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July 18, 2012 Issue 121, Volume 77
POLLUTION
Research merits government grant National Institute of Health donates $375,000 to build a new zebrafish research facility to study obesity and diabetes Ellen Goodacre
THE DAILY COUGAR Students and faculty members at the UH Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling received a grant of $375,000 from the National Institutes of Health for a study that will research the effects of environmental pollutants on diabetes and obesity. Researchers will expose zebrafish to different chemicals and score the change in the number of beta cells, the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. As for obesity testing, the fish will first be exposed to the chemicals and then fed a high cholesterol diet. The rate of change in body mass will then be analyzed. “We will treat the fish with the chemicals in utero to test if what (humans) are exposed to in utero can affect when we’re older,” said Catherine McCollum, a postdoctoral fellow at the CNRCS and a project team member. “The hope is that our research will be able to change something
within this industry.” According to Maria Bondesson, a research assistant professor and project leader, the facility is extensive. “The zebrafish lab has been running since 2009. We expanded it in 2011 with a new fully-automated tank system. Currently, we have several thousands of fish of about 30 different strains,” Bondesson said. The lab is separated into two rooms — one where the fish are kept and bred and another where the fish embryos are treated with the chemicals researchers wish to study. Because zebrafish have pancreata that are similar to those of a mammals, they can be used to compare the effects of certain chemicals on the number of pancreatic beta cells that release insulin. “There has not been a systematic screening of chemicals for obesity and diabetes-inducing capacity,” Bondesson said. “This is partly because it is very costly and time consuming to do this kind of screening in, for example, mice. Using zebra fish we can rapidly screen very many chemicals, and if we find any hits, these chemicals could be further studied in mammals.” With the help of professor Ioannis Kakadiaris of the
The new facility will house 80 different species of zebrafish, an organism used frequently as a model system by scientists. The fish will be used in diabetes and obesity research and their ties with pollutants. | Ellen Goodacre/The Daily Cougar Department of Computer Science, researchers are also working to develop an automatic image analysis method so that they will be able to quantify the effects of exposures to different chemicals as well as beta cell count.
Researchers will begin by screening for selected chemicals suspected to have an effect on diabetes and obesity but eventually aim to screen many different kinds of environmental pollutants, such as pesticides and plasticizers.
McCollum said she is not sure how long the research will continue. The list of testable chemicals is extensive, Bondesson said. “The long-term goal is to set POLLUTION continues on page 2
TIER ONE
National report reveals research necessity The National Research Council releases a report that reveals the importance of UH’s new Tier One research status Ashley Anderson
THE DAILY COUGAR A UH researcher was part of a blue ribbon committee formed by the National Research Council to discuss why university research is important for the US as it competes with other nations in the amount of research it has done. In June, the National Research Council released a report, “Research Universities and the Future of America: Ten Breakthrough Actions Vital to Our Nation’s Prosperity and Security.” The report was composed to assess the health of the country’s research and to inform on ways it can remain competitive internationally.
This document is targeted at the US Congress, which requested the report in order to inform how important and essential research universities are to the nation on a global scale and what must be done in order to maintain competitiveness and ensure research is still conducted. The advice from the report suggests that funding and partnerships with universities, Congress and corporations can assist in the improvement of the amount of research being conducted. Paul Chu, UH pioneer in superconductivity, served on the committee that developed this report. He founded and serves as executive director of the Texas Center for Superconductivity, which continues to
develop important research and advanced materials. Chu could not be reached for comment. Currently, the United States has led in the amount of research conducted compared to other nations, said Ioannis Pavlidis, associate professor and researcher. Despite this, there are still some concerns that must be addressed. “Overall the United States remains the lead,” Pavlidis said. “However, its lead has eroded and, in specific fields, has receded altogether.” A specific area of concern includes engineering, Pavlidis said. It has not had a grand project in contrast to other countries. In order to continue to remain
competitive with other countries, support from Congress is necessary. Funding is usually done through government agencies, like the National Institutes of Health. “The unique partnership between NIH and the research universities and other funded organization is critical to the future of our nation and the health of the people of the world,” said Sally Rockey, NIH deputy director for extramural research. “NIH-supported research continues to lead to breakthrough technologies, treatments and preventive approaches to many devastating diseases and conditions.” news@thedailycougar.com