While Rice is reforming the budget to meet the fiscal limit imposed by the current economic climate, Rice students are reforming the social impact of Rice's endowments. A group of students from Rice for Peace and Justice have come together to create the Committee on Investor Responsibility Policy, which focuses on the social and environmental impacts of Rice's investments. Richard Treadwell, co...

We describe here simple methods for producing transgenic zebrafish reporter lines using BAC clones. The use of BAC clones facilitates creation of useful transgenics as the large amounts of genomic DNA they contain increase the likelihood that reporter gene expression will be properly regulated. Combined with recent advances in live embryo image analysis, this strategy has the potential to great...

To better understand the influence of cytoskeletal regulation on dendritic cell (DC) function in vivo, the Rho guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Rac1 was selectively inhibited in DCs in transgenic (Tg) mice. Although transgene expression did not interfere with the migratory capacities of DC in vivo, a decreased uptake of fluorescent probes was observed. Interestingly, the absence of full Rac1 f...

Ploidy level affects cell size in many organisms, and ploidy-dependent cell enlargement has been used to breed many useful organisms. However, how polyploidy affects cell size remains unknown. Previous studies have explored changes in transcriptome data caused by polyploidy, but have not been successful. The most naïve theory explaining ploidy-dependent cell enlargement is that increases in gen...

Should growth hormone (GH) transgenic Atlantic salmon escape, there may be the potential for ecological and genetic impacts on wild populations. This study compared the developmental rate and respiratory metabolism of GH transgenic and non-transgenic full sibling Atlantic salmon during early ontogeny; a life history period of intense selection that may provide critical insight into the fitness ...

Transgenic (TG) mice expressing a high copy number of interleukin (IL)-7 cDNA under the control of the major histocomaptability complex (MHC) class II promoter display a 10-20-fold increase in total T cell numbers. Here, we show that the increase in T cell numbers in IL-7 TG mice is most apparent at the level of memory phenotype CD44hi CD122hi CD8+ cells. Based on studies with T cell receptor (...

HIV-1 infection causes depletion and/or dysfunction of distinct CD4(+) T cell subsets and may affect these differently. Using the CD4C/HIV-1(Nef) transgenic (Tg) mice as a model, we report that HIV-1 Nef causes depletion of total CD4(+) T cells, but preserves and relatively enriches CD4(+) regulatory T cells (Treg). We found that Nef-mediated CD4(+) Treg enrichment is the direct result of Nef e...

Cisgenesis is genetic modification to transfer beneficial alleles from crossable species into a recipient plant. The donor genes transferred by cisgenesis are the same as those used in traditional breeding. It can avoid linkage drag, enhance the use of existing gene alleles. This approach combines traditional breeding techniques with modern biotechnology and dramatically speeds up the breeding ...

BACKGROUND OX513A is a genetically engineered strain of Aedes aegypti carrying a repressible, dominantly inherited transgene that confers lethality in immature heterozygous progeny. Released male OX513A adults have proven to be effective for the localised suppression of wild Ae. aegypti, highlighting its potential in vector control. Mating and life-table assessments were used to compare OX513A ...

The functional significance of ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) channels is controversial. In the present study, transgenic mice expressing a mutant Kir6.2, with reduced ATP sensitivity, were used to examine the role of sarcolemmal K(ATP) in normal cardiac function and after an ischemic or metabolic challenge. We found left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) was 15-20% higher in hearts from trans...