SCIENCE AT THE EDGE SEMINAR

Friday, January 12 at 11:30am

Room 1400 Biomedical and Physical Sciences Bldg.

Refreshments at 11:15


Speaker: Jeff MacKeigan
         Van Andel Institute

Title:   Using RNAi and Proteomic Approaches for Quantitative Analysis
         of Molecular Pathways

Abstract:

The ability of a tumor to upregulate cell survival pathways leads to a
marked cellular resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents.
Therefore, tilting the cellular balance towards apoptosis by activating
cell death signals with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, combined
with inhibiting tumor-specific survival signals, may be crucial in
determining the fate of cancer cells.  Using targeted RNAi libraries,
we identified novel kinases and phosphatases that when inhibited
induced cell death and/or regulate PI3K/mTOR signaling.  A second
approach we are developing involves quantitative mass spectrometry (or
SILAC) to identify and characterize regulated phospho-sites on key nodes.