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In Brief


Lerner Lab Technology Results in New Treatment for
Ulcerative Colitis

A drug made possible by scientific advances in Professor Richard Lerner’s lab at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has been approved for use to treat moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis in adults. The drug Humira® (adalimumab), manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, is one of the most widely used biologic therapies on the market.

A chronic disease causing inflammation and ulcers in the inner lining of the large intestine, and one of two common forms of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis affects about 620,000 American, according to the National Institutes of Health. The US Food and Drug Administration approved Humira® on September 28 to control ulcerative colitis in patients who have been unresponsive to immunosuppressant drugs.

Paving the way for Humira® was work in the Lerner laboratory, which pioneered combinatorial antibody library technology (in parallel with the group of Sir Gregory Winter at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology). The combinatorial antibody library technique continues to be a mainstay of drug discovery research.

In addition to ulcerative colitis, Humira® is used for treatment of autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, plaque psoriasis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. For more information on the recent approval of Humira® for ulcerative colitis, see the FDA’s press release at http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm321650.htm

Artwork Illustrates Beauty of Nature

The recently refurbished Molecular Biology Building foyer and galleria on TSRI California campus has been enhanced by 14 pieces of framed art and a sculpture that celebrate the intrinsic beauty of basic life structures.

Displayed on walls and columns throughout the galleria, the colorful images represent “the advances in structural molecular biology over the past decade, including structures of molecular assemblies, viral architecture, computational drug design and the molecular environment of cells,” according to Professor Arthur Olson, who conceived and led the project.

Olson designed and built the laser-cut plywood sculpture, installed in the MB foyer. The cream-and-wood colored artwork represents the poliovirus structure solved at TSRI in 1985 by x-ray crystallography in the molecular biology laboratory of Jim Hogle, now a member of Harvard Medical School’s Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology.

Framed artwork creators include Chi Yu Fu of the Johnson lab and members the Molecular Graphics Lab, including David Goodsell, Adam Gardner, Stefano Forli, Graham Johnson and Olson. Thumbnail images of the art can be viewed on this webpage: http://www.scripps.edu/newsandviews/i_20121008/olson2.jpg.


Symposium to Foster Ties to Alumni

An Inaugural Alumni Symposium, Wednesday, October 17, will feature presentations by Kellogg School of Science and Technology graduates.

“Engaging alumni is critical to the graduate program’s continued success,” said Mike Matrone, program coordinator for the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office and the symposium organizer. “This symposium will foster networking and mentoring relationships with current students and fellow alumni, and provide opportunities for alumni to contribute to the Kellogg School’s tradition of academic excellence.”

The event is scheduled from 8:30 AM to 7 PM in the Beckman Building Galleria and Keck Auditorium. Following a welcome address by Michael Marletta, president of TSRI, the morning session presenters will include:

  • Michael Dorrell, Class of 2004, associate professor, biology, Pt. Loma Nazarene University
  • Yan Jessie Zhang, Class of 2004, assistant professor, chemistry and biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin
  • Michael Burkart, Class of 2000, associate director, San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, University of California, San Diego

Afternoon activities will offer an alumni career panel discussion, featuring:

  • Phyllis Frosst, Class of 2001, senior advisor for policy, communications and strategic alliances, the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
  • Christopher Yohn, Class of 1997, associate director, trait discovery, Sapphire Energy
  • Pamela Sears, Class of 1996, vice president, preclinical science and clinical development, Optimer Pharmaceuticals
  • James Graziano, Class of 2006, chief operating officer, Fabrus Inc.
  • Melanie Nelson, Class of 1999, program manager, information management. Dart Neuroscience

A poster session of work by current California and Florida campus graduate students will be held during a reception from 5 PM to 7 PM in the Beckman Galleria.

The symposium and reception are open to the public. Reservations to a luncheon for alumni, faculty and graduate students, scheduled from 11:45 AM to 1:30 PM, should be made by Monday, October 8, by contacting Matrone at matrone@scripps.edu.


Career Workshop: Using Social Networks to Market Your Career

Employing social media to market a career in science is the focus of an upcoming seminar on the California campus, sponsored by the Network for Women in Science and the Career and Postdoctoral Services Office.

Scheduled for Tuesday, October 23, 10 AM, in the Molecular Biology Building’s Committee Lecture Hall, the seminar will be conducted by Mary Canady, founder of the San Diego Biotechnology Network, a local life-sciences industry group promoting face-to-face and social media networking. Her seminar presentation will explore LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter networking tools.

Canady, who holds a PhD in biochemistry and is a former TSRI postdoctoral fellow, also founded Comprendia, marketing and business development firm for biotech and life sciences companies.


Benefits: Open Enrollment Is Coming

Employee Benefits Open Enrollment begins at 8 AM, Monday, October 22, and runs until 5 PM, Friday, November 2, Pacific Time. During this annual opportunity, participants may make changes to their TSRI benefit selections and, if eligible, enroll or re-enroll in the Health Care and/or Dependent Care Spending Accounts for the 2013 plan year.

Once again this year, all Open Enrollment communications, including new 2013 plan information, will be sent via email and will be available to review on the Open Enrollment website. Employees are strongly advised to review the information provided in the Open Enrollment booklet regarding changes for the 2013 plan year. The booklet will be posted on the Benefits website by October 8.

To effectively manage rising healthcare costs in the current funding environment, a few changes to the health plan designs have been implemented this year, including:

  • HMO Plan participants will experience increased co-pays for office visits and prescriptions
  • PPO Plan participants will experience an increase in prescription co-pays, along with increased co-insurance and deductible responsibility
  • Preventive care will be covered at 100 percent on the HMO Plan and when using in-network providers on the PPO Plan. Essentially, no co-pay, co-insurance or deductibles will be charged when obtaining preventive care

Every effort has been made to keep the increases as low as possible. Greater detail regarding the changes will be included in the information booklet.

Also, please be aware under new federal regulations, the maximum dollar amount for a Health Care Spending Account is limited to $2,500. Employees who are eligible for and participated in the Health Care and/or Dependent Care Spending Accounts in 2012 must log on and elect a new deferral amount to participate in 2013. The 2012 election WILL NOT roll over to 2013.

Participants with questions regarding Open Enrollment may contact Benefits Administration at 858-784-8487 or at benefits@scripps.edu.





Send comments to: mikaono[at]scripps.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

blue art
“Blood Serum: 1 micron across,” one of 14 pieces of artwork on display in the newly refurbished Molecular Biology Building galleria, was created by alumnus Graham Johnson. (Photo by Cindy Brauer.)