We are very pleased to announce that Mark has made his mark on the offer letter he received and has officially become a tenure-track Prion Biologist faculty member in MIP. Congratulations Dr. Zabel!

Who is the ‘Fairest’ of them all? Our vote has to go to MIP graduate student Katie Propst for actively making a difference in the lives of young aspiring scientists this spring at a regional science fair! At the Longs Peak Science & Engineering Fair in Greeley, CO, Katie was invited by the organizers to be the main speaker at the awards ceremony. In her speech, Katie spent time encouraging and enlightening junior high science fair participants on the rewards of a career as a research scientist and also how important Colorado State has been in her past and present development as a researcher. Getting this word out to impressionable youths can have an enormous impact on developing the next generation of scientists - and the ‘word’ can be particularly effective when it comes from a younger scientist that the next generation can relate to.

Katie is no stranger to science competitions. Growing up in Sterling, CO, she regularly participated in regional, state and even international science fairs! As a junior in high school, she worked with MIP's Dr. Jon Carlson and Dr. Carol Blair on a project assessing the use of bacteriophage in treating Staphylococcus aureus infection of hornwoods. This and other science fair experiences shaped her desire to attend CSU - where she quickly became a Microbiology major and a Howard Hughes Undergraduate Researcher. Katie graduated with a BS in 2003 and just couldn't get enough of the MIP experience - she is presently a Ph.D. graduate student in the department under the direction of Drs. Steve Dow and Herbert Schweizer.

Congratulations to Bob Ellis for his 30 Years of Service to CSU!

Congratulations to the MIP Faculty, Staff and Students who received 2008 CVMBS Awards as follows;

Outstanding Academic Advising in Undergraduate Education
Susan Deines

Outstanding Employee Service in Biomedical Sciences
Pete Justice

SCAVMA Advisor Appreciation Award
Randall Basaraba

100 Year Anniversary Scholarship
Andre Hines

Microbiology Student Association
Officer Award
Jamie Everman
Meaghan Mercer

Microbiology Student Association
Member Award
Phillip Knabenbauer

Beulah and Doyle Blair Memorial
Franciszka Schneider

Floyd Cross Memorial
Monali Bera

Pamela Hill Griffith Memorial
Phillip Knabenbauer

Barbara Joyce Microbiology
Anna Kellund

Dr. Donald R. Mackey
Shayna Warner

Kirke L. Martin Memorial
Drew Rholl

Microbiology Undergraduate
Rachel Ashton
Stephanie Lehman
Andrzej Stadnik

Sumner M. Morrison Memorial
Natalia Reim

Rowena Odell
April Hohnbaum

Pattridge Family (ILM)
Christie Mayo

Delano F. Scott
Zach Jayson

Carlton Sundberg Memorial
Gopinath Palanisamy

Jofrid L. Torgersen Memorial
Kristen Spencer

Dr. Virgil and Mitzy H. Yount Postgraduate Veterinary Medicine
Christie Mayo
Matthew Rosenbaum

The following students will be receiving their BS in Microbiology on Friday, May 16:

Jamie Bush presented her final seminar on April 8, entitled, "A comprehensive evaluation and characterization of lesions in pug dog encephalitis". Her advisor is Dr. Karamjeet Pandher.

Lila Ramaiah, DVM, presented her final seminar on Thursday, April 3 entitled, "Of Mice, Genes and Radiation: The Genetics of Non-Hereditary Breast Cancer Explored Using the Common Laboratory BALB/c Mouse". Her Advisors were Drs. Stephen Benjamin and Bob Ullrich.

Marjorie Williams, DVM, presented her final seminar on Tuesday, April 15, entitled, "Canine leukemia; markers of prognosis". Her advisors were Drs. Anne Avery and Paul Avery.

In the News...

• Randall Basaraba was quoted in the in the article, "Sled Dogs' Lives, and Deaths, Raise Questions". Read the article online.
• Andre Ptitsyn and his bioinformatics research made headlines in media outlets from Colorado to Thailand this month:
  • March 26 issue of the in the article entitled, "CSU: Genes believed to be "off" may actually just be whispering". Read the article online.
  • March 27 issue of in the article, "Genes Previously Believed To Be Silent Are Actually Whispering Key Information"
    Read the article online.
  • The March 30 issue of Thaindian News in the article, "Genes previously believed to be silent may hold key clues on disease, aging"
    Read the article online
  • On March 31 the story entitled, "CSU Researchers Make Important Gene Discovery", was aired on Read the online article
• Ian Orme's used his thumb ala Roger Ebert in an opinion that appeared in the April 6th Letter to the Editor section of the
  Read the article

