Presenter: Vineet Kumar Mishra

Title: “Role of Peptide Architecture and Composition in Folic Acid Delivery”

Folate is an essential component of many metabolic processes, including the synthesis of nucleoproteins, purines, and pyrimidines, and is a recommended supplement to lower the incidence of various disorders, including neural tube birth defect formation in pregnant females. To meet the requirement of folic acid, several carriers including nanoparticles are developed and studied to overcome folic acid deficiency in vitro and in vivo. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are broadly recognized as efficient non-viral vectors for the internalization of essential macro and micronutrients, therapeutic oligonucleotides, and drugs in the living cells. These peptides can be cationic, amphipathic, or hydrophobic in nature. This study aims to investigate the role of peptide composition and architecture on folic acid delivery efficacies and their immunomodulatory outcomes in the presence of bacteria and virus challenges in vitro. For this purpose, a library of linear and cyclic peptides with cationic (TAT), amphipathic (KALA) and hydrophobic (C105Y) nature was synthesized and conjugated with folic acid. The successful synthesis of linear and cyclic peptides and corresponding conjugates was confirmed by mass spectrometry. CPPs were tested for their cellular uptake, enzymatic stability and bioavailability of folic acid in intestinal cells and macrophages. The results indicate that compared to linear CPPs, cyclic CPPs are better internalized in cells and showed higher bioavailability than folic acid as was demonstrated by the downregulation of folate receptors and by the evaluation of immunomodulatory activities of the conjugates.

Date/Time/Location: Monday, June 24, 12:30 pm, AVC 287N

Everyone is welcome.

A new small group training program will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-5:15 pm with UPEI personal trainer Derek Smith. This ten-class session runs from June 25 to July 16 and August 6 to 14. Note: There are no classes between July 17 and August 5.

Fees:  UPEI students, $65/person; UPEI faculty/staff/retirees, $75/person; all others, $150/person.

To register and pay, please visit the Panther Central desk at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, or log into recreation.upei.ca and click on the fitness programming icon and then on small group training to find the class. Then click on select and follow all the prompts. You are not registered until the system sends you a receipt. Be sure to follow all the prompts. If you have questions about the program or registering, please contact Angela Marchbank at amarchbank@upei.ca   

Everyone is invited to attend a public research presentation by Dr. Shawna Semple, a candidate for a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Biology, Dr. Semple’s talk is entitled “The Impact of Environmental Change on Microbial Responses and Interactions.“ The presentation will take place on Friday, June 21, 2024, at 1:00 pm in the Duffy Science Centre 204.

Dr. Paul Lessard, a candidate for a tenure-track position in the Department of Music, will give a public research presentation entitled “Big Ideas and the Crossover Trajectory: Compositional Philosophy and Practice behind the Music of Paul Alexander Lessard.” The presentation will take place on Monday, June 24, at 1:00 pm in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall (Room 224), Steel Building.

Using excerpts, recordings, and live performances of several of his compositions as examples, composer and performer Paul Alexander Lessard explores his compositional process from its guiding principles of versatility, problem-solving, and performer engagement, along with a discussion of his history and future working with the blending of elements from the vernacular genres of jazz and funk with the art music tradition to create a unique crossover voice.

The No Room for Hate BBQ, planned for today at the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre, is going ahead rain or shine. The campus community is invited to gather at the Chaplaincy Centre from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm for fun and food. If it is raining, the food will be served inside the Centre. Please join us as we celebrate inclusion and hospitality.  

On June 24, 2024, ITSS will begin updating the sign-in page for Robertson Library vendors that utilize the Shibboleth sign-in page. 

When this change is complete, you will be presented with the standard Microsoft sign-in page. You would then enter your complete UPEI email address as the username and your account password. You will then receive the MFA prompt. Note the change from just using your username to using your entire UPEI email address.

This change will occur over 48 hours so some vendors will still present with the current Shibboleth login page after June 24. All vendors that use the Shibboleth sign-in screen should be changed to the new sign-in page by June 26, 2024.

This will primarily impact off-campus users. Users on the campus network, including campus wifi, should not see any of this but should be able to access the products directly without login.

The Library continues to support the "Ezproxy" method of authentication as well, so if you experience a temporary inability to access a Library resource off campus through SSO, you should be able to do so using the appropriate "proxied" link on the library website. Ask Library Staff (in person, by email to reference@upei.ca, or via the Library's Ask Us chat service) for help finding the link you need. For other non-urgent questions, contact librarian Melissa Belvadi, at mbelvadi@upei.ca

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, June 28, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the July 19 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI researcher portal. Information about the researcher portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the researcher portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.

