Lauren Buck and Amanda Zofkie, who work in the laboratory of Robert V. Stahelin, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend have won awards to give presentations at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) section of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology in Anaheim, Calif., in April. The large conference attracts up to 20,000 people from around the world. Stahelin’s laboratory is a collaboration of the Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend and the University of Notre Dame where Stahelin serves as an adjunct assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry.
Buck is studying how hydrogen sulfide, a gaseous molecule, signals an important cardioprotective enzyme named protein kinase c epsilon. The process is believed to be an important step in regulating heart function and respiration, and discoveries could lead to prevention and treatment of heart disease. She will present "Investigation of the Mechanism of Hydrogen Sulfide Activation of Protein Kinase C."
Zofkie is studying how the tropical Ebola virus replicates in human cells, focusing on how an Ebola protein causes new virions on the plasma membrane of a host cell. She is using mass spectrometry to characterize the protein and lipid compositions of Ebola virion models she has isolated. A new class of drugs targeted at the host cell membrane could prevent Ebola replication and infection. She will present "Investigation of Lipid-Based Assembly of Viral Particles."
