NCSU-NSCORT Graduate Research Fellowships
North Carolina State University-NASA Specialized Center of Research and
Training (NCSU-NSCORT) in Gravitational Biology has three graduate research
fellowships available. The NCSU-NSCORT is a consortium of 12 faculty from
North Carolina State University, Kennedy Space Center, Wake Forest
University and Baruch College (City University of New York). The program
offers training in the areas of plant molecular and cellular biology,
biochemistry and physiology. Trainees will interact directly with multiple
project leaders and postdoctoral research associates using state-of-the-art
techniques to study the effects of altered calcium homeostasis on
graviperception, signal transduction and response. Specific areas of
training, with Project Leaders listed parenthetically, include 1) creating
genetic constructs for imaging and manipulating the expression level, tissue
specificity and organelle targeting of calcium-modulating proteins/peptides
in transgenic plants (William Thompson, Dominique Robertson, Ron Sederoff
and Ross Whetten), 2) imaging calcium, protons, calcium-binding proteins
cytoskeletal proteins during gravistimulation and response (Nina Stromgren
Allen, Wendy Boss, Gloria Muday and Edward Tucker), 3) using vibrating probe
and patch clamp techniques to study the movements of ions in response to
gravity (Nina Stromgren Allen and Eric Davies), 4) biochemical studies of
inositol lipid metabolism (Wendy Boss) and auxin transport (Gloria Muday),
5) regulation of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in gravity-stimulated or
microgravity-grown plants (Steven Huber, Joan Huber and Christopher Brown),
and 6) molecular and biochemical studies of cell wall biosynthesis in
gravistimulated pine xylem (Ron Sederoff and Ross Whetten). For more
information contact Dr. Christopher Brown, Associate Director NCSU-NSCORT,
Department of Botany, Box 7612, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
27695-7612; tel (919) 515-2727, fax (919) 515-3436,
(christopher_brown at ncsu.edu). Please contact the NSCORT website at
http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/cals/nscort.
