PGFI in the News
3/2008- PGFI and The Institute for Regenerative Medicine Launch a New Project
The PGFI and the Institute
for Regenerative Medicine
(IRM) are proud to announce
the opening of the
Genomic Cell Based
Screening Lab operating on the Research and Development
third floor of the Lynch
Laboratories. “Genomic Cell
Based Screening is a suite of
powerful methodologies that
can enable researchers to
probe cellular pathways at
the genomic level”, says John
Hogenesch, Ph.D., Associate
Professor of Pharmacology
and Associate Director of the
PGFI, who will serve as Scientific
Director of this laboratory.
Current capabilities and
infrastructure include an automated
miniprep robot, a plating
robot, and both whole well
and high content imaging
systems, the latter of which is being guided by Sara
Cherry Ph.D., Assistant
Professor of Microbiology,
who will serve as Associate
Scientific Director.
This infrastructure will be
used to conduct arrayed
cDNA expression screening,
siRNA screening, pilot
small molecule screening
of pharmacologically active
compounds, as well
novel genomic cell-based screens – a big part of this, maybe 95%, is in helping people through the assay development process”, said Dr. Hogenesch. “Once the assay is developed, running the screen becomes almost a trivial matter -- and then the hard work (and fun) begins – the follow-up biology.” Julie Baggs, Ph.D., will serve as Director of the Genomic Cell Based Screening Lab, while Jeanne Geskes will oversee the robotics and operations of the lab. as custom libraries to probe various signaling pathways in cell-based screens. “Our primary goal is to help investigators at the University of Pennsylvania develop
3/2008 - Recipients of PGFI grant competition entitled “Quantitation of Biological Processes Real-Time in Live Cells.”
The PENN Genome Frontiers Institute (PGFI) is pleased to announce and congratulate the recipients of grants from a recent PGFI grant competition entitled “Quantitation of Biological Processes Real-Time in Live Cells.” These highly creative grants range from 1 to 2 years and provide funding from $60,000 to $120,000 for investigators in the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Medicine and the School of Veterinary Medicine. It is anticipated that the results of the subsequent research efforts will help to advance research in the area of live cell genomics which is one of PGFI’s areas of strategic interest. The recipients are:
- Dr. Marija Drndic of SAS (Dept. of Physics) is the PI - Real-time sizing/mass measurement and multi-channel detection of protein molecules extracted from electroporated live cells - $120,000 for 2 years
- Dr. Anna Kashina of SVM (Dept. of Animal Biology) with co-PI Dr. Sergei Vinogradov of SOM (Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics) - In vivo imaging of vesicle trafficking and its regulation by protein arginylation - $60,000 for 1 year
- Dr. Samuel Lamitina of SOM (Dept. of Physiology) with co-PIs Dr. Yale E. Goldman of SOM (Dept. of Physiology) and Dr. Barry S. Cooperman of SAS (Dept. of Chemistry)- Real-Time Proteomics (RTP) by Single Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy - $60,000 for 1 year
- Dr. Michael Lampson of SAS (Dept. of Biology) - Measuring phosphorylation dynamics in living cells: from local signaling networks to tumorigenesis - $60,000 for 1 year
1/2008 - Penn Genomics Institute Changes Name, Will Emphasize Interdisciplinary Genomics
In January 2008, the Penn Genomics Institute (PGI) changed its name to the Penn Genome Frontiers Institute (PGFI). The new name, according to PGFI officials, more accurately reflects everything taking place under the PGFI umbrella - genomics, computational biology, systems biology and the development of interdisciplinary technologies with scientists throughout the University of Pennsylvania.
"Many people believe that a genomics insititute works on genome-wide association studies and SNP analysis," said James Eberwine, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Co-Director of PGFI. "While this is a component of genomics, PGFI endeavors to broaden this definition to include disciplines other then solely genetics."
For example, Eberwine continued, PGFI has funded research efforts spanning cell biology, nanotechnology and molecular biology, as well as the traditional genetics. "The PGFI emphasis on promoting cutting-edge research in live cell genomics and the development of technology geared towards functional analysis of multiple gene and gene products simultaneously are more readily encompassed under our new name, Penn Genome Frontiers Institute."
Penn Awarded $2 Million Grant from Keck Foundation for Fundamental Research on Parkinston's Disease - February 06, 2007
Penn Names First Phase of Life Sciences Complex for Trustee Carolyn Hoff Lynch -
February 2005
Database Lets Researchers Worldwide Access the Genome of the Malarial Parasite Plasmodium falciparum - October 20, 2002
Penn Establishes Genomics Institute; Invests Over $75 Million In University-wide Genomics Initiatives - February 05, 2001