MIP Publications Late March - early April 2008

• Anderson J, Akkina R.  Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Restriction by Human-Rhesus Chimeric Tripartite Motif 5alpha (TRIM 5alpha) in CD34(+) Cell-Derived Macrophages In Vitro and in T Cells In Vivo in Severe Combined Immunodeficient (SCID-hu) Mice Transplanted with Human Fetal Tissue.  Hum Gene Ther. 2008 Mar;19(3):217-28.
• Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Tolnay AE, Reisenhauer CE, Hansen TR, Smirnova N, Van Campen H.  Transplacental infection with non-cytopathic bovine viral diarrhoea virus types 1b and 2: viral spread and molecular neuropathology.  J Comp Pathol. 2008 Feb-Apr;138(2-3):72-85.
• Campbell CL, Keene KM, Brackney DE, Olson KE, Blair CD, Wilusz J, Foy BD.  Aedes aegypti uses RNA interference in defense against Sindbis virus infection.  BMC Microbiol. 2008 Mar 17;8:47.
• Eisen RJ, Mead PS, Meyer AM, Pfaff LE, Bradley KK, Eisen L.  Ecoepidemiology of Tularemia in the Southcentral United States. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2008 Apr;78(4):586-594.
• Gregg AJ, Schenkel AR.  Cloning and structural analysis of equine platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM, CD31) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1, CD106). Vet Immunol Immunopathol. 2008 Apr 15;122(3-4):295-308.
• Harrington RD, Baszler TV, O'Rourke KI, Schneider DA, Spraker TR, Liggitt HD, Knowles DP.  A species barrier limits transmission of chronic wasting disease to mink (Mustela vison). J Gen Virol. 2008 Apr;89(Pt 4):1086-96.
• Hernández E, Cardona-Castro N, Rodríguez G, Villegas S, Beltrán C, Kimura M, Vissa VD, Gómez Y.  [Study of rifampin and dapsone resistance in three patients with recurring leprosy.] Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2008 Feb;23(2):73-7.
• Higgins DM, Sanchez-Campillo J, Rosas-Taraco AG, Higgins JR, Lee EJ, Orme IM, Gonzalez-Juarrero M.  Relative Levels of M-CSF and GM-CSF Influence the Specific Generation of Macrophage Populations during Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Immunol. 2008 Apr 1;180(7):4892-900.
• Lawler JB, Frye MA, Bera MM, Ehrhart EJ, Bright JM.  Third-degree atrioventricular block in a horse secondary to rattlesnake envenomation. J Vet Intern Med. 2008 Mar-Apr;22(2):486-90.
• Lenaerts AJ, Bitting C, Woolhiser L, Gruppo V, Marietta KS, Johnson CM, Orme IM.  Evaluation of a 2-Pyridone, KRQ-10018, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis In Vitro and In Vivo. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2008 Apr;52(4):1513-5.
• Ptitsyn A. Stochastic resonance reveals "pilot light" expression in mammalian genes. PLoS ONE. 2008 Mar 26;3(3):e1842.
• Sokoloski K, Anderson JR, Wilusz J.  Development of an in vitro mRNA decay system in insect cells. Methods Mol Biol. 2008;419:277-88.
• Torrence AE, Brabb T, Viney JL, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Treuting P, Seamons A, Drivdahl R, Zeng W, Maggio-Price L.  Serum biomarkers in a mouse model of bacterial-induced inflammatory bowel disease.  Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2008 Apr;14(4):480-90.
• Winters AM, Bolling BG, Beaty BJ, Blair CD, Eisen RJ, Meyer AM, Pape WJ, Moore CG, Eisen L.  Combining Mosquito Vector and Human Disease Data for Improved Assessment of Spatial West Nile Virus Disease Risk.  Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2008 Apr;78(4):654-665.

Mark your calendars, dust off your volleyballs and pray they don't rent a karaoke machine! The MIP Spring Picnic, hosted by the Microbiology Student Association, will take place Friday afternoon, May 9th.

Hi all! My name is Kathy Lassen and I have lived in Fort Collins since 1994. We moved here from the damp northwest where my late husband Duane worked at Oregon State University. Duane, of course, was a clinical pathologist at CSU from 1994 until he became ill in 2000. I have two children, Erika Neyt of Oregon and Jay Lassen of Highlands Ranch. Between them I have 5 grandchildren which have become my hobby! I am excited to be working in MIP and associate with the people Duane worked with. I love sports and I am an avid Rockies fan. I hope to travel and hopefully go scuba diving again, a hobby Duane and I started in Colorado. Thanks for all your good wishes and hospitality.

Meet the new Micro Front Desk Admin Assistant

Pam Burt was born in Ohio and moved to Colorado from Jacksonville, Florida in 1995. She has worked with various companies and schools as a bookkeeper, executive administrative assistant and accounting tech. Pam is married to Bob, and mother to sons Joshua, 21 and Brandon ,18. Her hobbies include reading, cooking, bowling, swimming and biking. One of her favorite pastimes is hiking with her faithful sidekick, Sheba, a friendly German Shepherd-Labrador-Doberman mix. She likes to soak in different hot springs around Colorado whenever she can. Having transferred from the Cooperative Extension department, Pam is excited to begin her work at MIP and looks forward to getting to know everyone.

