Browsing by Author "Hudson, Scott"

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    Department of Biology: Diverse and Forward-Looking
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2011-04-08) Redelman, Carly; Hudson, Scott
    The Purdue School of Science Biology Department at IUPUI is a diverse department representing many different biological disciplines, including regenerative, developmental and cellular biology, biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, plant biology, and ecology. Through a collaborative effort, the biology graduate students have organized a poster representation of their thesis work to highlight different cutting edge research efforts in our department. Medically relevant research is emphasized including prominent diseases and disorders such as cystic fibrosis, diabetic hypertension, polycystic kidney disease, congestive heart failure, osteoporosis, cancers, fetal alcohol syndrome, Down syndrome, lung cancer, Meckel-Gruber syndrome and neural disorders. Furthermore, IUPUI Department of Biology partners with the Center of Regenerative Biology and Medicine through which several biology principle investigators have co-appointments. The main objective of this center is to translate basic research findings into regenerative medicine therapies with a focus on the central nervous system, musculoskeletal system, liver, pancreas and appendages. The Urban Center for Stem Education is another initiative that the Department of Biology supports. This is a joint effort with the School of Education and School of Engineering and Technology to foster collaboration to expand knowledge in the STEM areas in an effort to promote teaching and learning between the university and K-12 teachers. This center plays a role in preparing the next generation of K12 math and science teachers. In an effort to assist in undergraduate education, biology graduate students regularly assist in the mentoring of undergraduate researchers. Finally, biology graduate students participate in the NSF funded GK-12 fellowship program in which select graduate students spend a year in a K-12 classroom teaching science side by side with a K-12 teacher and introducing graduate level research to middle school and high school students through specialized projects designed by the graduate student fellow. As demonstrated, the IUPUI Department of Biology research endeavors are progressive and extensive. In conjunction through collaborative efforts with the medical school and teaching oriented programs, the Department of Biology is forward-looking and community oriented.
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    Meckelin 3 Is Necessary for Photoreceptor Outer Segment Development in Rat Meckel Syndrome
    (Public Library of Science, 2013) Tiwari, Sarika; Hudson, Scott; Gattone, Vincent H., II; Miller, Caroline; Chernoff, Ellen A. G.; Belecky-Adam, Teri L.; Biology, School of Science
    Ciliopathies lead to multiorgan pathologies that include renal cysts, deafness, obesity and retinal degeneration. Retinal photoreceptors have connecting cilia joining the inner and outer segment that are responsible for transport of molecules to develop and maintain the outer segment process. The present study evaluated meckelin (MKS3) expression during outer segment genesis and determined the consequences of mutant meckelin on photoreceptor development and survival in Wistar polycystic kidney disease Wpk/Wpk rat using immunohistochemistry, analysis of cell death and electron microscopy. MKS3 was ubiquitously expressed throughout the retina at postnatal day 10 (P10) and P21. However, in the mature retina, MKS3 expression was restricted to photoreceptors and the retinal ganglion cell layer. At P10, both the wild type and homozygous Wpk mutant retina had all retinal cell types. In contrast, by P21, cells expressing rod- and cone-specific markers were fewer in number and expression of opsins appeared to be abnormally localized to the cell body. Cell death analyses were consistent with the disappearance of photoreceptor-specific markers and showed that the cells were undergoing caspase-dependent cell death. By electron microscopy, P10 photoreceptors showed rudimentary outer segments with an axoneme, but did not develop outer segment discs that were clearly present in the wild type counterpart. At p21 the mutant outer segments appeared much the same as the P10 mutant outer segments with only a short axoneme, while the wild-type controls had developed outer segments with many well-organized discs. We conclude that MKS3 is not important for formation of connecting cilium and rudimentary outer segments, but is critical for the maturation of outer segment processes.