A new method for network bioinformatics identifies novel drug targets for mucinous ovarian carcinoma.

Mucinous ovarian carcinoma (MOC) is a subtype of ovarian cancer that is distinct from all other ovarian cancer subtypes and currently has no targeted therapies. To identify novel therapeutic targets, we developed and applied a new method of differential network analysis comparing MOC to benign mucinous tumours (in the absence of a known normal tissue of origin). This method mapped the protein-protein network in MOC and then utilised structural bioinformatics to prioritise the proteins identified as upregulated in the MOC network for their likelihood of being successfully drugged.

Phenotypic Consequences of Fusions beyond Drug Resistance in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer.

Despite high response rates to initial chemotherapy, the majority of women diagnosed with High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) ultimately develop drug resistance within 1-2 years of treatment. We previously identified the most common mechanism of acquired resistance in HGSOC to date, transcriptional fusions involving the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter , which has well established roles in multidrug resistance. However, the underlying biology of fusion-positive cells, as well as how clonal interactions between fusion-negative and positive populations influences proliferative fitness and therapeutic response remains unknown.

Requirement for cleavage factor II in the control of alternative polyadenylation in breast cancer cells.

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) determines stability, localization and translation potential of the majority of mRNA in eukaryotic cells. The heterodimeric mammalian cleavage factor II (CF II) is required for pre-mRNA 3' end cleavage and is composed of the RNA kinase hClp1 and the termination factor hPcf11; the latter protein binds to RNA and the RNA polymerase II carboxy-terminal domain. Here, we used siRNA mediated knockdown and poly(A) targeted RNA sequencing to analyze the role of CF II in gene expression and APA in estrogen receptor positive MCF7 breast cancer cells.

Project BioEYES: Accessible Student-Driven Science for K-12 Students and Teachers.

BioEYES, a nonprofit outreach program using zebrafish to excite and educate K-12 students about science and how to think and act like scientists, has been integrated into hundreds of under-resourced schools since 2002. During the week-long experiments, students raise zebrafish embryos to learn principles of development and genetics. We have analyzed 19,463 participating students' pre- and post-tests within the program to examine their learning growth and attitude changes towards science.