveŽ ends on July 22nd? Interested in running 13.1 miles on a beautiful late summer morning? MIP is trying to get a group together to train and run the Crossroads Half Marathon along the picturesque Poudre River and Spring Creek bike trails. If interested in participating, please email Jeff.


The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will be under the microscope undergoing a re-accreditation review by the AAVLD on August 5-8.


Goodbye Heather & Courtney!

Courtney Guillory, Admin Assistant in the Pathology Facility, has left MIP to pursue new employment opportunities in Louisiana.

Heather Packard, Admin Assistant in the Microbiology Facility, has left the department to pursue new employment opportunities in the Office of Admissions

We wish them both the best in their future endeavors, they will be greatly missed!


Teresa Krueger has accepted the Admin Assistant position in the Microbiology Facility and will begin working with the department on Monday, July 16. Please be sure to stop by the Microbiology Front desk to introduce yourself and welcome Teresa to the department!

All Faculty and Graduate Students
Save the Date!

To help welcome our new MIP graduate students to the Department, we're holding a Rootles® hunt on Monday, August 13th, in the afternoon, with refreshments and prizes to follow. All faculty and current graduate students are invited to participate in this fun and challenging event. Rootles® hunts are a form of treasure hunt in which groups work together to solve complex clues that lead them from place to place. The MIP hunt will take teams of faculty and students on a 60-90 minute tour around campus, solving puzzles that will guide them through a series of hidden clues.


Karen Fox
Anatomic Pathology

Karen Fox recently received her DVM from Colorado State University. She earned her bachelor's in Animal Ecology at Iowa State University and is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. She is interested in wildlife diseases and has previously been involved in Chronic Wasting Disease research with the Colorado Division of Wildlife. While excited to be starting her residency, she would most days rather be out hiking or snowshoeing with her husband Dan and dog Buster.
Charles Halsey
Anatomic Pathology

Chuck Halsey grew up in Dallas, TX. He received a BA in Zoology from Connecticut College and an MS in Biochemistry and DVM from Auburn University. His Master's thesis involved studying the role of the cAMP-elevating agent Paylean™ on the transcriptional control of lipid metabolism in swine, a project funded by Eli Lilly. During vet school, Chuck's passion for research continued, which led him to pursue a career in pathology. He completed two summer internships at Pfizer Global Research and Development, where he developed in situ hybridization techniques to identify potential biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis of canine vascular lesions and to look at tissue distribution of mRNA expression for multiple drug targets. During his clinical year, he was awarded an ACVP externship scholarship, which he completed in the Comparative Molecular Pathology Unit at the NIH. Chuck enjoys spending his free time with his wife, Day, son, Austin, and daughter, Ella.
Brett Webb
Anatomic Pathology

Brett grew up and went to high school in Canon City, CO. He attended the University of Southern Colorado and earned a BS in biology. He received his DVM from Colorado State University. His professional interests are orthopedic pathology, and virology. He enjoys blacksmithing, hunting, and backcountry packing on horses in his spare time.
Cristina Weiner
Comparative Medicine

Cristina comes to Colorado from the Northeast. She is originally from New Jersey, so she love's the shore and The Sopranos. Cristina did her undergraduate work at Harvard University and her veterinary degree is from the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating in May of 2007, she moved from Philadelphia to Loveland with Tyler (a food animal intern at the VTH), their dog (Baxter), and their cat (Kuma). They are settling in well to Colorado living. Cristina's research interests are mainly in infectious disease, and she is excited to be at CSU!
Michael Wiseman
Clinical Pathology

As a Californian native, Michael received his undergraduate and DVM degrees from UC Davis, graduating most recently in 2001. He then worked two years at the San Francisco SPCA Animal Hospital before moving to Sydney, Australia. There he continued to practise small animal medicine at a few Sydney vet hospitals and had the opportunity to treat injured wildlife including parrots, possums, lizards, and the odd fruit bat. In his spare time he enjoyed the beautiful Aussie beaches, learned to surf, and traveled the country. Michael's desire to pursue a career in Clinical Pathology drove him back Stateside, where he joins us now to complete a Master's degree and residency. When not looking down a microscope or reading veterinary journals and textbooks, Michael hopes to take advantage of the mountains' hiking trails and ski slopes. Michael looks forward to further exploring Fort Collins and getting to know his fellow MIP colleagues.

