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May 29 , 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CSU Dominguez Hills to Host “Silencing Genomes” Workshop
Five-day workshop open to college biology educators

(Carson, CA) – California State University, Dominguez Hills is hosting a weeklong “Silencing Genomes” workshop June 1-5, 2009, to bring college educators the latest information about RNA interference (RNAi), a revolutionary discovery in biology with broad implications for biology and medicine that was awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine.

Today's biology students will face the future challenge of unraveling the biological meaning of the millions of genome sequences that are rapidly accumulating in DNA databases. RNAi provides a powerful tool to move directly from DNA sequence to the analysis of gene function in living organisms. The “Silencing Genomes” workshop is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (NSF CCLI) program and offers labs and computer work where participants learn all the techniques and background needed to bring RNAi into lectures and laboratories.

With funding from the NSF, the Dolan DNA Learning Center of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory developed a series of experiments that explores RNAi in the model eukaryotic organism, C. elegans. The curriculum begins with observation of mutant phenotypes and basic worm “husbandry,” then progresses to simple methods to induce RNAi. A more advanced experiment uses “single-worm PCR” to examine the mechanism of RNAi - comparing the DNA of worms with identical phenotypes induced either by RNAi or a gene mutation. The curriculum culminates with open-ended methods that support student projects.

This workshop will be held on the campus of CSU Dominguez Hills and is open to university, college and high school educators. Preference will be given to university/college biology faculty; high school faculty will be accepted if room is available. Applications are online at: http://www.dnalc.org/ddnalc/teacher_training/.
                              
For additional information, contact Dr. John Carvalho, assistant professor of biology at CSU Dominguez Hills, at jcarvalho@csudh.edu.

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About CSU Dominguez Hills -- California State University, Dominguez Hills is a highly diverse, urban university located in the South Bay, primarily serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The university prides itself on its outstanding faculty and friendly, student-centered environment. Known for excellence in teacher education, nursing, psychology, business administration, and digital media arts, new degree programs include computer science, criminal justice, recreation and leisure studies, social work, and communication disorders. On campus is the Home Depot Center, a multi-purpose sports complex that hosts world-class soccer, tennis, track and field, lacrosse, and cycling.

Media Contact:
Amy Bentley-Smith
(310) 243-2455
abentleysmith@csudh.edu

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