Scientists at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., found that newly validated sequences of synthetic DNA tags, called molecular barcodes, can now be used to accurately characterize gene functions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly known as baker's yeast.
"This new approach will enable researchers to study yeast genes," said Dr. Viktor Stolc, director of the Genome Research Facility at NASA Ames. "Using molecular barcodes helps us understand gene functions under any environmental condition, including the microgravity and radiation of space flight. This technique allows scientists for the first time to unambiguously identify all yeast gene functions in parallel."
DNA sequences are the exact order of the four chemical building blocks that make up an organism's DNA. Scientists can track cell growth by attaching short, unique DNA tags to a glass slide with many different DNA sequences that are complementary in sequence to DNA molecular barcodes derived from a biological sample.
"Understanding yeast gene functions can ultimately result in treatment of human diseases, as many yeast genes have similar functions in human cells," Stolc added.
Stolc's findings were published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. The research was conducted in collaboration with the Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif., and Texas Southern University, Houston.
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The research is funded by the Jeffress Memorial Trust and the Tobacco Initiative.
Zhang is the director of both the Protein Separation Laboratory and the Unit Operations Laboratory at Virginia Tech. The Protein Separation Laboratory supports research in protein expression and purification process development from transgenic plants and other expression systems. The Unit Operations Laboratory supports a course by the same name taught by Zhang in biological systems engineering. He is also affiliated with the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences.
The College of Engineering Dean's Award for Outstanding Assistant Professor was presented to Zhang in 2004. His nomination was based on his extraordinary level of activities and accomplishments in curriculum development and teaching, development of a viable research program, and his cooperative efforts with colleagues at Virginia Tech and around the nation.
Before coming to Virginia Tech in 2001, Zhang was a research and development scientist for two years at Covance Biotechnology Services (now Diosynth RTP) in Cary, N. C.
Zhang received his bachelor's and master's degrees in metallurgical physical chemistry from the University of Science and Technology in Beijing, China, in 1986 and 1991, respectively. He received a second master's degree in physical and analytical chemistry in 1996 from Iowa State University as well as his Ph.D. in chemical engineering in 1999.
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