Oregon daily emerald., March 31, 1982, Page 16, Image 16

Their research has a big impact, small identity crisis
By Charlene Bell
OfttwEawraM
Applied science research, such as engineering, is a
bit easier for most people to understand than the
research that goes on at the University's Institue of
Molecular Biology.
The institute suffers a small identity crisis because
people aren’t really sure what kind of research goes on,
says director Brian Matthews, a biology professor at the
University.
The institute is the only one in the Northwest and is •
among a handful of institutions around the nation that
work in molecular biology by combining research in the
departments of physics, biology and chemistry
The institute was founded in 1958 by University
biology professors Frank Stahl, Aaron Novick and
George Streisinger, in order to bring an interdisciplin
ary approach to research in the field of molecular
biology.
Now, 24 years after its inception, all three still teach
at the University and conduct research at the institute
The institute has expanded to include nine other faculty
members working with research assistants and
Now the insti
t u t e * s
members are
concerned
with the gene
tic regulation
information
that cues the
body to make
hair instead of
fingernails in a
human being.
post-doctoral students in the labs
The institute focuses its research to obtain an
understanding of how living organisms work and inter
ract amony themselves They begin by studying the
organisms at die most basic level
In the beginning, research grants were used by the
intitute's first director, Novick, to study how genetic
expression is regulated or controlled in bacteria, while
pioneer members’ Streisinger and Stahl studied muta
tion and recombination in bacterial viruses
Since the institute's founding, Stahl, Novick, and
Streisinger, have.made significant contributions in
areas of DNA research
According to Matthews, the now famous "Mesel
son-Stahl experiment" of the late 1950's clarified many
questions about genetic information transferring her
editary traits from parents to offspring
Now the institute's members are concerned with
the genetic regulation information that cues the body to
make hair instead of fingernails in a human being The
work of chemistry professor Peter Von Hippei, and the
husband-wife team of biology professors Karen and
George Sprague are presently researching this genetic
process
The research is using the desirable functions of
one organism and incorporating them into another so a
blend of desirable properties is achieved This idea is
being put to use on a small scale in some research labs
to produce a strain of bacteria that manufactures
insulin. Such a step would eliminate the use of pigs or
other animals to obtain insulin for diabetics
Scientists are also considering the development of
a special grain with a bacteria that manufactures its
own fertilizer for possible use in agriculture of Third
World nations
A new industry also has evolved from the work of
labs like the ones at the University's institute Genetic
engineering, a space-age offshoot of molecular
biology, is employing many graduates of molecular
bioiogy institutes, as well as producing breakthroughs
in areas such as medicine.
Institute members are recruited from across the
nation as well as locally if their areas of interest in
molecular biology coordinate with research being
conducted at the University's institute
Undergraduate students are employed in work
study positions as lab technicians or secretaries but
Aaron Nowick
only graduate students work directly with faculty
members on research projects
Graduate students entering the institute spend
each term in a different lab At the end of the year the
grad student chooses a lab to continue working in
Matthews says the purpose of this process is two-fold, it
gives the grad students an opportunity to learn of
research being conducted in all the labs as well as
allowing faculty members to meet the students
The institute operates on an annual budget of $2 8
million. Federal research grants from organizations
such as the National Institute of Health and the National
Science Foundation provide the research funding,
which includes lab supplies, lab technicians' salaries,
post-doctoral student fellowships and money for faculty
summer salaries
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