Toxicology Track

Weekly Newsletter of the MSU Center for Integrative Toxicology
Director: Norbert Kaminski/Editor: Lois Furry

December 11, 2006, Vol. 29, Number 47

Seminars / Publications // Course Announcements / Positions

Seminars

The Animal Science Department presents Salvador Fernandez-Rivera, International Livestock Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to speak on "Livestock, Manure and Nutrient Management: An International Perspective on Sustainability and Environmental Impact" on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 at 10:30 a.m. in 1310 Anthony Hall.

The Carcinogenesis Laboratory presents Haruo Ohmori, Dr. Sci., Head of the Laboratory of Gene Information Analysis, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, to speak on "Protein-Protein Interactions for Tranlesion DNA Synthesis" on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 4 p.m. in 1415 Biomedical Physical Sciences Bldg.

*Fulfills seminar requirements for the Environmental and Integrative Toxicological Sciences Graduate Programs.  Seminars that fulfill this requirement are archived at seminars.

Publications

Dietary Anthocyanin-Rich Tart Cherry Extract Inhibits Intestinal Tumorigenesis in APC(Min) Mice Fed Suboptimal Levels of Sulindac. Bobe G, Wang B, Seeram NP, Nair MG, Bourquin LD. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Dec 13;54(25):9322-8.
 
Reproductive success of passerines exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls through the terrestrial food web of the Kalamazoo River. Neigh AM, Zwiernik MJ, Joldersma CA, Blankenship AL, Strause KD, Millsap SD, Newsted JL, Giesy JP. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2007 Jan;66(1):107-18.
 
Effects of unilateral laser-assisted ventriculocordectomy in horses with laryngeal hemiplegia. Robinson P, Derksen FJ, Stick JA, Sullins KE, DeTolve PG, Robinson NE. Equine Vet J. 2006 Nov;38(6):491-6.
 
The ribosomal database project (RDP-II): introducing myRDP space and quality controlled public data. Cole JR, Chai B, Farris RJ, Wang Q, Kulam-Syed-Mohideen AS, McGarrell DM, Bandela AM, Cardenas E, Garrity GM, Tiedje JM. Nucleic Acids Res. 2006 Nov 7; [Epub ahead of print]
 
Toward a more robust assessment of intraspecies diversity, using fewer genetic markers.  Konstantinidis KT, Ramette A, Tiedje JM. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 Nov;72(11):7286-93. Epub 2006 Sep 15.

Course Announcements

Topics in Toxicology: New Course, Spring 2007, VM 820, Section 02; Molecular Journeys to Cell Death; Tuesdays and Fridays, 8-9 a.m., in 162 Food Safety and Toxicology Building.  This is a 1-credit, seminar course that will meet two hours per week for the first half of the semester. The focus will be recent developments in understanding the molecular signaling that leads to cell death. Potential topics include ADP ribosylation, endoplasmic reticulum stress responses, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation and others. Students will be expected to present original research articles and/or reviews on assigned topics. This course will apply toward the Environmental and Integrative Toxicological Sciences Program requirements. Prerequisite: One course in  biochemistry/molecular biology. Moderators: Drs. Patti Ganey, Bob Roth, and Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan.  Contact Dr. Ganey (ganey@msu.edu) or Dr. Roth (rothr@msu.edu).

Defining reference conditions in lakes, streams and wetlands: Approaches and perspectives. Spring 2007, FW893, Section 1
An important feature of biological assessments of aquatic ecosystems is the evaluation of the effects of anthropogenic disturbance. The concept of "reference condition" is often used to describe the benchmark against which current condition is compared. In fact, both the U.S. and the European Union have incorporated the reference condition idea directly into legislation aimed at protecting and improving the ecological condition of aquatic ecosystems.  Unfortunately, this term has many meanings in a variety of different contexts as well as many different ways it can be quantified. In this seminar, we will explore the different ways to estimate reference conditions in freshwater ecosystems. We will examine many different ecosystem types (lakes, streams and wetlands) to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of how this idea has been used and how it might be improved. The seminar will be discussion-oriented using the primary literature with the goal of compiling an annotated bibliography of reference conditions on lakes, streams and wetlands.
I will arrange to first meeting time over Angel in early January. For more information please contact Patricia Soranno, Rm 9B Natural Resources Building, 432-4330, <mailto:Soranno@msu.edu>Soranno@msu.edu

Positions

Integral Consulting Inc. (www.integral-corp.com) is currently seeking highly motivated individuals for the following positions for Washington, Oregon, Colorado, and Maryland offices.  Senior Scientist, ecological risk assessor - Candidate must hold an M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant discipline. The ideal candidate will have 5 to 10 years experience in performing ecological risk assessment with demonstrated expertise in terrestrial and/or aquatic ecology, toxicology, and statistics/modeling. Candidate will also have significant project management experience. The desired candidate will be a detailed-oriented individual who can provide technical and strategic support on client projects as well as on business development efforts for our growing environmental practice.  Associate Scientist, ecological risk assessor The ideal Associate Scientist will have an M.S. degree in a related field and 2 to 4 years experience in performing ecological risk assessment, with demonstrated expertise in terrestrial and/or aquatic ecology, toxicology, and statistics/modeling. Responsibilities for this position include those associated with all aspects of ecological risk assessment, including but not limited to developing spreadsheets and database management, environmental data evaluation and statistical analysis, literature research and analysis, hazard assessment, dose-response evaluation, food-chain modeling, and report preparation. Specific qualifications include expertise in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and Statistica, Systat, or other comparable statistical analysis software.  Candidates must possess superior quantitative skills, strong organizational abilities, a professional demeanor, excellent written and oral communication skills, and very importantly, a desire to learn and grow both intellectually and professionally.  Competitive salary is commensurate with experience. Integral provides an exceptional benefits package with company-subsidized insurance, and an exciting work environment with opportunities for significant professional growth. For confidential consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter, indicating the position in which you are interested, to: integraljobs@integral-corp.com.