Meeting Announcement: Arthropod Genomics

Just saw an announcement for the 3rd Annual Arthropod Genomics Symposium: Frontiers in Arthropod Genomics. Registration & Poster abstract deadline is May 15, 2009. From ticks to aphids, flies to mosquitoes--looks like an interesting line-up.

Breaking Report: Tissue-Specific RNA Preps

What am I reading today? A report on tissue-specific isolation of RNA from whole flies. Sounds like a method that could be quite useful as part of in vivo follow-up to cell-based screens.

Miller MR, Robinson KJ, Cleary MD, Doe CQ (2009) TU-tagging: cell type-specific RNA isolation from intact complex tissues. Nat Methods. May 10. PMID: 19430475.

Related post: Report of Single-Cell RNAseq.

Quote of the Week: Diversity in Development

If morphological diversity is all about development, and development results from genetic regulatory programs, then is the evolution of diversity directly related to the evolution of genetic regulatory programs? Simply put, yes. But to understand how diversity evolves, we must first understand the genetic regulatory mechanisms that operate in development. In other words, what is the genetic toolkit of development and how does it operate to build animals?

In, From DNA to Diversity

Carroll, Grenier and Weatherbee (2001, Blackwell Science; p.13).

Breaking Report: Divisions Gone Wrong

What's on my desk today? A paper on a Drosophila kinase RNAi screen and a very recent report that extends the results to a specific topic in human disease.

Bettencourt-Dias et al. (2004) Genome-wide survey of protein kinases required for cell cycle progression. Nature 432:980-987. At PubMed.

Wang et al. (2009) Association of genetic variation in mitotic kinases with breast cancer risk. Breast Cancer Res. Treat. DOI 10.1007/s10549-009-0404-3. At PubMed.

Related Links:

DRSC Kinase & Phosphatase Sub-Library (on- or off-site screening).

Transgenic RNAi Project (TRiP) stock list (click to expand the current list, download the xls file, open in Excel, and see Column H on the spreadsheet to view which hairpin lines target kinase-encoding genes).

Web Wednesday: On-Line Forums for Screen Imaging

For today's Web Wednesday, I'm going to share a link to the newly-created Opera High Content Imaging google group, which was co-founded by a colleague of ours in the HMS Department of Genetics. 

Their stated purpose is "for the users of the Opera platform to exchange tips and tricks when dealing with the Instrument," as well as to exchange Acapella scripts. From the Opera google group page (or this link) you can also get to an on-line group for high-content imaging more generally.

Make Way for Ducklings

It's not all research, all the time here at the DRSC. Thanks to all who joined us for spring fun on Friday.

At HMS or Affiliated? Proteomics Nanocourse

An upcoming half-day course on proteomics offered by Harvard Catalyst might be of interest. Check it out if you're in the area. May 18th 1 to 5 pm at the BIDMC. Registration is required.