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS
• Karen Boegler
• Emily Chaskey
• Tamara Hess
• Kevin Kobylinski
• Lenden Neeper
• Ayshea Quintana
• Jacqueline Scapa
• Kali Shaw

GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS AND P.I.
• Lorene Martinez - Dr. Robert Jones
• Katie Propst - Dr. Steve Dow, Dr. Herbert Schweizer
• Airn-Elizabeth Tolnay - Dr. Helle Bielefeldt-Ohmann
• Adam Zandman-Zehman - Dr. Karen Dobos-Elder

Graduate Students
• David Higgins - Dr. Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero
• Donald Hoff - Dr. Anne Lenaerts
• Maj. Jason Meckel - Dr. Brian Foy

Plan B Masters
• Jeffrey Teeter
• Katrina Quinn



Remember back in March 2006......

Seventeen Months Later and Right on Schedule!








"No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it."

~Halford E. Luccock

Inspired by the new ‘Seven Wonders of the World’ ranking, we thought that we would generate a list of the must-see ‘Seven Wonders of the MIP Department’. The finalists are:

  • Jon Carlson's Desk
  • Desks in the AIDL Showers
  • Gary Mason's Mustache
  • Mary Anna Thrall's Office
  • The odors from the VDL Digestor
  • Ralph Smith's Hats
  • Erica Suchman's Office Door
  • Pete Justice's tie-dye lab coat
  • Locks on the Pathology mailboxes

Vote Here for your favorites or submit your own.



Click Here for the questions to MIPuzzle #20
Click Here for the answers to MIPuzzle #20


A Fort Collins institution and MIP-favorite eatery with a rather contradictory sign.

Slogans inspired by the EOC:
  1. Get your PhD in MIP in 4 years*
    *1 lab year = ~2 people years
  2. Knowledge to Go Places
    *but not enough state funding to get there


New Sick and Annual Leave Process
  • The college online leave tracking system will no longer be used.
  • Paper Leave Form's are available in any of the department offices. These forms are to be filled out, signed and turned in to the office managers of each facility.
Dean's Office Move
  • The Dean's Office, now located in Room W102 Anatomy Building, will be moving on or about July 30 for an office remodel and new construction. The office will temporarily be located in the Student Services Building by the oval.

  • NIAID Seeks to Expand TB Research
    As part of a push to bolster tuberculosis drug development research, NIAID is partnering with Eli Lilly and Company and the Foundation for NIH. Read the full article.
  • NIH Director's Bridge Awards Funding: Round Two
    NIAID is awarding NIH Director's Bridge Award funds to eligible applications.Read the full article.
  • Can an Unscored Application Be Worth Revising?
    Yes. An unscored application is not necessarily a bad application.Read the full article.
  • Publication Pointers on Progress Reports and Articles
    We'd like to remind you about publications you need to include in your progress report and about NIAID citations in your article.Read the full article.

Faculty: Before you leave for summer vacation,


It might not be a bad idea to chain your lab personnel to their respective benches!


JULY 2007

Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri
2 3 4
Independence Day!
Univ Office Closed
5 6
9 10 11 12 13
16 17 18 19 20
23 24 25 26 27
30
MIP Faculty Mtg 11am Path 103
31      

AUGUST 2007

Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri
    1 2 3
6 7 8 9 10
13
Rootles Hunt
14 15
Dept Faculty Planning Mtg
16 17
20
Faculty Seminar
Classes Begin
21 22 23
Faculty Seminar
24
27
MIP Faculty Mtg 11am Path 103
28 29
Faculty Seminar at 12:10pm
30 31

Do you have NEWS or PICTURES you would like to share?

Send In your ideas or newsworthy items. Contributions make the Newsletter better!

MIP Newsletter Volume 4, Issue 7, July 2007 MIP HomeCVMBS HomeCSU Home