November 16, 2001

"3-D Organization of the Genome in Interphase Nuclei of Higher Mammalian Cells"
Andrea Murmann
Department of Medicine
The University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Ms. Murmann is investigating the location of chromosomal territories in the interphase nuclei of the deer Muntiacus muntjak, which serves as a model system with the smallest number of chromosomes known in mammals. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), the basic method to visualize chromosomal territories against three dimensional fixed cell nuclei, every chromosomal territory is marked with a specific fluorescent color. 3-D reconstruction of an entire mammalian genome then can be accomplished by combining laser scanning microscopy and computer imaging analysis

Bio Sketch
During her undergraduate study of biology at the University of Bayreuth, Andrea Murmann also enrolled at Harvard University's Radcliff College (Cambridge) as an undergraduate visiting student and completed an internship at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. After graduate study of biology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, which resulted in a diploma thesis from its Laboratory for Experimental Ecophysiology, she then served as a research assistant in that same laboratory. Following graduate studies in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Lichter in the Department of Complex Genomes at the German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany, Ms. Murmann has been a graduate visiting student at the University of Chicago in Cancer Biology under the shared supervision of Dr. Janet D. Rowley and Dr. Peter Lichter.

Report of SMSI meeting of November 16, 2001
3-D Organization of the Genome in Interphase Nuclei of Higher Mammalian Cells Andrea Murmann
The University of Chicago

Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), the basic method to visualize chromosomal territories against three dimensional fixed cell nuclei, every chromosomal territory is marked with a specific fluorescent color. 3-D reconstruction of an entire mammalian genome then can be accomplished by combining laser scanning microscopy and computer imaging analysis. The second half of the presentation dealt with similar staining with the inhibiting action of latrunculin A on CASP8, the cysteine protease which expresses apoptosis-related action.

Respectfully submitted, Stan Schmidt, Recording Secretary