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Aug. 9, 2005
Trinity University Biologist Awarded Grant to Learn More About Protein Interactions in Inflamed Tissues
SAN ANTONIO - Jonathan M. King, assistant professor of biology at Trinity University, has been awarded $168,600 by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a division of the National Institutes of Health, to study the effects of inflammation in tissues by investigating protein interactions at the junctions between cells.
Professor King's field of study involves understanding how cells interact with their neighbor. Cells form sheets or layers that need to stay linked together in order to function. When cell junctions are not properly regulated, a pathological state - including cancer - could result. Sometimes, cell junctions are intentionally manipulated to let medical drugs cross the cell layer to repair damaged tissue, he says.
Trinity undergraduates will help Professor King in his project, titled, "Proteomics of Inflammation at the Epithelium." The grant period began in May and continues through 2008. "My students are real collaborators making significant contributions to the research," Professor King says. "We strive to make the lab experiential. As students master techniques and learn about the field, they are encouraged to explore and propose additional experiments. These contributions are helping to drive the research. We have learned a great deal about how cell junctions operate, but we don't know everything. Working together as a cohesive team on an important project is liberating from an intellectual point of view."
Trinity University, founded in 1869, is one of the nation's top private undergraduate institutions. Noted for its superior academic quality, outstanding faculty, and exceptional academic and residential resources, Trinity is committed to the intellectual, civic, and professional preparation of its students.
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