Discovery grant to support biologist's
deep sea hot worm research

by Neil Thomas

ncyte Genomics Inc. has named University of Delaware marine biologist Craig Cary a joint winner of its $100,000 Discovery Grant for research on a small worm that lives at deep-sea hydrothermal vents in what might be the hottest environment known for any higher organism.

Researchers hope that in understanding how this organism thrives in what might be the most extreme environment on Earth they will be able to understand the molecular mechanisms of certain diseases and then to engineer drugs to treat those diseases.

The award was presented to Cary, associate professor of marine biology and biochemistry in the College of Marine Studies, and to David Shin, a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of John Tainer at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., in August during the Drug Discovery Technology Conference in Boston.

Research being conducted by Cary and Shin focuses on determining the X-ray crystal structure of proteins in order to study macromolecular interactions and catalytic sites of proteins in atomic detail, with the ultimate goal of using that information to engineer drugs to treat disease.

Their joint proposal for the 2001 Discovery Grant focuses on the study of the marine Pompeii worm, Alvinella pompejana, which has adapted to thrive at super-hot hydrothermal vents, to provide a new source of thermostable proteins for crystallization.

Cary and Shin intend to express, purify and solve the structures of A. pompejana proteins involved in DNA repair, cell cycle control and signaling in order to better understand the molecular mechanisms of diseases, such as cancer, where the structures of human proteins cannot always be determined

"Understanding how life thrives in extreme environments is important not only from a basic biochemical and physiological standpoint but is fundamental in our understanding the origins of life itself," Cary said. "The Incyte Discovery Award is an exceptional opportunity to begin the study of understanding how this small polychaete makes a living in what may be the harshest environment on the planet.

"Organisms that thrive in high temperature ecosystems, such as at terrestrial and deep-sea hydrothermal vents, continue to challenge our understanding of the physical and biochemical constraints on the upper temperature limits for life and stimulate new theories on how life originated on this planet and possibly on other planets."

Of the collaborative research project, Cary said, "Being able to work closely with two exceptional scientists as John Tainer and David Shin is a great opportunity to be a part of an exciting partnership where environmental and biomedical research interests are truly integrated."

The Discovery Grant highlights Incyte's Custom Sequencing service, which leverages several of the company's core competencies including library screening, library construction, sequencing and bioinformatics. Grant applications were open to all academic and private sector researchers whose work involves DNA sequencing.

Applications were then reviewed by the Discovery Grant Committee, made up of scientists from Incyte and the genomics community, for content, creativity and proposed use of research findings.

"The Discovery Grant gives scientists a much needed boost by providing access to Incyte's technologies for the acceleration of their genomic discoveries," Roy A. Whitfield, Incyte chief executive officer, said. "We are committed to improving the human condition, and we are pleased that Incyte can act as catalyst for the post-genomics revolution."