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Effective July 1, the ‘special appointment’ faculty positions of Drs. Anne Lenaerts and Dean Crick have been converted to ‘regular appointment’ tenure track positions. Congratulations to Anne and Dean for this well-deserved change in status. Oh and by the way, MIP still thinks you're both ‘special’, even though CSU doesn't anymore!

Sacré bleu! Congratulations to Dr. Christine Olver who has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. The Fulbright Program is the US government's flagship international exchange program designed to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of US and other countries. Fulbright Scholars are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential. Christine and her savior-faire will be going to the Universite de Montpellier in Montpellier, France (which is situated in the southern part of the country on the Mediterranean Coast). We'll be saying au revoir to her for ~ 7 months on January 1, 2010.

"Every year in the United States, more than two thousand children are born with an intersex condition or disorder of sex development. What makes someone a boy or a girl? Is it external genitalia, chromosomes, DNA, environment, or some combination of these factors? Not even doctors or scientists are entirely clear. What is clear is that sex is not an either-or proposition: not girl/boy, XX/XY, switching between two poles like an on-off switch on a radio. Rather, sex is like the bass and treble knobs on that radio."

MIP's Gerry Callahan has just published through Chicago Review Press his latest book entitled Between XX and XY: Intersexuality and the Myth of Two Sexes The book provides an absorbing analysis of what makes people male or female and why those who do not fit into society's preconceived notions about sex often face a difficult path in life. Dr. Callahan also examines our obsession with sex and sexual intercourse through the ages.

Gerry Callahan will be at the Reader's Cove Bookstore on Thursday, July 23, 6:30pm for a book reading/signing.

• David Gardiner, DVM, defended his MS thesis entitled, ‘Clinicopathologic findings in pregnant mares experimentally infected with two strains of EHV-1: moving towards a reliable and consistent abortion model’ on June 17. Dr. Gary Mason is his advisor.
• Marcela Henao-Tamayo, MD defended her PhD thesis entitled, ‘Analysis of T Cell Subsets Induced In Response to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Infection’ on June 23. Dr. Ian Orme is her advisor.
• Donnie Hoff defended his MS thesis entitled, ‘The Bacillary response to Chemotherapy in Preclinical Animal Models Used to Evaluate TB drugs’ on July 15. Dr. Anne Lenaerts is his advisor.

"Lisa: Dad, don't you think you're overreacting?

Homer: Don't you think you're *under*reacting? "

Localized Immunosuppressive Environment in the Foreign Body Response to Implanted Biomaterials

David Higgins, Randy Basaraba, April Hohnbaum, Eric Lee, David Grainger and Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero

The American Journal of Pathology 175: 161-170

Among most medical specialists, including dentists, orthopaedic surgeons and ‘nip and tuck’ physicians, the implantation of medical devices is fairly common. With the development of stem cell tissue rebuilding technologies on the horizon, this trend is very likely to increase. A key factor related to the success of medical implants is how the body responds to it. Major problems to date include the encapsulation of the implant in fibrous deposits or degradation of the implant by a variety of secreted enzymes. Thus predicting/manipulating how a patient will react to an implant is of major medical importance. In their spare time when they aren't unraveling the intricacies of how the human immune system reacts to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an MIP research team led by Mercedes Gonzalez-Juarrero has started a foray into this area of medical research which is commonly called the ‘Foreign Body Response’.

