CONWAY, Ark. (August 6, 2019)
– Dr. Robert Eoff of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and
Hendrix College physics professor Dr. Julie Gunderson ’06 have received a
$1.2-million grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a study
titled “Replication of G-quadruplex DNA by translesion polymerases.” The
project is jointly funded by the Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Division
and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
Understanding how cells
replicate guanine-rich sequences of DNA is the focus of this research. Guanine-rich
sequences form non-canonical structures called G-quadruplexes, Gunderson
explained, meaning they do not resemble the double helix form typically
associated with DNA. Failure to correctly copy guanine-rich sequences can lead
to changes in the genome that are associated with human disease.
Gunderson will administer
approximately $162,000 of the NSF grant. These funds will support the
participation of two Hendrix student researchers in the program each year, for
a total of eight students with direct involvement over the course of the
grant’s four-year term. The students’ work during the fall and spring semesters
will culminate in a 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at
UAMS. They will have opportunities to learn not only through research training
that involves rigorous biophysical and biochemical analysis, but also through
gaining experience in presenting the results of their work at seminars and
symposia.
Support from the NIH-funded
Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program has
paved the way for this collaboration, Gunderson said.
“Grant support from the
Arkansas INBRE program has allowed me to set up a laboratory to carry out
robust biophysical studies at Hendrix, which students can get involved in
throughout the academic year,” she said. “Providing opportunities for Hendrix
students to get involved in original research is important because these types
of experiential learning opportunities allow students to apply their knowledge
to solve real-world problems. In addition, undergraduate research experiences
help students develop career skills that will prepare them for success
regardless of the path that they take after college.”
Gunderson, who is a
molecular biophysicist, will also spend two months each summer working in the
Eoff laboratory at UAMS thanks to the NSF funding. “I’ll be able to expand my
expertise through work on this grant, which will benefit my students at Hendrix,”
she said, noting that as an educator, she finds it useful to wrestle with new
information. “Working through this process allows me greater empathy with my
students, and it ultimately makes me a better teacher.”
About
Hendrix College
A private liberal arts
college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as
one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That
Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and
rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous
college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been
affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.