During sexual reproduction, genes from both the mother and the father mix and mingle to produce a genetic combination unique to each offspring. In most cases, the chromosomes line up properly and  crossover. In some unlucky cases, however, “selfish DNA” enters the mix, causing abnormal crossovers with deletions or insertions in chromosomes, which can manifest as birth defects.

Scientists have long recognized that the exchange of genetic material by crossing over—known as recombination—is vital to natural selection. Yet some species display far more crossover than others. Why? Researchers hypothesize that crossover rates have evolved to balance the benefits of crossing over with the risks of selfish DNA.

Daven Presgraves, a dean’s professor of biology, and PhD candidate Cara Brand recently accomplished an important milestone in learning about these evolutionary dynamics. By studying two species of fruit flies, they discovered a gene, MEI-218, that controls the rate of recombination. In a paper published in Current Biology, they explain how MEI-218 controls differences in the rate of crossing over between species and the evolutionary forces at play.

“This is the first gene I know of that anyone has shown to be responsible for the evolution of recombination rates,” Presgraves says.

The team focused on two closely related species of fruit flies—Drosophila melanogaster and its sister species, Drosophila mauritiana—because large differences have evolved in their rates of recombination: D. mauritiana does about 1.5 times more crossing over than D. melanogaster. When they compared genes in the two species, the researchers found that the DNA sequences of MEI-218 were extraordinarily different.

Brand and Presgraves hypothesize that the change in recombination rates between D. mauritiana and D. melanogaster may have evolved because the species have different amounts of transposons (repetitive genetic elements that do not seem to have benefits to their hosts) in their genomes. The D. melanogaster genome has more transposons than D. mauritiana, so D. melanogaster may therefore have evolved a lower rate of crossing over in order to avoid the higher risk of harmful crossovers between transposons.

This means, then, that the MEI-218 gene is constantly evolving to an ever-changing optimum. The evolution of MEI-218 is similar to genes involved in immunity, Presgraves says. “That should make some intuitive sense because genes involved in immunity are constantly adapting to the changing community pathogens that are challenging us all the time.”

Read more here.

Flushing the bladder with a common chemotherapy drug immediately after surgery significantly reduces the chances of bladder cancer returning, according to a major study led by Edward M. Messing, professor of urology, oncology, and pathology, and an international clinical trials network (SWOG) funded by the National Cancer Institute.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the study notes this may be the first phase III trial in the U.S. in two decades to show a benefit from this treatment strategy. European and Canadian urologists have been using the treatment for years, with their own clinical trial data to support the procedure.

“The real importance of this study is that we now have a readily available drug that’s fairly inexpensive, well-tolerated, and effective,” said Messing, an investigator with SWOG. “One of the biggest issues with low-grade bladder cancer is that it frequently returns. I know some patients who have to undergo four surgeries a year, and if we can cut down on these recurrences, we will save a lot of people a lot of pain, money, and time lost to recovery.”

SWOG conducted the randomized, double-blind trial involving 406 eligible patients at 23 cancer centers. JAMA also published an editorial about the trial, which noted that it focused on a problem that’s meaningful to patients, and concluded that it has “practice-changing implications.”

Surgeons removed all cancerous tissue from study participants with a procedure known as TURBT, or transurethral resection of bladder tumor. Then, 201 or roughly half of the patients received the chemotherapy drug, gemcitabine, mixed with saline, administered via catheter to the bladder area within three hours after surgery.

Researchers followed all patients for four years — the time period when most bladder cancers return — seeking to discover which treatment strategy worked better. The results were clear: A 34 percent reduction in the risk of recurrence for patients receiving the gemcitabine infusion. Sixty-seven patients in the gemcitabine group, or 35 percent, experienced a recurrence, compared with 91 patients in the saline group, or 47 percent.

However, further research is needed to compare various chemotherapy agents for their effectiveness. About 80,000 Americans a year are diagnosed with bladder cancer, and the low-grade non-muscle invasive form makes up more than half of the new cases annually.

Read more here.

A new Medical Center project creates a partnership with mothers who are not likely to breastfeed exclusively and tries to improve the rates by first understanding their perspective and obstacles. Although Rochester has various programs to promote the value of breast milk, gaps exist among low-income women, who often face social and financial influences that work against breastfeeding, said Ann Dozier, associate professor of community and preventive medicine and principal investigator for the $2.4 million National Institutes of Health study.

For example, although breast milk is free, low-income women are also eligible to receive free formula through the Women Infants and Children (WIC) government food program. Some mothers report they get mixed messages from health care providers about the benefits of breastfeeding. Others say they find it too difficult to pump and store breast milk after returning to work. Social pressure from the baby’s father, husbands, boyfriends, female relatives and friends — who may not support their desire to breast feed — also present obstacles for many mothers, who are already concerned their babies won’t get enough nutrition from breast milk.

“What’s unique about this program is that as researchers, we are first gaining insight into the concerns and issues of these mothers, and then enlisting them to help us come up with ways to increase the likelihood that they will try to breastfeed exclusively,” Dozier said. “This is much different from the usual route, where the researchers come up with a solution beforehand and then conduct a study to see if it was correct.”

The five-year study is set up to gather additional information about the behaviors and experiences of approximately 3,600 women. Researchers are following initiation rates, duration, and how many women reach the goal of exclusive breast feeding for six months.

Six months is believed to be an optimal length of time to achieve the maximum benefits of breastfeeding, such as protection against asthma, allergies, ear infections, and other childhood illnesses. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that breast milk offers economic, developmental and psychological advantages in addition to the health benefits. Early data show that women respond positively to the message about benefits for the baby, and therefore reinforcing it will be critical, researchers said.

