Overcoming the Gender Gap: Women Entrepreneurs as Economic Drivers

Examines the gender gap in the number of successful start-ups, its implications for job creation, and misconceptions about and factors behind barriers to women's entrepreneurship. Recommends steps to cultivate high-growth start-ups among women

Positive and negative tissue-specific signaling by a nematode epidermal growth factor receptor

The major determinants of receptor tissue tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling specificity have been proposed to be Src homology 2 (SH2) binding sites, phosphotyrosine-containing oligopeptides in the cytoplasmic domain of the receptor. The Caenorhabditis elegans epidermal growth factor receptor homologue LET-23 has multiple functions during development and has eight potential SH2-binding sites in a region carboxyl terminal to its kinase domain. By analyzing transgenic nematodes for three distinct LET-23 functions, we show that six of eight potential sites function in vivo and that they are required for most, but not all, of LET-23 activity. A single site is necessary and sufficient to promote wild-type fertility. Three other sites activate the RAS pathway and are involved only in viability and vulval differentiation. A fifth site is promiscuous and can mediate all three LET-23 functions. An additional site mediates tissue-specific negative regulation. Putative SH2 binding sites are thus key effectors of both cell-specific and negative regulation in an intact organism. We suggest two distinct mechanisms for tissue-specific RTK-mediated signaling. A positive mechanism would promote RTK function through effectors present only in certain cell types. A negative mechanism would inhibit RTK function through tissue-specific negative regulators

The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur: Are Successful Women Entrepreneurs Different From Men?

Compares characteristics of successful entrepreneurs by gender, including education, motives for becoming entrepreneurs, views on the role of prior experience, the importance of human and social capital, sources of financial capital, and challenges

Putting family business on the radar

Although family business is a driver of the global economy, the field has lagged behind in terms of research interest. With the upcoming November launch of the Erasmus Centre for Family Business (ECFB), however, RSM is aiming for international recognition in the field

Fragment based screens of the -D-phosphohexomutases as an initial step for inhibitor design

Abstract only availableEnzymes in the -D-phosphohexomutases superfamily frequently play a role in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates and glycolipids, critical for bacterial virulence and growth. -D-phosphohexomutases are being increasingly shown to play key roles in microbial infections, including enzymes from several major human pathogens. Successful inhibition of enzymes in the -D-phosphohexomutases superfamily may result in decreased bacterial growth rates, decreased virulence and greater susceptibility to traditional antibiotic treatment. As an initial step toward inhibitor design, we are conducting fragment-based screens of two structurally characterized members of the enzyme superfamily: P. aeruginosa phosphomannomutase/ phosphoglucomutase (PMM/PGM) and S. typhimurium phosphoglucomutase (PGM). Fragment based screening is a relatively new method that has been effectively used in the design of drug-like inhibitors for many systems. Crystals of PMM/PGM and PGM have been soaked with cocktails of small molecules (typical molecular weight 100-300 Da) to determine their sites of interaction with the proteins. X-ray diffraction data will be collected on these soaked crystals and the binding sites analyzed to determine the optimal interactions for effective inhibition.Life Sciences Undergraduate Research Opportunity Progra