Thanks to all the MIP'ers who donated their time on April 10th by participating as a judge in the in the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair:

• Richard Anderson (MIP400G Undergrad)
• Brittany Barnett (MIP400G Undergrad)
• Elizabeth Brooks
• Charles Calisher
• Brad Charles
• Dave Hicks (MIP400G Undergrad)
• Lauren Jobin (MIP400G Undergrad)
• Tim Kurt
• Prabagaran Narayanasamy
• Amber Roberts (MIP400G Undergrad)
• Ashley Sohn (MIP400G Undergrad)
• Kevin Sokoloski
• John Spencer
• Erica Suchman
• Jennifer Taylor
• Jesse Thompson
• Hana Van Campen
• Luke Wittenburg

ASM Kadner Institute

Congratulations to Teresa and Michael Krueger who celebrated the birth of their first child, James Michael, on March 28th. James weighed 8 lbs 3oz and was 19.3 inches tall upon arrival. Everyone is healthy and well.

Congratulations to David and Mo Gardiner who celebrated the birth of their first child, Greta Anne, on April 10th. Greta weighed 6lbs 11oz and was 20.25 inches tall. Mom and Greta are happy and healthy, Dad is euphoric.

Congratulation to Linda and Roy Pundt who on March 25th celebrated the birth of their first grandson, William (Will) Glen Woodward. Will weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 19½ inches tall when his proud parents Roshelle and Billy welcomed him into this world.

A special article for anyone who ever felt like getting your computer to function right is like pulling teeth

A new CSU Dental Services brochure has been published that features numerous photos of our very own Computer Tech, Toby Mai.

Here's Toby on the cover getting fitted for his new teeth

...and on the inside of the brochure, Toby has his head examined by his wife Elizabeth.

April 14, 2008: Four months into the project...

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. "

Alternative captions:
• Just one of the many photos we bet you've seen of Randy in latex
• Randy was surprised when the airbags went off after his new computer crashed
• Randy's still searching for venture capital to launch his post-it® balloon idea for office memos
• Now the ‘No Pricks’ sign on Randy's office door finally makes sense
• Submit your own

Click Here for the questions to MIPuzzle #29
Click Here for the answers to MIPuzzle #29

Alternative Captions:
1. .and we always thought there was a different reason that the PVM students in the Biology of Disease course refer to Dr. Mason as ‘The Sandman’?
2. From his one-finger salute, Gary clearly didn't learn how to drive in the Northeast USA.
3. Perhaps not coincidently, the definition of ‘Mason’ is one who works with stone, bricks, concrete, sand, etc.
4. Like many administrators, MIP's new Assoc Dept Head for PVM/Clinical Affairs appears to be spinning his wheels
5. Photographic proof that work can sometimes be a ‘beach’ in MIP.
6. Submit your own

• Attention students, postdocs and faculty:
  Want a very useful overview of the entire NIH grant process? Check out NIAID's new and improved ‘Grant Cycle’ website.
• RFA issued for the establishment of Cooperative Centers for Translational Research on Human Immunology and Biodefense (U19). Read all about it at the NIH Grants Guide website
• Got an idea for how to effectively detect and or characterize transient, short-lived molecular complexes in cells? Find a corporate partner and click here to check out the call for STTR/SBIR proposals.
• Two fairly attractive non-NIH grant programs for new investigators were also announced this month that you may want to check out:
  • A new Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Awards Program for cancer research is for tenure track asst profs (within 3 years of appointment) and postdoctoral fellows. Pre-proposals are due June 2. For more info, check out the Foundation's website
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute has announced an exciting Early Careers Scientist Grant Competition. HHMI is trying to help offset the difficulties experienced by new investigators in getting NIH funding by selecting ~70 asst profs (within 2-6 years of initial appointment). Important note - while applications are not due until June 10th, you must register / express your intention to apply by April 30th. For information, check out the Institute's website

Brian Foy , "Testing of a Mosquito-Repellent Patch", IT-Infoscitex Corporation
Mark Zabel, "Evaluation of Biological and Environmental Materials for Chronic Wasting Disease Prions using Protein Misoldi...", USDA-APHIS
Mary Jackson, "Biocide Resistance Investigations", STERIS Corporation

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri
			1	2
5 Faculty Seminar	6 Graduate Seminar	7 Microscopy Seminar	8	9 MSA Picnic
12 F W	13 I E	14 N E	15 A K	16 LS Graduation
19	20	21	22	23
26	27	28	29	30

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