New paper examines social effects on the gut microbiome of wild baboons
A new study led by Elizabeth Archie, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of Notre Dame, has found that social interactions have direct effects on the gut microbiome. Archie points out that most, if not all, animals have a gut microbiome — an incredibly diverse “rainforest” of bacteria that lives in the intestine and helps animals digest food, make vitamins and fight disease. The study revealed that baboons that had closer social bonds had more similar gut bacteria than animals with weaker social ties.
Enlightened Diagnosis win second place in Cardinal Challenge
Enlightened Diagnosis (EnDx), a company represented by a team of University of Notre Dame graduate students, recently earned second place in the 2015 Brown Forman Cardinal Challenge at the University of Louisville. The competition included 12 teams as finalists from university entrepreneurship programs around the world.
Vote for Dean Crawford to be named next Everyday Superhero of Biotech!
Greg Crawford, William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science, has been nominated as an Everyday Superhero of Biotech by the BIO International Convention. Nominees are selected for their dedication to heal, fuel, and feed the world through groundbreaking innovation in three categories: biotech/pharma, patient/patient group, and university/research institution.
Duffield and Whaley among faculty honored for undergraduate teaching and advising
Twenty-one University of Notre Dame faculty members have received Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and three faculty and staff have been honored with Dockweiler Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising.
NDIIF announces awards for best imaging publications
The Notre Dame Integrated Imaging Facility (NDIIF) is pleased to announce two awards for best imaging publications for calendar year 2013. The 2013 Best Biological Imaging Publication was awarded to Giles E. Duffield, associate professor of biological sciences. Duffield and his coworkers have pioneered the use of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to monitor the daily rhythms of small living animals. The 2013 Best Electron Microscopy Imaging Publication 2013 was awarded to Khachatur V. Manukyan, Ph.D., a post-doctoral research associate in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Biology postdocs win first, second place in Postdoctoral Scholars Research Symposium
GSU and Office for Postdoctoral Scholars Research Symposium Congratulations to the following Postdocs for winning awards at the Graduate Student Union and Office for Postdoctoral Scholars 6th Annual Research Symposium! From left to right: Haitao Wang, 2nd place in Engineering; Erin Grey (Lodge lab)…
New study reveals links between alcoholic liver disease and the circadian clock
Researchers from the University of Notre Dame and the Indiana University School of Medicine have revealed a putative role for the circadian clock in the liver in the development of alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis, or fatty liver disease. Hepatic steatosis is the abnormal accumulation of fats in the cells of the liver, and is linked to disturbed control of fat metabolism. Alcohol-induced liver steatosis is produced by excessive alcohol consumption and is linked to hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver.
New paper describes genetic connections between biological rhythms, timing of feeding and insulin sensitivity
A new study by a team of University of Notre Dame researchers, which appears in the Sept. 2 edition of the journal PLoS ONE, is a significant step in understanding the molecular genetic and physiological basis for a spectrum of metabolic diseases related to circadian function. Obesity and diabetes have reached epidemic levels and are responsible for increased morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Furthermore, the incidence of metabolic disease is significantly elevated in shift-work personnel, revealing an important link between the circadian clock, the sleep-wake cycle, time-of-day feeding and metabolism.