In the course of her project in one of the Oxford labs this year Jay was working with a team who are isolating DNA from Campylobacter samples (she will probably tell me I've got this wrong tomorrow) and sequencing it. She got to work for 6 weeks in the lab on her own allocation of data samples and one of them yielded up an allele that turned out not to have been previously been recorded once it was checked against the national database.
Therefore her name is recorded for posterity as the 'Sender' of Allele 249 and if anyone uses the data in a published research paper she will get a mention.
OK so it's a long way from here to the Nobel Prize but we are proud of our very own family allele Wergh!
Incidentally, I does notice the name medawar in the Curator's email address. Presumably this a reference to Sir Peter Medawar, joint Nobel prizewinner for Medicine in 1960. He died quite some time ago.Hearty congratulations to my BRILLIANT god-daughter I shall claim some reflected glory here!! Seriously, well done Jay!! Sweet! Name in print, nice mile stone in research there. Most excellent, many congrats, to offspring and beaming parent alike.
I haven't had much opportunity to think about bacteria lately, but I've taken a 'stab' at appreciating this result [nerd pun intended.].
If my memory doesn't fail me, the AspA variants have limitations in amino acid catabolism in lowered oxygen environment, yes?I ated another crayon after that, but WD Jay anyway. I can't understand what an allele is but I will take Oxfords word for it that if it is important enough to attach someone's name to it then it must be An Important Thing.
Very Well done to J who is now famous forever. Thanks everyone You are all so nice!
the AspA variants have limitations in amino acid catabolism in lowered oxygen environment, yes?
Jay's face went completely blank when asked this question and then she managed a doubtful 'I think so'. (apparently the alleles she has been using are not phenotypic variants but just variations at the nucleotide level used for typing.) If that makes sense.
Very Well done to J who is now famous forever.
No royalties for alleles The folks in charge of such matters wish to type the strains by sequencing the more variable regions, to allow for as rapid identification of a source of contamination as possible in a food poisoning outbreak. So they are less interested in phenotype differences, and just after ANY differences. The more variants identified, the better the handle on identifying the very nasty bugs and chasing them to their source.
Makes perfect sense.
Tell Jay thanks for the added info. It was educational.Well done DP/Jay. I hope that Clyde has been told!
RonThat's absolutely wonderful! I'm sorry I missed the news when I was gone. Many congratulations to Jay, I'm so pleased for her!
(and how cool is that, to have your name on an allele forever!!!)Next Page...
You are all so nice!