A team of researchers at the University of Central Florida is using breakthrough gene-editing technology to develop a new screening tool for Parkinson’s disease, a debilitating degenerative disorder of the nervous system. The technology allows scientists in the lab to “light up” and then monitor a brain protein called alpha-synuclein that has been associated with Parkinson’s.
“Alpha-synuclein is a protein that is normally found in the brain. We all have it,” said Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences doctoral student Levi Adams, one of the lead researchers on the project. “But for some reason, when you have Parkinson’s the levels become abnormal. So, if we can monitor this protein in the cell, we can start to measure what causes it to go up and also what treatments can cause it to go down.”
The team published its findings in the Scientific Reports journal. The National Institutes of Health (5R21NS088923-02 ) funded the work. The researchers believe their work is a crucial step toward identifying new drug therapies for Parkinson’s disease.
Adams is partnering with doctoral student Sambuddha Basu, associate professor and neurosciences researcher, Associate Professor Yoon-Seong Kim, and scientist Subhrangshu Guhathakurta to study Parkinson’s, which affects motor functions caused by a gradual loss of brain cells. There are about 60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s each year in the United States.
They are using CRISPR Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) gene-editing technology. The system is one of research’s fastest growing biomedical techniques that allows scientists to make specific changes in the DNA of plants and animals while not killing cells. The system is becoming instrumental in studying genetically based treatments for diseases including cancer and Parkinson’s.
“It’s the most powerful and widely used gene-editing technique in use because it allows us to change the DNA in living cells,” said Kim, who is also a medical doctor. “The innovation of this method is that it enables us to monitor this gene in real-time without killing the cell. Without the CRISPR Cas-9 method, you would have to extract all the proteins from the cell to measure them, which kills the cell.”
Using the CRISPR technique, the Burnett team edited the alpha-synuclein gene and inserted a luminescent tag made from proteins that causes fireflies to light up. Every time the cell creates the alpha-synuclein protein, the tag gives off a light. That reaction “makes it much easier to measure,” Adams said. “More light means an increased level of alpha-synuclein, which would be considered a diseased state.”
The team found that measuring light was a reliable method to measure alpha-synuclein production.
“If we take one of these modified cells and treat it with a particular drug, if it doesn’t produce light anymore, then this means the drug is a potential treatment for this disease,” Basu said.
With the engineered cells, researchers can screen new and existing drugs to see how they regulate alpha-synuclein level in patients.
“With an easy-to-measure reporter like light production, this will allow us to do high throughput screening, where you can test a large panel of drugs at once,” Guhathakurta said.
With the new technology, the scientists hope to identifying ways to reduce alpha-synuclein production that can possibly prevent Parkinson’s or its progression in patients diagnosed with the disease.
The team said research will focus on what aspects of the alpha-synuclein protein kill neurons during Parkinson’s disease.
UNF Announces New Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement
After an internal search, the University of North Florida has hired Ann McCullen as the new vice president for University Development and Alumni Engagement and executive director of the UNF Foundation. She began her new position May 20.
“I am confident that with Ann’s extensive experience and leadership in development as well as alumni engagement in higher education, she will advance the University to the next level,” said UNF President John Delaney.
McCullen, a San Marco resident, will be responsible for providing vision and leadership to assist the deans and other University leadership in the planning, organizing and implementing of fundraising initiatives, including planned giving, annual giving, alumni engagement, capital and major campaigns, endowments, prospect research, scholarships and development funds. She will also serve as executive director of the Foundation, working closely with the UNF Foundation Board and will be responsible for the supervision of approved Foundation activities.
McCullen joined the University 14 years ago after serving as major gift director for Habitat for Humanity International in Americus, Georgia. She began her work with UNF as the director of development in the College of Arts and Sciences, where she served for four years. During this time, she obtained the University’s largest gift annuity and exceeded annual fundraising goals, averaging $1.5 million per year.
She went on to serve as the assistant vice president of development and campaign director. In this position, McCullen directed the campus-wide $130 million The Power of Transformation Campaign and led eight fundraisers in all five colleges. Between 2013 and 2014, McCullen served as interim vice president of development and executive director of the UNF Foundation. She was later promoted to associate vice president of development and campaign director, securing a $7 million gift to create the Hicks Honors College, the University’s sixth college.
McCullen has been very involved in the community, serving as a mentor in the Association of Fundraising Professionals, First Coast chapter and recently serving on the board of the World Affairs Council, Jacksonville. She also previously served as an evaluation team leader with the Women’s Giving Alliance, The Community Foundation, and as a board member with The Sanctuary on 8th Street for six years.