An overview, resources, and tips for successful proposal development and submission to multiple funding sources will offered in an AS&E workshop aimed at young investigators. The workshop will be held from noon to 2 p.m., June 7, in Room 403 of the Frederick Douglass Building.

The session will feature a panel of University faculty who recently were awarded young investigator/early career awards, and also those who review for young investigator programs.

Lunch is provided. Space is limited so RSVP by May 31 to Toni Heininger at antonia.heininger@rochester.edu. She can also be notified if you have dietary restrictions.

May 15 is the deadline for proposals to the Central New York Humanities Corridor for Working Group activities to be held in fall 2018 or spring 2019.

The Corridor, a partnership between Rochester, Syracuse University, Cornell University, and six New York State liberal arts colleges, supports collaborative scholarly exploration such as workshops, lectures, symposia, and teaching exchanges.

Visit  http://www.cnycorridor.net/forms/ for proposal forms.  Proposals for new Working Groups are welcome, along with those for existing groups.  This year the corridor has instituted a second deadline (October 15) for additional spring 2019 projects.  For more information, contact Joan Rubin at joan.rubin@rochester.edu

Would you like to take the stage in Berlin, Germany this fall to tell the world about your research?

If so, RSVP for the Falling Walls Lab scheduled for October 2 in the Feldman Ballroom. Presenters will each have three minutes and three slides to summarize their groundbreaking ideas. The winner receives $500 and a trip to the Falling Walls Lab Finale in Berlin, November 7 to 9. Cash prizes will also be awarded to the top two finalists.

Deadline to apply is Sept. 17. Click here to register. Contact Adele Coelho, faculty outreach coordinator, at adele.coelho@rochester.edu for additional information.

Xixi Wang, Biomedical Engineering, “Application of Pattern Analysis in Understanding Brain Aging-associated Symptoms and Alzheimer’s Disease using functional MRI.” 2 p.m. May 14, 2018. 101 Goergen Hall. Advisors: Rajeev Raizada and Edmund Lalor.

Zhiqiu (Qiuqiu) Ye, Health Services Research & Policy, “The Impact of Hospital Share of Nursing Home-originating Hospitalizations and Nursing Home Quality on 30-day Readmission Rates.” 11 a.m. May 25, 2018. Saunders Research Building/1416. Advisor: Orna Intrator.

May 12: Public showing of “Unrest,” a Sundance award-winning film by Jennifer Brea on the realities of living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). Followed by a panel discussion. 2-5 p.m., Genrich-Rusling Room, LeChase Hall, River Campus. Free and open to the public. Read more here.

May 14: Deadline to apply for Community Health Mini-Grants from the Center for Community Health and Prevention. Applications are welcome from the Medical Center and community partners. Application directions can be found here. Contact Gail Hamilton via email or at 224-3062 for additional information.

May 14: 5 p.m. deadline to apply for pilot funding from the Center for AIDS Research for projects in collaboration with the University at Buffalo. See the CFAR Pilot Funding Opportunities page and the specific RFA for additional information.

May 15: Respiratory Pathogens Research Center Scientific Symposium. Featured speakers, lectures by RPRC investigators, poster session. Lunch and refreshments provided. 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saunders Research Building. Registration is free, but pre-registration is required by April 27 at RPRCSymposium.urmc.edu

May 15: Deadline to apply to the Central New York Humanities Corridor for Working Group activities to be held in fall 2018 or spring 2019.  Visit  http://www.cnycorridor.net/forms/ for proposal forms.  For more information, contact Joan Rubin at joan.rubin@rochester.edu.

May 18: Hypoxia and Stroke. Discussion of current stroke research at the University with expert faculty panelists Marc Halterman, G. Edward Vates, and Ania Busza.  Noon, Med Center Specialty Room (2-7544). Refreshments provided. PONS Luncheon Roundtable Series.   For more information on upcoming neuro-related events, go to http://blogs.rochester.edu/pons/

May 21: Mini-symposium sponsored by the UCIS Cluster in Epigenetics and Genome Stability, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Medical Center’s Whipple Auditorium (2-6424). Short talks by University researchers, and two invited speakers: Benjamin Garcia (University of Pennsylvania) and Yingming Zhao (University of Chicago), who use cutting-edge proteomics to investigate epigenetics. Open to all.

May 25: 5 p.m. deadline to apply for pilot projects from the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute. Submission Guidelines.  Email applications to Chelsea Costanzo.

May 25: 5 p.m. deadline to apply for a grant from the Spinal Cord Injury Research Program promoting recovery from chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Submission Guidelines. Email applications to Chelsea Costanzo.

June 1: Deadline to submit applications as supplements to the Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s CTSA U01 grant. To learn more, contact the Research Help Desk.

June 1: Deadline to apply for pilot funding (up to $50,000 per award) from the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience for basic science and translational projects that advance understanding of both normal and abnormal brain functioning and for basic, clinical and translational projects that specifically support research on Autism Spectrum Disorder. For more information and to download the RFA, click here.

June 1-3: “Frontiers in Virtual Reality,” the 31st Center for Visual Science Symposium. Memorial Art Gallery. Click here for a list of speakers, and details about registration.

June 2: “An ‘Un-Meeting’: Addressing the Opioid Crisis through Translational Science.” 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saunders Research Building Atrium. Hosted by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Center for Leading Innovation and Collaboration. There is no cost to attend. Register here by Wednesday, May 23.

June 7: AS&E workshop for young investigators. Overview, resources, and tips for successful proposal development and submission to multiple funding sources. Panel discussion with University faculty who were recently awarded young investigator/early career awards or served on panels.  Noon to 2 p.m. Room 403 Frederick Douglass Building. Lunch provided. Space is limited. RSVP by May 31 to Toni Heininger at antonia.heininger@rochester.edu