In this study, Dave Higgins, Mercedes and the rest of the gang implanted a 4 x5 mm nylon mesh into the back of C57BL/6 mice to establish an experimentally tractable in vivo system to observe the temporal and spatial patterns of cell migration, cytokine gene expression and encapsulation responses to this mesh over a 10 week period. Their data supported three major conclusions. First, they confirmed what has been observed in numerous in vitro and in vivo studies over the years thus supporting the validity of their mouse-mesh model system. Basically there was the expected initial inflammatory response to the nylon mesh after two weeks that subsided fairly quickly thereafter. In terms of a cellular response, there was a focal distribution of macrophages and granulocytes readily observed around the mesh by 4 weeks. About 30% of these macrophages fused to form multinucleated giant cells. The second major conclusion they made was that the Foreign Body Response is primarily a macrophage response. The macrophages that accumulate around the nylon mesh appear to be the key cells in terms of producing lysozyme and cytokines (particularly IL4, IL10, IL13 and TGF-B. Dendritic cells don't appear to be recruited and there was no data to support a role for the handful of lymphocytes in the area in cytokine production. The third and final major conclusion of the study is that the cytokines appear to be acting in combinations (rather than on their own) to contribute to aspects of the foreign body response. These data provide valuable in vivo confirmation for previous work done in tissue culture model systems and extend our understanding of immune cell-implant relationships. The next key steps in the study will likely be to assess how the mice react to a range of biomaterials and understand the potential contribution of the immunosuppressive cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-B) that are produced to opportunistic infections of implants.

We picked this study for our coveted ‘highlight of the month’ for three reasons. First, it establishes what may be a valuable new in vivo model system to study a very important aspect of human medicine. Second, it nicely shows the awesome power of MIP immunologists and pathologists when they get together in a collaborative effort to tackle a research question. Finally, it begs the question as to whether or not Mercedes’ future research direction will involve ‘TB or not TB’ ...

MIP Publications Late June - Early July 2009

• Angers RC, Seward TS, Napier D, Green M, Hoover E, Spraker T, O'Rourke K, Balachandran A, Telling GC. Chronic wasting disease prions in elk antler velvet. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 May;15(5):696-703.
• Black WC 4th, Doty JB, Hughes MT, Beaty BJ, Calisher CH. Temporal and geographic evidence for evolution of Sin Nombre virus using molecular analyses of viral RNA from Colorado, New Mexico and Montana. Virol J. 2009 Jul 14;6(1):102.
• Gasink LB, Brennan PJ. Isolation precautions for antibiotic-resistant bacteria in healthcare settings. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2009 Aug;22(4):339-44.
• Higgins DM, Basaraba RJ, Hohnbaum AC, Lee EJ, Grainger DW, Gonzalez-Juarrero M. Localized immunosuppressive environment in the foreign body response to implanted biomaterials. Am J Pathol. 2009 Jul;175(1):161-70.
• Kimura M, Sakamuri RM, Groathouse NA, Rivoire BL, Gingrich D, Krueger-Koplin S, Cho SN, Brennan PJ, Vissa V. Rapid variable-number tandem-repeat genotyping for Mycobacterium leprae clinical specimens. J Clin Microbiol. 2009 Jun;47(6):1757-66.
• Lozano-Fuentes S, Fernandez-Salas I, de Lourdes Munoz M, Garcia-Rejon J, Olson KE, Beaty BJ, Black WC. The Neovolcanic Axis Is a Barrier to Gene Flow among Aedes aegypti Populations in Mexico That Differ in Vector Competence for Dengue 2 Virus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2009 Jun 30;3(6):e468.
• Mathiason CK, Hays SA, Powers J, Hayes-Klug J, Langenberg J, Dahmes SJ, Osborn DA, Miller KV, Warren RJ, Mason GL, Hoover EA. Infectious prions in pre-clinical deer and transmission of chronic wasting disease solely by environmental exposure. PLoS One. 2009 Jun 16;4(6):e5916.
• Takeda K, Dow SW, Miyahara N, Kodama T, Koya T, Taube C, Joetham A, Park JW, Dakhama A, Kedl RM, Gelfand EW. Vaccine-induced CD8+ T cell-dependent suppression of airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation. J Immunol. 2009 Jul 1;183(1):181-90.

