Pan American Advanced Studies Institute on Function and Regulation of the Cytoskeleton; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Summer 2010

This Pan-American Advanced Studies Institutes (PASI) award, jointly supported by the NSF and the Department of Energy (DOE), will take place in spring/ early summer of 2010, at the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. Organized by Dr. Margaret A. Titus of the University of Minnesota, the PASI will address the function and regulation of the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton refers to protein fiber arrays within a cell that serve such functions as establishing cell shape, providing mechanical strength and locomotion, and other cellular functions. The emphasis of the proposed institute will be on bridging the various disciplines within the cytoskeleton field such as biochemistry, cell biology, mathematical modeling and genomics. Students will rotate through laboratory modules designed to give hands-on training in: enzyme kinetics, functional cell assays, advanced imaging techniques, bioinformatics, and computational methods in cell biology.

The activity will promote interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations in the field of cell biology between new and established investigators in the Americas. Expected outcomes in this PASI will include the opportunity for students and faculty to share and apply the lessons learned with their mentors and colleagues in their home institution. Lectures and other materials from this PASI will be disseminated through the creation of a course website and student projects will be made publicly accessible through online video forums.