Volume 41 / Issue 4 December 2017 News & Views Appalachian Branch www.appaalas.org American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 1 contents News & Views Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Officers President:  In every issue Pa(cid:425)y Chen, DVM, DACLAM Vanderbilt University Medical Center  615‐322‐2231 President’s Message 3 pa(cid:425)[email protected]    TBR Corner 20, 24 President– Elect:  Ken Salleng, DVM, DACLAM In the News 9 Vanderbilt University Medical Center  615‐322‐2231 Calendar of Events 3 [email protected]    Past‐President: Facility News 13 Pa(cid:427) Coan, DVM , PhD, DACLAM Two Thumbs Up 18 Secretary/Treasurer:  Dana Gray, RLAT  Puzzle Zone 10, 19 [email protected]   Amazing Science 14 Board of Directors Wes Adams University of Tennessee  865‐974‐6763 In this issue [email protected]   Carlo(cid:425)a Brooks Winter Meeting 16-17 Vanderbilt University Medical Center  615‐322‐2231  Animal Technician Week 5 carlo(cid:425)[email protected]    Colleague Corner 25 Antoine(cid:425)e Cancellaro East Tennessee State University  CDC Intl. Symposium 7 [email protected]    Michael Stonerook, PhD, DVM, DABT Lincoln Memorial University  [email protected]  Membership   Technician Branch Rep.  Donna LeMay, RLAT Individual Membership 22 Vanderbilt University Medical Center  615‐322‐2231 Commercial Membership 23 [email protected]  Webmaster:  Steve Blevins, BS, RLATG Highlands BioMed, LLC  423‐677‐8624   [email protected]    Newsle(cid:425)er Editor: Yolanda Perez, MSA Vanderbilt University Medical Center  (615) 343‐3591 [email protected]  Contact us via email: [email protected] Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 2 President’s Message Happy 2018, everyone!  2018 is going to be a spectacular mee(cid:415)ng, Donna LeMay put together one of the best year. I would like to start by taking this opportunity to branch gi(cid:332) baskets for the AALAS Founda(cid:415)on. The reflect on our Branch highlights in 2017. basket was selected for the live auc(cid:415)on where it brought in $450, a record amount from our basket so far. I Let’s begin by recognizing our 2017 Travel Award wonder how Donna will top this in 2018. winners, Antoine(cid:425)e Cancellaro from ETSU and Karrick Howard from Vanderbilt who a(cid:425)ended the Na(cid:415)onal On a final note, I would like to thank everyone for their AALAS Mee(cid:415)ng in Aus(cid:415)n TX. Then a special shout out to support and hard work on our branch func(cid:415)ons. As Dr. our very own Donna LeMay, who was selected as the Ken Salleng transi(cid:415)ons into the Branch President posi(cid:415)on, 2017 AALAS Technician Branch Award recipient at that I will transi(cid:415)on to a new job in Maryland. Let me now mee(cid:415)ng, where she was na(cid:415)onally recognized for her thank you all so much for the memorable experiences and long commitment and dedica(cid:415)on to our branch. warm friendships that I will take from my (cid:415)me as president. I look forward to catching up with everyone at Other highlights were our exci(cid:415)ng wildlife adventure future na(cid:415)onal mee(cid:415)ngs. talks at the Summer Mee(cid:415)ng at Knoxville and our inspiring Winter Mee(cid:415)ng with the Pet Assisted Therapy Sincerely, Team. In case you didn’t know, at the AALAS Na(cid:415)onal Pa(cid:425)y Chen, AppAALAS President Calendar of Events January 2017 1 New Year’s 15 Mar(cid:415)n Luther King Day 26 Appalachian Branch Winter Mee(cid:415)ng February 2017 14 Valen(cid:415)ne’s Day 19 Thanksgiving 28 Membership Renewal Deadline March 2017 11 Daylight Saving Time 14 Pi Day 17 St. Patrick’s Day Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 3 Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 4 Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 5 Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 6 Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 7 Kevin Cormier Phone: (800) 243-5350 (203) 755-4908 South East Fax: (203) 755-4309 Sales Representative PO Box 369 Naugatuck, CT 06770 [email protected] Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 8 In the News To sleep or not: Researchers explore complex gene(cid:415)c  network behind sleep dura(cid:415)on    By: NIH News Releases;  Published: December 14, 2017  Scien(cid:415)sts have iden(cid:415)fied differences in a group of genes they say might help explain why some people need a lot more sleep — and others less — than most. The study, conducted using fruit fly popula(cid:415)ons bred to model natural varia(cid:415)ons in human sleep pa(cid:425)erns, provides new clues to how genes for sleep dura(cid:415)on are linked to a wide variety of biological processes. Researchers say a be(cid:425)er understanding of these processes could lead to new ways to treat sleep disorders such as insomnia and narcolepsy. Bioengineered Ovaries a Safe Alterna(cid:415)ve to Hormone  Drugs, Rat Study Reveals    By: Elizabeth Doughman; Published: December 20, 2017  Lab‐engineered ovaries may provide a safer, more natural hormone replacement for women, according to new research conducted at the Wake Forest Ins(cid:415)tute for Regenera(cid:415)ve Medicine. Current hormone replacement medica(cid:415)ons, designed to compensate for the loss of female sex hormone produc(cid:415)on that can occur due to surgical removal, menopause, or chemotherapy, aren't recommended for long‐term use because of increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer. Loss of ovarian func(cid:415)on can lead to weight gain, osteoporosis and bone func(cid:415)on, and decreased uterine health. Turning Piglets Into Personalized Avatars for Sick Kids    By: Ed Yong; Published by The Atlan(cid:415)c Daily: December 13, 2017  A team of scien(cid:415)sts wants to accelerate research into a gene(cid:415)c disorder by using CRISPR to copy unique muta(cid:415)ons from affected children into pigs. When Charles Konsitzke and Dhanu Shanmuganayagam met, they were both just trying to get some peace and quiet. They introduced themselves, and discussed their work. Shanmuganayagam said that he ran a facility that rears miniature pigs, which are gene(cid:415)cally engineered to carry muta(cid:415)ons found in human gene(cid:415)c disorders. Scien(cid:415)sts can study the mini‐pigs to be(cid:425)er understand those diseases. Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 9 Puzzle Zone Puzzle Key Page 19 Appalachian Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.appaalas.org 10