MIP sends its collective condolences to Dwayne Hamar who lost his grandson in a tragic rodeo accident on June 28th

“We won't be dancing together on the high wire
Facing the lions with you at my side anymore
We won't be breathin' the smoke and the fire
On a midway

Hanging from the trapeze
My wrists waiting for your wrists
Two daredevils high up on the wall of death
You throwin' the knife that lands inches from my heart
Sundown

Moonrise, moonrise
The light that was in your eyes has gone away
Daybreak, daybreak
The thing in you that made me ache has gone to stay”

~from ‘the last carnival’

A Memorial Fund has been set up at the Yuma County Federal Credit Union

A big “Thank you” goes out to the hard working MIP Administrative Staff who have once again put in a bunch of hard days’ nights and closed the books for fiscal year end and are busy now getting the department ready for FY ‘10 (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.

The Bacteriologist Search Committee will be interviewing Dr. Tung Hoang on August 10 & 11. Interview details will be sent to the department listservs as they develop.

The IDSC-IDRC Director Search Committee will be interviewing;
Dr. Jean Patterson on July 30 & 31
Dr. Steven Kern on Aug 20 & 21
Dr. C. Rick Lyons on Aug 27 & 28
Dr. Rosemarie Aurigemma on Sept 17 & 18

If you've recently walked through the Pathology Building you probably noticed a lack of Veterinary Pathologists. With the opening of the new Diagnostic Medicine Center many MIP Faculty and the Veterinary Residents have been migrating to their new posh diggs located just north of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Some MIP Faculty have moved from the VTH, some from the old D-Lab, and some from the Pathology Building. Take our DMC Virtual Tour and check the listing below to find where you might now locate your favorite Diagnostic Faculty and Students:

316 - Tawfik Aboellail
217 - Lora Ballweber
108 - Andrea Bohn
314 - Laura Brandt
314 - Deanna Dailey
318 - Colleen Duncan
321 - EJ Ehrhart
314 - Mauren Emanuelli
314 - Matt Feirer
310 - Karen Fox
315 - Dan Gould / Robert Norrdin
311 - Chuck Halsey
216 - Doreene Hyatt
309 - Debra Kamstock
320 - Gary Mason
110 - Christine Olver
306 - Kristy Pabilonia
314 - Gopi Palanisamy
314 - Brendan Podell
314 - Julia Ryseff
317 - Pat Schultheiss
319 - Terry Spraker
111 - Mary Anna Thrall / Glade Weiser
215 - Hana Van Campen
109 - Linda Vap
311 - Brett Webb
310 - Michael Wiseman

The 6th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course, directed by our own Dr. Bob Ellis (CSU Director of Biosafety) was held July 8-15, 2009 at the Hilton Hotel, Fort Collins. Topics included biosafety and biosecurity in veterinary clinics, animal/plant research and diagnostics. Please visit the course website for more information.

	Winona Burgess is a new Comparative Medicine Resident from Larkspur, Colorado with a research interest in Biosafety. She moved to Fort Collins two weeks ago and enjoys skiing, hiking and cooking.
	Mauren Emanuelli is a new Clinical Pathology Resident who is originally from Brazil but has been living in Fort Collins since March 2008. Her research interests include immunology and oncology. She likes to spend her free time watching movies and reading.
	Julia Ryseff is a new Clinical Pathology Resident from Illinois who has been living in Fort Collins for 2 weeks now. Her research interests are in infectious disease. Julia enjoys horseback riding, fishing and hiking in her free time.

This year's meeting of the Rocky Mountain Virology Club will be held at Pingree Park on Oct 2-4 (Friday evening to Sunday noon).
Go to the Rocky Mtn Virology Club website to see highlights of previous meetings.
Registration information will be forthcoming.

	Heidi Runge is the new face at the Microbiology front desk. Heidi, originally from Yuma, Colorado is a Senior in Business Administration/Accounting who plans to graduate this December. After graduation she plans to spend a few years in the public accounting sector with a long term goal of owning and operating her own bakery. She enjoys reading and baking in her free time.
	Amber Webb is the new face at the Pathology front desk. A native of Colorado, Amber has lived in Fort Collins for the past six years. She is currently a junior double majoring in Nutrition/Food Science and Sociology. After earning her degrees she hopes to work in community nutrition

The Wilusz Lab was featured in Radiation Contol Office's quarterly publication of ‘E-News’ in an article entitled, "What's Hot in the Wilusz Lab". Read the publication.

