Congratulations for having your figure on the cover of the October issue and being chosen as “Editor’s pick!”

PLCβ2 Promotes VEGF-Induced Vascular Permeability
Kathryn N. Phoenix, Zhichao Yue, Lixia Yue, Chunxia G. Cronin, Bruce T. Liang, Luke H. Hoeppner and Kevin P. Claffey
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2022 | Volume 42, Issue 10: 1229–1241, originally published July 21, 2022,
https://doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA.122.317645

The Biodiversity and Conservation Genomics Center (https://genomics.institute.uconn.edu/biodiversity/) within the Institute for Systems Genomics provides undergraduate and graduate level training through partnerships among UConn CLAS departments – EEB, MCB, and MARN.  Undergraduates participate in a one year program that will sequence, assemble, and annotate an IUCN red-list species with partial support from Oxford Nanopore.  The students will continue their study at the population level, working directly with practitioners to bridge the conservation genomics gap.

Graduate students and Postdocs in participating labs provide hands-on training and participate in the development of the first conservation genomics seminar.  In partnership with the Computational Biology Core within the ISG, faculty and students are developing reproducible workflows for genome assembly/annotation, variant detection, and population genetics/landscape genetics.

Together, we are developing expertise within UConn, and partnerships outside of UConn, to support education, research, and outreach in conservation genomics across disparate disciplines.

Dear Members of the UConn Institute for Systems Genomics Community,

I am very pleased to announce the reappointment of Rachel O’Neill as director of the Institute for Systems Genomics for a second term of five years, effective August 23, 2022.

This renewal recognizes Dr. O’Neill’s outstanding leadership as the director of the institute since 2017. An overarching highlight during her tenure is the development of a growing critical mass in genomics, solidifying UConn as a top institution in this field. This activity cuts across a number of areas, including a research portfolio of $256 million in active grant awards in fiscal year 2022 alone; growth in the number of affiliations in terms of faculty, UConn units, and industry partners; expansion of academic programs; and increasing the user base and revenue return for core facilities. Additionally, ISG was a leading force behind UConn’s COVID surveillance program, which has been credited with supporting the University’s ability to respond proactively and quickly to potential outbreaks and minimize disruption in the academic experience.

The review process works best when it is collaborative and comprehensive. I am grateful to all of the faculty, administrators, and other key partners of the center who shared your feedback on Dr. O’Neill’s leadership. There were several common themes regarding her leadership, including her ability to build networks and facilitate collaborations, her development and promotion of a compelling vision for ISG, exceptional skill in organizational and operational management, and her effective communications across all internal and external contexts.

I also want to thank the review committee for their thoughtful oversight of this process. The committee was chaired by Steven Suib, Director of the Institute of Materials Science and Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and included the following members: Adam Adler, Director of the Biomedical Science Ph.D. Program Immunology Concentration; Judy Brown, Director of the Health Care Genetics Professional Science Master’s Degree Program; Steven Geary, Professor and Department Head of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science; Stephanie Holden, Administrative Program Coordinator of the Institute for Systems Genomics; Amy Howell, Professor of Chemistry; and Barbara Mellone, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology. Alexis Cassan, Executive Assistant to the Provost and Chief of Staff, managed administration of the committee.

In sum, Dr. O’Neill is a focused and driven leader who is committed to positioning UConn as a top-tier institution in genomics. She has propelled ISG forward in a number of ways already in her tenure and I trust she will continue to make significant strides as her appointment continues. Please join me in congratulating Dr. O’Neill on her reappointment and thanking her for her dedication and hard work on behalf of the Institute.

Sincerely,
Anne

Anne D’Alleva
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

The University of Connecticut Genetic Counseling Master of Science Degree in Genetic Counseling is an online professional master’s degree with new program accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling Programs. Follow the link to the Program website to learn more about how the faculty and clinical partners apply a systems approach to training for next generation’s translators of health.