Gov. Scott Statement on Orlando Shooting Incident
Governor Rick Scott today released the following statement regarding the shooting incident in Orlando.
Governor Scott said, “Over the past year, the Orlando community has been challenged like never before. I have been briefed by our law enforcement officials on this tragic incident and Ann and I are praying for the families who lost loved ones today. I ask all Floridians to pray for the families impacted by this senseless act of violence. I will remain in contact with the Orlando law enforcement community throughout the day as more information is made available.”
Attorney General Bondi and FTC Obtain Final Orders Shutting Down Robocall Scam
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office and the Federal Trade Commission obtained permanent injunctions halting an Orlando-based robocall operation. All Us Marketing LLC, f/k/a Payless Solutions, LLC and affiliated businesses and individuals allegedly bombarded millions of consumers with nationwide robocall campaigns designed to trick consumers into paying up-front for worthless credit card interest rate reduction programs. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the case.
“This massive robocall operation bombarded consumers with millions of unwanted calls and misled victims into purchasing ineffective financial services—but thanks to our joint investigation, this scheme has been permanently shut down,” said Attorney General Bondi. “We look forward to continuing to partner with the FTC to shut down robocall scams targeting Floridians.”
“The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is committed to protecting Floridians’ hard-earned money from all kinds of scams and deception, and we’re proud to have worked with Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office and the Federal Trade Commission to shut down one of these frauds,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam.
Consumers paid between $300-$4,999 for these programs that claimed to substantially reduce credit card interest rates, and save thousands of dollars in a short time. The defendants, however, did not provide the promised interest rate reductions or savings. Additionally, the defendants allegedly used the robocalls to falsely identify themselves as representatives of consumers’ banks or credit card companies, and in some cases, make unauthorized charges to consumers’ credit cards. The defendants also allegedly charged consumers a fee in advance of providing debt relief services and called consumers with telephone numbers registered on the National Do Not Call Registry.
As part of the permanent injunction obtained by Attorney General Bondi’s Office and the FTC, all of the defendants are prohibited from the following:
- Telemarketing;
- Offering debt-relief products and services;
- Misrepresenting financial products and services; and
- Making deceptive or unsubstantiated claims.
The defendants include: All Us Marketing LLC, f/k/a Payless Solutions, LLC; Global Marketing Enterprises Inc., f/k/a Pay Less Solutions Inc.; Global One Financial Services LLC; Your #1 Savings LLC; Ovadaa LLC; Royal Holdings Of America LLC; GRR Financial Services LLC; Auto Guardian USA, LLC, Premier Marketing International, LLC; Gary Rodriguez; Marbel Rodriguez; Carmen Williams; Jonathan Paulino; Fairiborz Fard; Shirin Imani; Alex Serna, Christian Serna, and Kimberly Coarse.
To view the permanent injunctions against the defendants, see below:
- Alex Serna, here;
- Christian Serna, All Us Marketing and GRR, here;
- Coarse, Auto Guardian USA and Premier Marketing International, here;
- Fard, Imani and Global Marketing Enterprises, here;
- Gary Rodriguez and Your #1 Savings, here;
- Marbel Rodriguez and Global One Financial Services, here;
- Paulino and Royal Holdings of America, here; and
- Williams and Ovadaa, here.
Attorney General Bondi’s Office and the FTC filed the case in the Middle District of Florida.
These permanent injunctions are the final actions in the joint efforts of the Attorney General’s Office and the FTC in taking down this massive robocall operation. For more information about the actions halting this operation that bilked millions from consumers across the country, click here.
POWERBALL jackpot swells to estimated $375 million
More Than $27.8 Million Will Go To Education
The POWERBALL® jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is an estimated $375 million; the largest in the nation. In addition to the large POWERBALL jackpot prize, players have the opportunity to win lower-tier prizes from $4 to $2 million by matching any of the non-jackpot-winning combinations. The POWERBALL jackpot has rolled 18 times since the April 5, 2017, drawing and has generated more than $27.8 million in contributions to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF).
Jackpot prizes are paid in 30 annual installments or as a one-time, lump-sum payment. Jackpot prizes must be claimed within 60 days after the draw to receive the cash option of an estimated $235.4 million. Winners have 180 days from the applicable drawing to claim their prize.
As a reminder, players are encouraged to sign the back of their tickets at the time of purchase and keep them in a safe place. Players should also check their tickets carefully because even if they don’t win the jackpot, they can still win cash prizes of up $2 million.
