BMI Weekly News- February 1, 2021
BMI Weekly News
February 1, 2021
News:
• News about SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (pfs are attached).
- The JAMA article by Drs. Moore and Offitt relates to the new, more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants, and their possible effects on vaccine efficacy. Thanks to Dr. Robert Lisak for sharing.
- The other article (“An expert on …”) is about Dr. Stanley Plotkin, one of the world’s greatest vaccinologists.
- Drs. Offitt and Plotkin co-developed one of the two widely used vaccines for rotaviruses.
• Lethal hazards associated with use of liquid nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen is used in many of our laboratories because it is very cold and is relatively inert and non-toxic -- air is ~78% gaseous nitrogen. Strict attention and adherence to approved protocols for handling and transporting liquid nitrogen is needed to prevent tragic disasters of the sort that occurred last week at a chicken processing plant in Georgia (article link). Some of the workers apparently died of asphyxiation because the nitrogen leak displaced oxygenated air from closed spaces. In addition, injuries to some of victims were due to their flesh being frozen by the extreme cold. Let’s all be safe when using such material. Be sure to learn the protocols and equipment required to work safely, before it matters.
• The BMI Faculty meeting is scheduled for this week, Thursday, February 4, 2021, 11:30 a.m.
• BMI Job ad for Tenure-Track Biochemist Faculty Position is now active on Science Careers. It will run from January 25, 2021 – February 24, 2021. https://jobs.sciencecareers.org/job/532496/tenure-track-biochemist-faculty-position/?LinkSource=PremiumListing If you know of someone who would be interested, you can direct them to our application site at https://jobs.wayne.edu
Events This Week:
• Immunology Focus Group (IFG) Seminar: Tuesday, February 2, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 pm. Via Zoom. (Student-speaker meeting immediately following).
Speaker: Jim Song, Ph.D., Professor of Microbial Pathogenies and Immunology, Texas A&M
Title: “Regulation of NAC1 in T cells and T cell-mediated immunity”
Hosted by: Wei-Zen Wei, PhD, Herrick Endowed Chair for Cancer Research, Oncology Department, Wayne State University
To view copy and paste this link into your browser:
Zoom Link: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/91315779990?pwd=anIzWFd0OTdVMHQ5cTFJUGhISjNpUT09
Meeting ID: 913 1577 9990
Password: 001925
• Journal Club: Wednesday, February 3, 2021, 11:30am – 12:20pm via Zoom
Speaker: Masters Student, Aliza Fatema
Title: “Mechanism of P2X7R mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation.”
Mentor: Dr Yuan He
&
Speaker: Masters Student, Dipanwita Dutta Chowdry
Title: “Structural and functional studies of Cytochrome c and other proteins."
Mentor: Dr. Brian Edwards
To view copy and paste this link into your browser:
Zoom Link Info: https://wayne-edu.zoom.us/j/97789200158?pwd=RlFsTisvSW0wN1JPMEY0cXVpdEgyZz09
Meeting ID: 977 8920 0158
Password: 135373
Upcoming Events:
• Next BMI Seminar: Tuesday, February 9, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm via Zoom.
Speaker: Travis Taylor, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Toledo https://www.utoledo.edu/med./depts/micr/faculty/Travis_Taylor.html
Title: “TBA”
Hosted by: Dr. Phil Pellett
Zoom Link Info: TBA
• Next Journal Club: Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 11:30am – 12:20pm via Zoom
Speaker: Masters Student, Bhavita Bhaya
Title: "Mechanistic determination of V. cholerae ToxT response to its positive effector"
Mentor: Dr Jeffrey Withey
&
Speaker: Masters Student, Detjona Zhaho
Title: “The role of Klf2 in B cell-mediated mucosal immunity.”
Mentor: Dr. Eric Sebzda
Zoom Link Info: TBA
Coronavirus Information:
• COVID Update: New Variants Complicate Future of Pandemic in Michigan: https://wdet.org/posts/2021/01/27/90559-covid-update-new-variants-complicate-future-of-pandemic-in-michigan/?utm_source=link&utm_medium=email-6012f2950c441&utm_campaign=EngageD+--+Jan.+28+-+Community+Engagement+newsletter+-+Wayne+St&utm_content=COVID+Upda
• Campus Health Center’s FAQ and answers on COVID-19 Vaccine: The COVID-19 Vaccine
• Past event - WSU COVID-19 Vaccines Virtual Town Hall meeting with President Wilson can be reviewed at: Wayne State University COVID-19 Vaccines Virtual Town Hall (View)
• Website: https://www.med.wayne.edu/coronavirus
▫ Vaccination information: https://wayne.edu/coronavirus
▫ Warrior Safe Training: https://wayne.edu/coronavirus/warrior-safe-training/
▫ Campus Daily Screener: https://forms.wayne.edu/covid-19-screening/
▫ Medical Campus operations: https://www.med.wayne.edu/coronavirus/med-campus
▫ Campus screener/follow-up process: https://www.med.wayne.edu/coronavirus/campus-screener-process
• Domestic and International Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Domestic & International travel and return to campus - CDC guidelines
• Complete SOM guidelines: https://www.med.wayne.edu/coronavirus/guidelines
• COVID-19 SOM return guidelines pdf: https://www.med.wayne.edu/pdfs/covid-som-guidelines.pdf
Links (as embedded in items above):
• Campus Health Center (CHC) FAQ and answers on COVID-19 Vaccine: https://health.wayne.edu/coronavirus-vaccine/?utm_source=link&utm_medium=email-600b2bf8e870f&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+January+22%2C+2021+-+Today%40Wayne+-+Wayne+State+University&utm_content=Vaccines+FAQ
• Campus Health Center (CHC) Free COVID-19 testing thru January: https://i.wayne.edu/view/5ff709fb2b671?utm_source=link&utm_medium=email-5ff709fb2b671&utm_campaign=January+COVID-19+testing+schedule&utm_content=Read+this+email+on+the+Web
• Domestic & International Travel during the COVID-19 Pandemic: