Vet School prof receives award

Ralph Brinster, a professor of Reproductive Physiology in the School of Veterinary Medicine, has been awarded the annual March of Dimes Prize for Developmental Biology. Brinster, a co-winner of the prize, was honored for the development of a transgenic mouse. He used new concepts and techniques that he engineered independently to create the possibility of adding or removing small DNA pieces. The change in DNA will result in a new characteristic or a mutation in the animal. According to a statement issued by the Veterinary School, the genes and physiology of mice and humans are remarkably similar. This means that a gene will often behave the same way in the transgenic mouse as it would in a human. Brinster said these sort of advances will unquestionably lead to new discoveries in human biology. "Much of medical research has depended on contributions [such as this] from animal research," he said. Transgenic animals are currently used by scientists to research several functions of genes. They are used to produce models for several human disorders such as birth defects, cancer and heart disease. The animals are also helpful in guiding scientists to the locations of genes that control certain traits. Brinster said he feels that work with transgenic animals provides benefits that cell and culture research does not. "Answers obtained from cells and cultures doesn't necessarily apply to tissue in animals," he explained. During his research career, Brinster has made many other significant contributions to the world of developmental biology. Brinster introduced a number of improvements to existing methods of culturing mouse eggs and embryos in vitro while working on his doctoral dissertation at the Veterinary School. The new system he created formed the backbone for research in this area over the next 30 years. Today, Brinster's culture system is still the most widely used method for manipulating the eggs of mammals. Brinster said he was "surprised, pleased and honored" to be awarded the March of Dimes Prize. "A lot of people have done excellent work in this area, so I was surprised and very pleased to be singled out," he said. The March of Dimes Foundation is a national volunteer health agency whose mission is to improve babies' health by preventing birth defects and reducing infant mortality. The foundation awards annual prizes in a number of scientific field, adding the prize in Developmental Biology just this year.