Purchase your tickets at any of the more than 13,000 authorized Lottery retailers for your chance to become Florida’s newest multi-millionaire. The Florida Lottery would like to remind all players to please play responsibly, as it only takes one ticket to win. As with all Lottery products, players must be 18 years of age or older to purchase POWERBALL tickets.
The next POWERBALL drawing will be held Wednesday, June 7, 2017, at 10:59 p.m. ET, tickets must be purchased by 10:00 p.m. ET to be eligible for this drawing. National POWERBALL drawings are broadcast live, in high-definition, from the Florida Lottery’s state of the art draw studio in Tallahassee. Florida Lottery game drawings are broadcast on 17 carrier stations throughout the state.
Senator Bradley's Office Holds Local Office Hours in Baker County
The legislative office of State Senator Rob Bradley (R-Fleming Island) will begin holding its monthly office hours in Baker County this week. Staff representing the Senator will be available to answer questions and provide constituent assistance from 1:00pm – 3:00pm on Tuesday, June 6th at the County Administration Building, located at 55 North 3rd Street, Macclenny, FL 32063.
“Our Senate district is geographically very large, so I want to be sure that people know that they have access to the office and the services we can offer to assist them,” said Senator Bradley. “If residents have issues with a state agency, a legislative request or need information about a state program, then this affords them an opportunity to sit down and discuss the matter with us.”
In addition to local office hours, constituents can obtain assistance on matters relating to state government by contacting the Senator’s office toll free at (888) 347-3483 or emailing [email protected]. Additional contact information for Senator Bradley and his staff is available at www.flsenate.gov.
Florida City and County Management Association Elects New Officers and Board of Directors
At the Florida City and County Management Association’s (FCCMA) 2017 annual conference at the Hilton Orlando this week, the organization elected new officers and members of the Board of Directors. The Association, created in 1946, is the professional association for city, county and some special district managers, and their management team members. FCCMA is an affiliate of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
Outgoing president Bobby Green, City Manager for Auburndale, presided over the conference and recognized those board members completing their respective terms.
Incoming president Jim Hanson, Town Manager for Orange Park, recognized new board members following the election and congratulated them for their time, commitment and leadership. “The lifeblood of any association is its active members; and we are very grateful for the dedicated leadership, vision and hard work of our board of directors,” he said. “I want to thank the new board for volunteering to represent their areas, and for their commitment to leading the Association for 2017-18.”
The following FCCMA members were elected to serve as officers and members of the Board of Directors:
President: James (Jim) Hanson, Town Manager, Orange Park (Clay County)
President-elect: Michael (Mike) Cernech, City Manager, Tamarac (Broward County)
Secretary-Treasurer: Shannon Lewis, Deputy City Manager, Melbourne (Brevard County)
Past President: Robert (Bobby) Green, City Manager, Auburndale (Polk County)
District I Director: Michael Beedie, City Manager, Fort Walton Beach (Okaloosa County)
District II Director: Danielle Judd, City Manager, Green Cove Springs (Clay County)
District III Director: Suzanne Sherman, Assistant City Manager, Satellite Beach (Brevard County)
District IV Director: Lori LaVerriere, City Manager, Boynton Beach (Palm Beach County)
District V Director: Jorge Gonzalez, Village Manager, Bal Harbour Village (Miami-Dade County)
District VI Director: Charles Chapman, County Administrator, Hendry County
District VII Director: Matthew Campbell, Town Manager, Kenneth City (Pinellas County)
District VIII Director: James (Jim) Gleason, City Manager, Mascotte (Lake County)
At-large Director: Mark Cunningham, Assistant County Administrator, Sarasota County
At-large Director: Micah Maxwell, Assistant City Manager, City of Clearwater (Pinellas)
At-large Director: Ryan Leavengood, City Manager, Lake Alfred (Polk County)
FCCMA was formed in 1946 and is an affiliate of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), which awards the designation of Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM). The FCCMA has more than 600 members across Florida. FCCMA is a member-driven, ethical, inclusive organization committed to the council-manager and commission-manager forms of government, dedicated to effective partnerships with elected officials, devoted to the advancement of excellence in professional management of local government in the state of Florida and determined to provide quality of service to its membership and the local governments it serves.
FADMO Statement Regarding Gov. Scott's Call for Special Session
Statement By: Gil Langley, Chairman, Florida
Association of Destination Marketing Organizations
“Florida’s tourism industry is greatly encouraged by today’s announcement that Governor Rick Scott has called the Florida Legislature together for a special session to discuss measures and funding related to tourism promotion.
