Tropical Disease Natural Product Drug Discovery Assistantships in Panama
We are looking for upper-division undergraduate students or recent graduates
for research assistantships in natural product drug discovery during the
summer and/or fall 2009 with possible extension to spring 2010 in the labs
of Drs. Marcy J. Balunas, Carmenza Spadafora, and Marcelino Gutiérrez at the
Institute of Advanced Scientific Investigations and High Technology Services
(INDICASAT) in conjunction with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
(STRI) in Panama City, Panama. The project is part of a U.S. National
Institutes of Health (NIH) International Cooperative Biodiversity Group
(ICBG) grant entitled “Training, Conservation and Drug Discovery from
Panamanian Microorganisms” (Principal Investigator, Dr. William H. Gerwick,
Scripps Institution of Oceanography).
Project Description
Treatments for tropical diseases are generally prohibitively expensive for
many people living in areas of high rates of infection. Furthermore, many
tropical diseases are developing resistance to currently available
treatments, or are without effective treatments. Natural products contain
highly diverse structures with unique characteristics not readily accessible
through synthetic or combinatorial chemistry and often contain novel
compounds which may inhibit the infection and/or spread of tropical
diseases. Marine and plant species from the biologically diverse oceans in
Panama will likely yield chemically diverse compounds of this sort. This
project involves:
* Collecting marine specimens for screening (cyanobacteria,
heterotrophic coral-associated bacteria, and corals), followed by extraction
and pre-fractionation (Dr. Balunas’ and Dr. Gutiérrez’ labs);
* Screening for in vitro activity against tropical diseases including
malaria, Chagas’ disease, and leishmaniasis, as well as for cancer and
cytotoxicity screening (Dr. Spadafora’s lab);
* Conducting bioassay-guided fractionation to isolate and identify
compounds that act against these tropical diseases (joint effort).
Students will be involved in many aspects of the research projects,
including field collection, extraction, cell and microbial culture,
bioassays, and fractionation using various chromatographic and spectroscopic
techniques.
Funding
Funding for these assistantships comes from the Minority Health and Health
Disparities International Research Training (MHIRT) program funded through
the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD). The
MHIRT program is designed to increase the numbers of students belonging to
health disparities populations or underrepresented minorities that pursue
advanced degrees in basic sciences, biomedical or clinical research fields.
Travel, food, lodging, and research expenses are completely covered and a
small personal stipend is provided.
Program Eligibility:
* Students should belong to an ethnic minority including, but not
limited to, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan
Natives, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, or rural Appalachians
(non-ethnic females also qualify)
* Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.
* Students should be juniors, seniors, or recent graduates with a
minimum GPA of 3.0
* Students should have completed at least one year of biology and/or
chemistry with laboratory, with extracurricular laboratory experience
preferred
* Students must demonstrate interest in pursuing graduate research
* Students must spend a minimum of 5 months in Panama working on the
project (6-10 months is preferred)
To Apply:
Send the following materials to Dr. Marcy J. Balunas at mbalunas@ucsd.edu:
1. Curriculum Vitae including name, permanent and current addresses,
phone, e-mail, GPA, and complete educational and employment history (social
security number and date of birth will be required upon acceptance to the
program).
2. A 2-3 page essay including information on your background (e.g.,
family history, ethnicity, previous laboratory research, education, travel
experience, etc.) and your career goals (including how you think a MHIRT
assistantship will help you attain these goals).
3. Two letters of recommendation, including from someone who has
directly supervised you in a laboratory setting (e.g., graduate student,
technician, postdoctoral researcher, or professor). Letters of
recommendation should be e-mailed directly to Dr. Balunas.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: Application review will begin March 31, 2009
and continue until positions are filled.
Graduate Student Support – This program also supports graduate students who
assist in supervising the undergraduates. Grad students should send similar
materials to Dr. Balunas with a note that you’re interested in a grad
student position.