"Work" in Australia?

So what, exactly, are we doing in Australia?  The answer is a little more complex than a deep desire to understand cricket or a scheme to get rich by sneaking gallons of eucalyptus oil back into the US.

My sabbatical work is focused on a biological process known as RNA interference. This phenomenon is now known to occur in microorganisms, plants, animals, and humans, but was only discovered in the late 1990’s through studies with worms. The principle scientists behind this discovery were awarded a Nobel Prize in 2006, and the interest in using RNA interference to combat human disease continues to grow today.

So what is it? RNA interference is a mechanism that allows for gene “silencing”. Normally, messenger RNA is used to translate genetic information encoded in DNA to proteins that actually do the work of the cell. Gene silencing occurs when complementary RNA binds to messenger RNA and causes it to be degraded, preventing the protein from being produced. 

If you are interested and have 4 minutes, this video from NOVA does an excellent job of explaining the biological context and the mechanics of RNAi.

My interest in RNAi stems from working to solve the tricky problem of metabolic disorders in early lactation dairy cows. Despite tons of research on this problem, we still have an estimated 40-50% of dairy cows dealing with at least mild forms of these disorders, which include fatty liver and ketosis. In recent years, many groups (including ours) have published studies documenting changes in gene expression in the liver that correspond with metabolic problems. However, without having the tools to directly alter these processes, there is no way to determine whether these changes are actually contributing to the problem or if they are part of a rescue/survival strategy.  Without more direct evidence about the signals driving the disease process in these animals, our attempts to find a solution are based mostly on guesswork.

In the long-term, my goal is to develop a product that would use RNA interference to alter liver function in dairy cows at the start of lactation to prevent metabolic disorders. Before that can even be attempted, though, a lot of background work is needed. For the coming 5+ months I will be working with an outstanding team of scientists in CSIRO, Australia’s government research agency. This team is based at the high-security Australian Animal Health Laboratory in Geelong, in part because they are working on the use of RNA interference to combat some very serious viruses such as Ebola. My work during this sabbatical will be focused on evaluating different nanoparticles that can help carry small RNA molecules into target cells in the body, a critical and tricky aspect of using RNAi in animals (as opposed to cultured cells). Much to Sarah’s relief, I will not be working with any interesting pathogens. :)

CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory

Day-to-day, right now I am brushing up on some lab skills that have not been used much for the last 5 years, while also picking up lots of minutia that is critical to successfully using new techniques, but is difficult to learn by reading papers.   Hopefully this will lead to good things down the road!

I do need to acknowledge K-State for letting me have this sabbatical and the Fulbright program for helping us to pay the bills so we can be here.  This is an amazing opportunity and we are very thankful for it.

Barry