“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with. ”

Ever notice that a good sized chunk of the name plate that hangs over Dr. Roxann Karkhoff-Schweizer's office has been blacked out?

A little speculation on why the black patch is up there..

1. Due to historic tensions between England and Germany, the UK monarchy forced Roxann to give up the title "Dame" when she married Herbert
2. The black patch is just a souvenir of Roxann's days as a pirate before she took her current position in MIP
3. Roxann suffers from micromarginaphobia - fear that the left margin of your pages is too small
4. It covers up “Don't mess with..”
5. Submit your own

Click Here for the questions to MIPuzzle #44
Click Here or the answers to MIPuzzle #44

Wouldn't this Coveted
Gold Bowling Pin

Look Great In

Your MIP

Office

?

Looking for something to spice up your Monday nights? Why not consider getting a team together to compete in the CSU Bowling league at Chipper's Lanes. It's a handicapped league so you can bowl Obama-esque and still be competitive and have a great time. The MIP Dept already has one team in the league - so a little inter-lab, inter-office, or inter-MIP facility competition could be fun.

• Is there Life After Challenge Grants?

  Don't be surprised if your ARRA Challenge grant wasn't funded, based on the huge number of submissions you'll have lots of company. On the bright side, you might consider trying to salvage all of the hard work that you put into the application by re-submitting it after considering the following three points:

  1. Under NIH policy, you can submit your Challenge Grant application again if you follow procedures for a new application (Check the "New" box on the face page; Do not include a progress report or introduction; Use the reviewer's feedback to improve the application but do not highlight reviewer comments in the research plan).

  2. Pick a new funding opportunity announcement (you cannot use the Challenge Grant announcement) and modify the application to meet its requirements.

  3. Revise your research plan to suit a four- to five-year award, rather than the two-year grant you originally applied for.

• NIH Financial Conflict of Interest Reports are now submitted via eRA Commons

  Starting July 1st, you must use the Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Module in the eRA Commons.

• RePORTER RePLACES CRISP

  NIH's popular CRISP search engine is going the way of the 8-track tape. Accessing information on federally funded research projects is now even better with NIH's RePORT Expenditures and Results, aka RePORTER. Check out all of the new detailed info you can now view when you get a chance

• Mark your calendars: NIAID's only annual Institutional Training Grant Deadline is September 25th

• Grab your partner and do-si-do to these RFAs:

  RFA-AI-09-028, Partnerships for Biodefense Viral Pathogens

  RFA-AI-09-027, Partnerships for Biodefense Food- and Water-borne Diseases

75 members of the extended MIP family will be watching from behind first base as the red hot Colorado Rockies take on the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, August 8th at 6:10PM at Coors Field in Denver. If you'll be attending the game, a few helpful hints:

• Car Pooling: If you need a ride or are driving and have room for more bodies, please email Jeff Wilusz so that we can coordinate car pools.
• Bring a hat/sunglasses. Home plate is due west from where we'll be sitting and there's a good chance of glare from the setting sun during the first couple of innings.
• Backpacks (1 per person) are permitted but hard sided coolers, glass bottles and cans are not.
• Don't forget to look for the MIP Dept name on the main centerfield scoreboard during the top of the 5th inning.

John Belisle, "RP-018 Vascular Stabilization as a Broad Therapeutic Platform for Biodefense", HHS-NIH-NIAID

Dean Crick, "Global Alliance for TB Drug Development", Global Alliance for TB Drug Development

Lars Eisen, "ARRA Vector Surveillance Ontology and Vector Management Ontology", HHS-NIH-NIAID

Anne Lenaerts, "Evaluation of Experimental Compounds in a Macrophage Model for M. tuberculosis", Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

Jeffrey Wilusz, "Mechanism of Regulation fo mRNA Stability", HHS-NIH-National Inst of General Medical Science

Mark Zabel, "Evaluation of Biological and Environmental Materials for Chronic Wasting Disease Prions using Protein Misfoldi....", USDA-APHIS

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