观看视频 — A University of Utah biochemist whose research has significantly expanded the understanding of human metabolism–chemical processes that synthesize and break down the building blocks of cells–and its relation to disease has received a highly prized honor in the world of science: selection as an investigator with the 霍华德休斯医学院 (HHMI).
HHMI今天宣布 杰瑞德·拉特博士.D.的教授 生物化学 迪·格伦和艾达·史密斯为癌症研究捐赠主席, is among 26 of the nation's top biomedical researchers from 19 institutions nationwide selected as investigators this year. The initiative represents an investment in biomedical research of $153 million over the next five years.
科学发现需要独创性思维和创造力, 每一位被选中的调查人员都表现出了这些品质, HHMI总裁Robert Tijan说. "One of the most important things we can do at HHMI is to continue to support and encourage the best discovery research,Tijan在研究所的新闻发布会上说. “大发娱乐不确定这一点, 但是从这些实验室中产生的想法有一天可能会改变世界, 大发娱乐实现这一目标是大发娱乐的荣幸."
拉特的研究重点是 on metabolism and mitochondria, self-contained units in cells that have crucial roles in metabolism. Metabolic processes break down carbohydrates and fatty acids in order to fuel production of ATP by mitochondria. ATP is the main source of energy for cells and is essential for humans and other animals to live.
“我非常感谢所有为这一切做出贡献的人. 我很幸运在我的实验室里有很棒的同事, 生物化学系很棒的同事们, 在糖尿病和代谢中心以及整个大学,拉特说. 当然，我也非常感谢 霍华德休斯医学院 感谢他们信任我，让我用这个奖做一些有意义的事情. 我致力于实现这一目标."
犹他州本地人, he received his undergraduate degree in molecular biology from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. After completing a fellowship as the Sara and Frank McKnight Independent Fellow of Biochemistry at UT Southwestern, 他回到犹他州，加入了美国大学 医学院 2003年教职工名单. Rutter also serves as co-director of the Diabetes and Metabolism Center at the University of Utah and as co-leader of the Nuclear Control of Cell Growth and Differentiation Program at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
拉特的研究，院长Y. 李米.D., Ph.D., University of Utah Health Sciences chief scientific officer and associate vice-president for research, provides answers to basic questions about mitochondria that have profound implications for cancer, 心脏病和其他与代谢相关的严重健康问题. His work has opened up the field of metabolism research for people to start thinking about therapies.
“他出生在犹他州，回到大发娱乐从事科学研究，”李说. "He's not only making important discoveries to understand metabolic-related diseases but also has founded a company developing drugs to treat those diseases–and he's doing it here in Utah."
拉特被生物学上探索最少的领域所吸引, 自2003年启动他的研究项目以来, he has turned up answers to mysteries scientists have been trying to solve for decades.
他的研究发现了两种蛋白质, Mpc1和Mpc2, that play a pivotal role in producing ATP from carbohydrates but also cause a potentially fatal neuromuscular disease. 这一发现, 基于对酵母的研究, fruit flies and DNA from family members of people with the unnamed neuromuscular disease, 当Mpc1和Mpc2被消除或突变时, ATP不能有效地产生，会引起严重的健康问题. In addition to discovering the important role that the two proteins have in converting carbohydrates into energy, 这项研究, 这项研究是与犹他大学人类遗传学教授Carl Thummel合作完成的, Ph.D., laid the groundwork for further research into understanding metabolic defects in cancer and heart disease.
在去年的一项相关研究中, the Rutter laboratory described a significant discovery regarding the Warburg effect– changes in cancer cell metabolism that enable the disease to rapidly spread. They found that cancer selects against a protein complex comprised of the Mpc1和Mpc2 proteins called the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC), and that reintroduction of MPC into colon cancer cells impairs properties of the cancer, 包括经济增长. The research suggests that changes in the way cellular fuel is used is an important driver of colon cancer and probably other cancers as well. Understanding the Warburg effect has been of intense interest in recent years because of the potential to translate those discoveries into new cancer therapeutics.
也是在去年, Rutter and two research colleagues discovered in a study with rodents that an enzyme involved in intracellular signaling, 帕斯克, 对促进代谢综合征有重要作用吗, 一组增加患心脏病风险的情况, 糖尿病和中风. 这是拉特在2009年联合创立的一家衍生公司, BioEnergenix, is now developing a drug to fight metabolic syndrome and he hopes it will go into human clinical trials in a couple of years.
当一名大学教员成为HHMI调查员, HHMI takes over the payment of the faculty member's salary and gives him or her an operations budget for personnel, 用品和设备. 此外，调查人员可以向卫生与健康服务部提交申请，为主要设备大发娱乐提供资金. 卫生与健康研究所的调查人员继续在他们的家乡机构工作, 通常是带领一个学生研究小组, 博士后助理和技术人员. They also become Institute employees and are supported by field staff throughout the country.
Rutter was selected as an investigator from a group of 894 eligible applicants nationwide. He plans to use his HHMI funding to continue researching metabolism and its relations to cancer, 糖尿病和其他疾病. He joins three other U of U current faculty who also are HHMI investigators: Nobel laureate in medicine Mario R. 现年,Ph值.D., distinguished professor of human genetics and biology; Bradley R Cairns, Ph.D., professor and chair of oncological sciences and Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator; and Erik M. 约根森,Ph值.D.生物学教授.
Baldomero米. 奥利维拉,Ph值.D., 犹他大学杰出的生物学教授, 是HHMI教授吗, an honor given to researchers in recognition of their excellence in research and undergraduate teaching, HHMI教授奖支持本科阶段的创新科学教育.
霍华德·休斯医学研究所
霍华德·休斯医学研究所 is committed to advancing basic biomedical research and science education for the benefit of humanity. 它的科学家, 位于全国各地和世界各地, 做出了重要的发现，推进了大发娱乐对生物学的基本理解. 在Ashburn的HHMI Janelia研究校园的一个补充项目中, 维吉尼亚州, 顶尖科学家追求的是长期, 高风险, high-reward research in a campus designed to bring together researchers from disparate disciplines. 该研究所还旨在将科学教育转变为创造性的教育, 跨学科的努力，反映了真正的研究的兴奋. 欲了解更多信息，请访问 www.霍华德·休斯医学研究所.org.
2014财政年度, 研训所支付了9.19亿美元, including $706 million for biomedical research and $77 million in support of science education. 在2014财年结束时，该研究所的捐赠额约为18美元.60亿年. HHMI的总部位于马里兰州的切维蔡斯，就在华盛顿特区外.C.