Welcome to Our Blog
Thank you for visiting our website. We are a relatively small lab with big ideas. We are part of a much larger group of investigators known collectively as the LLUMC Molecular Radiation Biology Laboratories. It is our hope that this website will educate, communicate, and incite scientific debate. As the PI of our little group, I hope to post our data and discuss potential mechanisms, consequences, and countermeasures. With a bit of luck we'll all learn something. The links to the left include our merry band as well as collaborating investigators and laboratories. The links to the right include our archive and blogroll. The banner above will always bring you back to the main page page. Take a look around and please feel free to leave a comment on our blog (try to keep it civil and constructive) or shoot us an e-mail. - Michael " Ubertramp " Pecaut
Lab Update
Posted by: Ubertramp on 2009.02.10
Categories & Tags: Department of Energy,Grant Proposal,High-Energy Iron Radiation,Immunity,Microgravity,Mouse,NASA,NIH,New Publication,Radiation,Space Shuttle
Comments: None
Well, I’ve been on and off vacation for the last month or so. But a lot has been going on since my last update.
First, the bad news. Both NIH and DOE have turned down my grant proposals. I will probably try to resubmit the NIH grant this summer once I figure out how to address some of the reviewer concerns. I gotta keep remembering that being a scientist requires a thick skin and a short memory when it comes to rejection. Good thing I’m showing signs of early onset Alzheimer’s. Hah!
I still haven’t heard back from NASA regarding my Mice In Space proposal. I’m not sure what is holding it up. My guess is the recent economic issues have made spaceflight an even more difficult prospect than usual. Plus, they may be trying to work out a way to blend two or more proposals together. Given the lack of funds for science in general, this is probably harder than it sounds.
We also haven’t heard from LLU regarding our NMTB grant proposal. Seems LLU got a lot more proposals than they expected and they are having a harder time deciding who gets what. They may also be debating cutting the funding cap in order to fund more individual projects. I have no idea.
On to the good news. Read More..
Woot! Another Publication in PubMed!
Posted by: Ubertramp on 2008.07.30
Categories & Tags: Brookhaven National Laboratory,Clemson,High-Energy Iron Radiation,Immunity,NASA,New Publication,Props,Rats
Comments: None
Yeay! We have another publication in PubMed. Its our fourth so far this year. And we’re expecting at least two more soon. We’re also about to send out 4 more to reviewers, too. This is a banner year for us in terms of publications. Woot! These animals were irradiated at the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the work was funded through NASA and LLU’s Radiation Medicine Department. We also collaborated with Clemson on this one. The bone paper from these animals has already been published.
Here’s the abstract.
Long-term changes in rat hematopoietic and other physiological systems after high-energy iron ion irradiation.
Gridley DS, Obenaus A, Bateman TA, Pecaut MJ.
Departments of Radiation Medicine.
Purpose: To assess the long-term consequences of high-linear energy transfer (LET) iron ion radiation on immune and other critical body systems in the context of assessing potential effects astronauts may experience during exploratory missions. Materials and methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were nearly whole-body irradiated with 56-Fe (5 GeV/n) to total doses of 0, 1, 2, and 4 Gray (Gy) and euthanized 9 months post-exposure for analyses. Results: Irradiated groups consistently had low body mass. Numbers of circulating white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes and monocytes were lower in the 2 Gy group compared to 0 Gy (p < 0.05); a trend for low granulocytes was also noted. Red blood cell counts, hemoglobin, and hematocrit were decreased in irradiated animals (p < 0.05), whereas platelet counts and volume were unaffected. In the spleen, WBC counts and DNA synthesis by T cells were similar among groups and there were no differences in secreted interferon-gamma and interleukin-6. However, trends were noted for increased splenocyte capacity to secrete tumor necrosis factor-alpha and increased level of vascular endothelial cell growth factor in plasma. One or more of the irradiated groups had significant (p < 0.05) aberrations in several blood chemistry parameters associated with liver and kidney function. Conclusion: The data show that exposure to 56-Fe radiation induced pathological changes in important body systems long after exposure.
Where have all the radiobiology bloggers gone?
Posted by: Ubertramp on 2008.06.19
Categories & Tags: Bacteria,Department of Energy,Grant,Immunity,Low Dose Radiation,Radiation
Comments: None
Lately, I’ve been a bit busy with a few things. Mostly writing grants for DOE (due June 25) and NIH (due July 15), and working with Farnaz to get the first space shuttle paper out (we sent it out to our co-authors for their input earlier today). Not to mention a couple of graduation ceremonies and a dissertation defense. Needless to say, this means I haven’t been as productive here as I’d like. So, since I had to write a summary statement for my DOE grant, I thought I’d post it here as well.
Theoretically, it’s supposed to be written for the layperson. But, as you’ll see, some of it ain’t. Unfortunately, I was limited to one page of text, and there were requirements on what I had to include (like hypothesis and specific aims), so I couldn’t go into a lot of detail. The actual grant proposal is 15 pages long. And trust me, you have no idea how hard it is to keep a proposal that short until you’re forced to do it. 
When a busted toilet could be a major catastrophe…
Posted by: Ubertramp on 2008.05.29
Categories & Tags: Astronaut Health,Bacteria,Current Events,Immunity,International Space Station,Microgravity,Radiation
Comments: 3
Most of you have probably heard by now that the toilet in the Russian-built Zvezda module of the International Space Station is on the fritz. Solid waste is ok. Liquid waste ain’t. Basically, the vacuum pump doesn’t suck when it’s supposed to due to a “‘fabrication flaw’ in the toilet’s compressor units.”
NASA says they have worked out a way to keep things running up there until the Space Shuttle Discovery arrives with replacement parts…which may or may not fix the problem permanently. And by running, I mean, it requires half an hour and two astronauts to make sure everything is rinsed, decontaminated, and flushed properly.
On Earth, that’s a relatively minor problem. In orbit, it can be a serious problem, but fixable. In open space, it could be a major disaster. And here’s why.
