CONWAY, Ark. (November 22, 2013) – Hendrix biology
professor Dr. Andrew Schurko recently received a research grant from
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Idea Networks of Biomedical Research
Excellence (INBRE).
The grant, which provides $200,000 through May 2015, will
fund Schurko’s research project titled "Characterization of genes involved in DNA repair in bdelloid
rotifers."
“In our research, we use a microscopic animal (the bdelloid
rotifer) to study the genes and proteins involved in DNA repair. Bdelloid
rotifers are an exceptional model for studying DNA repair because they can survive
doses of radiation that are lethal to humans,” Schurko said. “My research will
identify genes and proteins in bdelloids that function in DNA repair system
following exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation. The outcome of this
work will have implications for human health. For example, repairing DNA damage
is necessary to treat certain human disorders and to recover from therapies
(e.g. treating cancer with radiation) that cause DNA damage. The majority of
the genes we study in bdelloids are found in humans, which will inform our
understanding how homologous mechanisms can be inhibited and manipulated in
humans.”
The work will be done at Hendrix with the help of
undergraduate research students in the Biology Department and Biochemistry
Molecular Biology program and in collaboration with Dr. Alan Tackett (University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences), Dr. Marjan Boerma (UAMS) and Dr. Bill Etges
(University of Arkansas Fayetteville).
“This
grant not only provides the resources to pursue an intriguing question using
cutting-edge techniques, but also many opportunities for Hendrix students to
become engaged in undergraduate research,” Schurko said. “The enthusiasm for
research on campus allows me the luxury of having first-rate students gain
hands-on research experience in my lab during the summer and academic year.”
“I will also incorporate aspects of this
project into my laboratory courses,” he added. “In doing so, an entire class
can explore a unique question with an unpredictable outcome and, in the process,
benefit from a genuine research experience.”
Founded in 1876, Hendrix
College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education.
For the sixth consecutive year, Hendrix was named one of the country’s “Up and
Coming” liberal arts colleges by
U.S.
News and World Report. Hendrix is featured
in the latest edition of
Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will
Change the Way You Think about Colleges, as well as the 2014 Princeton Review’s
The Best 378 Colleges,
Forbes magazine's list of
America's Top Colleges, and
the 2014 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United
Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit
www.hendrix.edu.