September 1 is the deadline for submitting requests for support for new scientific and educational activities at NIMBioS beginning spring 2012. All areas of research at the interface of biology and mathematics will be considered, but we are especially interested in activities expanding beyond the areas of research supported to date. Potential organizers of activities in areas of molecular biology, cell biology, network biology, immunology and systems biology are particularly encouraged to submit requests for support for Working Groups or Investigative Workshops. Application guidelines for NIMBioS support for Working Groups, Investigative Workshops, Postdoctoral Fellows, Sabbaticals, and Short-term Visitors can be found on our website. Following the September evaluation period, there will be another separate call for postdoctoral fellow requests, due December 11. NIMBioS, located at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, is an NSF-sponsored initiative to foster interdisciplinary research at the interface between mathematical and biological sciences. The institute's mission is to cultivate cross-disciplinary approaches in mathematical biology and to develop a cadre of researchers who address fundamental and applied biological problems in creative ways. Other NIMBIoS sponsors include DHS and USDA, with additional support from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Click here for a flyer describing support for working groups and investigative workshops. Click here for a flyer describing support for postdoctoral fellowships.

Protease inhibitor drugs are one of the major weapons in the fight against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but their effectiveness is limited as the virus mutates and develops resistance to the drugs over time. Now a new tool has been developed to help predict the location of the mutations that lead to drug resistance. In a new study, published in the journal BMC Structural Biology, NIMBioS Postdoctoral Fellow Yi Mao used a mathematical modeling technique called elastic network modeling to examine the physical properties and interactions of the proteins. The model reveals where mutations are occurring during the evolution of the HIV-virus proteins and how these mutations help the virus survive. Click here for the rest of the story. Citation: Mao Y. 2011. Dynamical Basis for Drug Resistance of HIV-1 Protease. BMC Structural Biology. First published 8 July 2011.