Genomic Research Receives EPA Award

Three recent publications by members of the Microarray Research Laboratory (MARL), including Dr. Freshteh Toghrol (MARL founder and director; Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]), Fischell Department of Bioengineering Professor and Chair William Bentley, and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering alumni Wook Chang and David Small, received a Scientific and Technological Achievement Award (STAA) from the EPA's Science Advisory Board. The Board cited Dr. Freshteh for "advancing the Agency's antimicrobial testing program abilities to genomic investigation of microbial pathogens."

The three papers were:

• "Global Transcriptome Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus Response to Hydrogen Peroxide"
• "Toxicogenomic Response of Staphylococcus aureus to Peracetic Acid"
• "The Microarray Analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Reveals Induction of Pyocin in Response to Hydrogen Peroxide"

MARL, located at the Environmental Science Center at Fort Meade, Md., was founded in 2003 by the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs to conduct groundbreaking research in toxicogenomics, a form of analysis that identifies toxic substances by the effect they have on genetic material. The lab's members use DNA microarrays, or gene-chips, to detect the genotoxic effects of various antimicrobials on bacterial cell response. MARL also hosts the DNA Microarray Training and Education Program (DnaMITE), supported by the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and the EPA.

For More Information:

Visit the EPA web site to learn more about the STAA »
Visit the MARL web site »
Visit the DnaMITE web site »
Call Dr. Freshteh Toghrol at (410) 305-2755.

Published May 23, 2008