Gabriella Webster, member of Chapkin Lab has been offered a position in the Biochemistry Undergraduate Research Program.  Gabriella will participate  in a 10-week summer research program as part of her continued research training  in the Chapkin lab.  “Her research will focus on using super-resolution microscopy to probe the molecular mechanisms by which dietary/microbial bioactives alter protein and lipid nanoclustering in cell membranes.”

Students will have weekly meetings, which allows them to explore research opportunities, discussing research ethics, and learn effective oral and written presentation skills. Financial support will include a stipend of $5500, in addition to living expenses on campus, and some assistance with travel expenses.

Congratulations Gabriella!

On Tuesday, February 19, 2019 Dr. Robert Chapkin was a guest speaker for the Webinar on Pros and Cons of Using Animal Models to Advance Nutrition Research in Relation to Colon Cancer Prevention.  Sponsored By: Division of Cancer Prevention, NCI.

Animal models have been proven useful in understanding the mechanisms underlying cancer prevention in relation to nutritional intervention. However, the differences between animal models and human biology are considerable and therefore, data from preclinical models should be cautiously interpreted. Experts in the field of Nutrition and Cancer  discussed this important topic.

Topics discussed included:

1. Colon cancer models – carcinogen
2. Inflammation biology – inflammatory agents
3. Genetically-engineered models
4. Humanized mouse models
5. Stem cell biology
6. Challenges (thermoneutrality, dietary dose, genetic heterogeneity)
7. Gut microbiome
8. The path forward

On January 17, 2019, Dr. Robert Fuentes, member of the Chapkin lab competed in the Annual College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Trainee Research Symposium.

Promising graduate and postdoctoral students shared with a community of researchers the projects they’ve been conducting during the one-day symposium in the Veterinary & Biomedical Education Complex (VBEC).

The annual Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Research Symposium included platform presentations, flash talks (a three-minute synthesis of a poster presentation) and poster presentations representing a plethora of research areas across all of the CVM departments.

Fuentes was awarded top honors for his abstract titled, “Remodeling of Plasma Membrane Proteolipid Composition by Environmental Chemicals and Membrane-Targeted Dietary Bioactives“ in the following categories:
Flash Talks: First Place
Flash Talks: People’s Choice
Postdoc Poster Presentation: First Place

Confocal z-stack and comparison of confocal vs STED images of Drosophila gut stem cells expressing chimeric (human extracellular, drosophila intracellular) epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) labeled with fluorescently conjugated (Alexa 594) anti-human EGFR antibody (Cetuximab).  The STED technique is compatible with drosophila gut tissue and provides a significant resolution improvement over confocal, allowing the nanoscale determination of protein clustering in vivo.

Image acquired on Leica SP8 Confocal, STED, FLIM system microscope, by Dr. Robert Fuentes (Dr. Chapkin’s group, Nutrition and Food Science) and sample prepared by Dr. Mohamed Mlih (Dr. Karpac’s group, Molecular and Cellular Medicine).

COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Robert Chapkin has been named American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow.

Chapkin is the William W. Allen Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Chronic Disease Prevention at Texas A&M. He is a University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor and University Faculty Fellow in the Program in Integrative Nutrition and Complex Diseases. He is also a Texas A&M AgriLife Senior Faculty Fellow.

Election as an AAAS Fellow in Biological Sciences is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers, according to the association. This year, 416 members have been awarded this honor because of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

Chapkin and other new Fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin, whose colors represent science and engineering, respectively, on Feb. 16 at the 2019 AAAS annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Chapkin is a National Cancer Institute R35 Outstanding Investigator and is co-director of a National Institutes of Health-funded nutrition, biostatistics and bioinformatics training grant.

Chapkin’s expertise is in dietary and botanical modulators related to prevention of cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease. His research centers on colon cancer prevention by investigating the impact of dietary fat, fiber and gut microbiota status on chronic disease processes.

He has received a number of awards for his work, including the Osborne and Mendel Award from the American Society for Nutrition, NASA Space Act Award and Bio Serv Award in Experimental Animal Nutrition from the American Society for Nutrition.

Chapkin also is a member of numerous professional societies and has authored or co-authored more than 270 scientific research publications.

Chapkin earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and biochemistry and a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, and a doctorate in nutrition and physiological chemistry from the University of California, Davis.