The Genome Ambassador Program (GAP) kicked off the Spring 2022 semester with a new virtual seminar series “Exploring Topics in Diversity, Advocacy, and Genetics” hosted by students and open to anyone interested in the topic of the week. Martin Kellogg Middle School students will be hosted by GAP members on April 1, 2022 in the ISG/CGI facilities. The 7^th graders will trace traits in “make a monster” and “how picky is your pallet “activities, learn karyotyping, make a DNA necklace, and tour the CGI Next Generation sequencing lab. The GAP membership continues its weekly educational outreach on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter platforms. GAP members inclusive of alumni, faculty, graduates, and undergraduate students encourage you to join them in support of the Program’s mission to advance the genetic and genomic literacy of our community as a public education initiative and advocating for increased diversity of persons who pursue education and careers in the genetic sciences.  

The Cores within the ISG continue to ensure staff follow local, federal, University and CDC guidelines for physical distancing while efficiently meet the needs of those who require our genomics services.

CGI: The CGI has spent the last several months tackling our queue for services. We continue to accept new projects; note that disruptions to supply chains from various vendors impact our workflows. We will make every effort to let PIs know the most accurate timeline for sample processing and when interruptions to service occur. We appreciate your patience as we navigate the supply issues faced by facilities nation-wide.

What does this mean for CGI users who have been approved to return to campus for work in the laboratory?

• Eurofins Sanger submission daily pick up is now available using the dropbox in ESB.  If you prefer sending samples out directly from your lab, you can request shipping labels and/or envelopes from the CGI.
• Sample pick up from UConn Health sites will continue to be offered as needed. Please contact Bo Reese for more information on delivery options.
• In-person training for Illumina MiSeq, located in the Cell and Genome Sciences building at 400 Farmington Avenue, will be offered as needed.  
• Training for and access to CGI lab equipment, including sequencers, located in the Engineering and Science building at Storrs, is suspended until we are afforded increased personnel capacity in the facility, as per university and state guidelines.  If you require the use of one of our pieces of equipment, please contact us to arrange for processing.

In addition to following physical distancing guidelines, CGI staff will only be working in the lab to process samples and maintain critical equipment. Sample drop off for approved research must be coordinated ahead of time to ensure someone is on site and available to receive samples. As a result of these new safety measures and staffing protocols, turnaround time for data delivery of newly submitted samples will be communicated on a user-by-user basis.

Computational Biology Core:  To support the dramatic increase in computational needs among our users, the CBC continues to hold consultations/appointments via Webex or Zoom. In person meetings are available upon request. Please contact cbcsupport@uconn.edu to continue to request software installs, server accounts, consultations, or new projects.

We continue to support your computational needs and provide community support through our Slack channel, which is monitored daily: uconn-cbc.slack.com

The CBC continues to hold data therapy sessions and workshops in a virtual format. We encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions about future experiments and how best to plan for sample submission and project completion. We would also like to thank you for your support and understanding while we navigate through this unprecedented time.

Warm Regards,
Bo, Rachel and Jill

UConn Established as Center of Excellence for Wastewater-based COVID-19 Surveillance

Watch on NBC Connecticut:
UConn Recognized For Its Work Studying Covid-19 in Wastewater

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ON DEMAND RECORDING OF THIS LECTURE

The ISG’s newest certificate program is now accepting applications for Spring 2022 enrollment!

Systems Genomics: Clinical Communication and Counseling Online Graduate Certificate is a 12-credit asynchronous online program consisting of four courses designed to provide foundational concepts of counseling and health communication theories. Concepts of counseling are applied in varied formats toward creating effective provider-patient or advocate-consumer communication. 

Skill development will focus on supporting health care discussions and conversations requiring the tactful and effective explanation of genetic and genomic information to patients, their families, and consumers. This certificate program is designed for anyone practicing or working towards practicing in a healthcare field, who wants to improve work performance and/or for professional advancement.

Click here to visit the program’s website.