Restoring VISIT FLORIDA’s funding to $76 million and removing restrictions that hindered operations will not only keep tourists and revenue flowing into Florida, it will preserve the jobs of the 1.4 million Floridians who count on tourism for their paychecks.
We applaud the leadership of Governor Scott, Senate President Joe Negron and Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran and their efforts to ensure Florida’s tourism industry remains a significant driver of Florida’s economy and workforce.
This is an incredibly positive step forward. We look forward to working with legislative leaders in the coming week to bring Florida’s tourism promotion budget back in line with competing states.”
Small Business: Include Workers’ Comp in Special Session
Statement from Bill Herrle, NFIB/Florida Executive Director, on the need to address workers’ compensation reform during special session:
“We’ve asked Governor Scott, President Negron and Speaker Corcoran to include workers’ compensation reform in the special session.
“Jobs are at stake. The Senate and House were very close to an agreement that could have delivered significant savings to the job creators of Florida during session – we owe it to business owners to finish the job now that we have the chance.”
NFIB’s Letter on Special Session
Florida City and County Management Association Announces 2017 Award Recipients
At its annual conference at the Hilton Orlando, the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) presented its 2017 awards to individuals for significant contributions to the management of local government in Florida.
“Every year, FCCMA gathers to honor members who are receiving these awards for their outstanding contributions to the profession and to this association,” said association President Bobby Green. “This is an opportunity to show our respect for each recipient and to thank them for all they do.”
The following individuals were recognized during the 2017 Awards Ceremony:
President’s Award (Given by the president in appreciation for individuals who have unswervingly supported the profession of city and county management)
Wendell Lawther, Ph.D., M.A., Associate Professor of Public Administration, University of Central Florida
Casey Cook, Executive Director of FCCMA and Senior Legislative Advocate, Florida League of Cities; Linda Bridges, Director of Association Services, Florida League of Cities; and Carol Russell, Executive Assistant, Florida League of Cities/FCCMA (joint award)
If You Care, You Do! (Given by the board of directors to an FCCMA member for going above-and-beyond on a project or program)
Micah Maxwell, Assistant City Manager, City of Clearwater
Richard (Dick) Simmons Lifetime Achievement Award (given in memory of a past president who was a 60+ year FCCMA member, to honor an individual who served the profession or the Association in a manner or to a degree that merits such recognition)
David Harden, Retired City Manager, City of Delray Beach & City of Winter Park
Michael J. Roberto Award for Career Development (given in memory of a past president who emphasized mentoring and development of others; nominated by the local government)
Carl S. Harness, Chief Human Services Administrator, Hillsborough County
Award for Career Excellence (given in recognition of an outstanding career in local public management; nominated by the local government)
Joseph W. Yarbrough, City Manager, City of South Daytona
Assistant for Excellence in Leadership (specifically for a deputy or assistant; nominated by the local government)
Roger Reinke, Assistant City Manager, City of Naples
President’s Gavel Plaque (given in recognition of voluntary leadership by the board of directors and membership)
Bobby Green, City Manager, City of Auburndale
Outgoing Executive Board (given in recognition of voluntary leadership by the board of directors and membership)
Michael Pleus, City Manager, City of DeLand
Harold Farmer Scholarship (academic scholarship given in memory of an FCCMA past president; includes stipend to attend the annual conference)
Neysa Herrera Cuello, Graduate Student, Florida Atlantic University (Master of Public Administration)
Raymond C. Sittig Scholarship (given in memory of the long-time FLC executive director, who emphasized advocacy; includes stipend to attend conference)
Desiree Casanova, Graduate Student, Nova Southeastern University (Master of Public Administration)
Emerging Professionals Scholarships (provides conference registration and stipend to future local government managers)
Marsha Noel, Administrative Intern, Orange County Facilities Management Division
Aubrey Phillips, Graduate Student, Florida Gulf Coast University (Master of Public Administration)
Eve Sweeting, Human Resources Analyst/Generalist, Charlotte County
FCCMA was formed in 1946 and is an affiliate of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), which awards the designation of Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM). The FCCMA has more than 600 members across Florida. FCCMA is a member-driven, ethical, inclusive organization committed to the council-manager and commission-manager forms of government, dedicated to effective partnerships with elected officials, devoted to the advancement of excellence in professional management of local government in the state of Florida and determined to provide quality of service to its membership and the local governments it serves.
