Possibility...

Consider the exciting possibilities that are within reach with Simon Hall:

Detecting Cancer Early    The development of bioanalytical tools that would enable oncologists to accurately prescribe critical treatments could improve the quality of life for those undergoing the rigors of chemo- or radiation therapies and surgery. The approaches currently being pursued hold great promise of new tools for the early detection, prognosis, and treatment of cancer.

Scientists in the IU Department of Chemistry are collaborating with researchers at the IU School of Medicine to develop methods for the rapid screening of serum, plasma, and tissue samples. Similar approaches are also being pursued in collaboration with the medical school to identify changes associated with alcoholism and long-term alcohol use.

Eradicating Carrier-Based Diseases    The growing concern over bioterrorism has heightened fears concerning carrier-based diseases such as bubonic plague and even anthrax, the latter of which may be transmitted through insects. Closer to home, growing fears over the West Nile virus has focused attention on the need to understand and eradicate diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.

As this nation’s recent experience with anthrax has shown, developing new techniques to rapidly analyze and identify the exact genetic composition of a bacterium, virus, or other disease-causing microorganism is absolutely essential. The IU Department of Biology is currently working on two ambitious projects:

• Developing a comprehensive approach to determining the molecular biology of body-disease interactions.
• Defining the ecology of infectious diseases in nature.

One such ambitious goal is to develop a “tick chip.” This would be a device to permit the rapid identification of tick species and facilitate the treatment and eradication of tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease.

Understanding Genetic Diseases    The sequencing of the human genome was a landmark event. Yet in many cases we do not know the function of the sequenced genes, or how alteration of a gene may result in the progression of human disease. Without this crucial link, the sequence of a gene itself is of limited value to medical research. To uncover the workings of human genes, scientists are now using model systems such as worms and flies, which grow much more rapidly than mammals. The Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics is providing crucial support for studies on the genomics of a variety of model systems. Research in the College with direct relevance to human health includes:

• Investigating the molecular basis of motor neuron disease.
• Studying the biology of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
• Studying the biology of tissue differentiation.
• Examining the pathology of bacterial infection.