The SIG Beat

Two Drosophila Interest Groups

BY KRISTINA MCLINDEN, NINDS

For nearly a decade, the Drosophila Neurobiology Interest Group (DNIG) has been serving as a forum and a community for Drosophilists and neuroscientists alike. DNIG—one of the many legacies left by NIMH senior investigator Howard Nash, who passed away in 2011—brings together scientists of different backgrounds to discuss issues related to Drosophila research. The core of this group is the Drosophila Neurobiology Colloquium (DNC), which meets biweekly and features high-quality talks given by NIH scientists and invited speakers. Research using fruit flies is relevant to many models of human health, as over 77 percent of human disease genes are conserved. And powerful genetic tools set Drosophila apart as a model system. DNC talks highlight Drosophila-specific and other genetic techniques. Colloquia are every other Friday at noon in building 40, room 1201/1203. To join the LISTSERV or find a meeting schedule, visit http://sigs.nih.gov/DNIG/Pages/default.aspx or contact Mihaela Serpe at serpemih@mail.nih.gov.

The general Drosophila Interest Group promotes convivial discussion for Drosophila enthusiasts of all backgrounds, interests, and disciplines. This group meets periodically and is open to all members of NIH as well as to scientists from local universities and research institutes. The LISTSERV provides an open community that discusses new findings, resolves research questions, and explores ideas. To join, go to http://sigs.nih.gov/drosophila/Pages/default.aspx. If you are interested in presenting your research or would like more information, contact the group leader, Jim Kennison, at kennisoj@dir6.nichd.nih.gov.

New Geroscience Interest Group

BY BARBARA CIRE, NIA

“Aging underlies everything. If we can understand what’s happening in the aging cell, we will have a key to treating a host of chronic diseases that come with growing older.”

So says Felipe Sierra, director of NIA’s Division of Aging Biology and a moving force behind the new trans-NIH Geroscience Interest Group (GSIG). The goal of the group is to stimulate interest and involvement in the basic science of aging, and it has been launched with the blessing of several institute directors.

The group is sponsoring a seminar on Thursday, March 8: “Targeting Aging to Delay Multiple Chronic Diseases: A New Frontier,” Lipsett Amphitheater (Building 10), 10:15a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Dr. James L. Kirkland, director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.), will discuss cell senescence and other aging topics and expand on his recent Nature article, which described a causal relationship between senescent cells and age-related diseases. Other activities planned for later this year include two more seminars and a workshop on inflammation and age-related diseases. The GSIG also sponsors a journal club that meets monthly.

This research transcends institutes, says Sierra, and may be of broad interest to researchers in many areas. For more information about the GSIG, contact Sierra at sierraf@nia.nih.gov. Look for more information coming soon to http://sigs.nih.gov/geroscience. Join the Geroscience LISTSERV at https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=geroscience-l&A=1.

For a complete SIG list, go to http://www.nih.gov/sigs