The UPEI Healthy Campus Committee is pleased to announce the upcoming UPEI Staff/Faculty Coffee Break and Wellness Check, scheduled for Friday, June 21, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. Join us at McMillan Hall, W.A. Murphy Student Centre for a positive wellness experience and a break.

Take the opportunity to enjoy a coffee break and engage with various wellness-focused booths including mental health, nutrition, blood pressure testing, glucose testing and more!

Complimentary light refreshments will be provided, and attendees will have a chance to win exciting summer-themed door prizes.

For more information and/or questions, please contact Angela Marchbank, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator at amarchbank@upei.ca

The 2024 Atlantic Learning Exchange (ALE) Conference, titled “The Power of Patients: Safety, Equity, and Engagement,” will bring together national, and regional leaders to foster inspirational and thought-provoking dialogue surrounding the quality and safety of patient and family healthcare. The conference will be held at the Delta Beausejour in Moncton, New Brunswick, on October 22 and 23, 2024.

The conference will include a Showcase and Learning Exchange, where successful applicants will have the opportunity to showcase their work and engage with participants in an interactive learning exchange environment which includes time for questions, simulation, and hands-on demonstration. Attendees will be given ample time over a two-day period to meet with selected applicants and learn all about their new and exciting work.

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: 
The portal to submit applications is now open. Submissions will be accepted until Monday, July 15, 2024, at 5:00 pm AST. For more information about the application process, please refer to the Showcase and Learning Exchange Guidelines.

APPLICANT SELECTIONS: 
Twelve applications (three per Atlantic province) will be selected to receive full support (registration, travel, meals, and accommodations) for the ALE Conference. If a province lacks qualified applicants, slots may be reallocated to other provinces, maintaining the same monetary value. Acceptance notifications will be sent out on Thursday, August 8, 2024.

For more information, contact ALE@hostmanagement.ca
 

Presenter: Vineet Kumar Mishra

Title: “Role of Peptide Architecture and Composition in Folic Acid Delivery”

Folate is an essential component of many metabolic processes, including the synthesis of nucleoproteins, purines, and pyrimidines, and is a recommended supplement to lower the incidence of various disorders, including neural tube birth defect formation in pregnant females. To meet the requirement of folic acid, several carriers including nanoparticles are developed and studied to overcome folic acid deficiency in vitro and in vivo. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are broadly recognized as efficient non-viral vectors for the internalization of essential macro and micronutrients, therapeutic oligonucleotides, and drugs in the living cells. These peptides can be cationic, amphipathic, or hydrophobic in nature. This study aims to investigate the role of peptide composition and architecture on folic acid delivery efficacies and their immunomodulatory outcomes in the presence of bacteria and virus challenges in vitro. For this purpose, a library of linear and cyclic peptides with cationic (TAT), amphipathic (KALA) and hydrophobic (C105Y) nature was synthesized and conjugated with folic acid. The successful synthesis of linear and cyclic peptides and corresponding conjugates was confirmed by mass spectrometry. CPPs were tested for their cellular uptake, enzymatic stability and bioavailability of folic acid in intestinal cells and macrophages. The results indicate that compared to linear CPPs, cyclic CPPs are better internalized in cells and showed higher bioavailability than folic acid as was demonstrated by the downregulation of folate receptors and by the evaluation of immunomodulatory activities of the conjugates.

Date/Time/Location: Monday, June 24, 12:30 pm, AVC 287N

Everyone is welcome.

Dana Hospitality will hold a BBQ today (Thursday, June 20), from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in front of the AVC main doors. This will be the first in what we hope will be a series of weekly BBQs outside of AVC, aimed at providing more food service options on campus during the summer months. For information about this week's menu and pricing, click here. 

A new small group training program will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-5:15 pm with UPEI personal trainer Derek Smith. This ten-class session runs from June 25 to July 16 and August 6 to 14. Note: There are no classes between July 17 and August 5.

Fees:  UPEI students, $65/person; UPEI faculty/staff/retirees, $75/person; all others, $150/person.

To register and pay, please visit the Panther Central desk at the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre, or log into recreation.upei.ca and click on the fitness programming icon and then on small group training to find the class. Then click on select and follow all the prompts. You are not registered until the system sends you a receipt. Be sure to follow all the prompts. If you have questions about the program or registering, please contact Angela Marchbank at amarchbank@upei.ca   

The UPEI Office of Study Abroad & International Partnerships would like to invite any UPEI faculty interested in leading a group of students to an international location for academic credit to fill out an expression of interest (EOI) Google form: https://forms.gle/i4Yj6npV49zUokXb6. The deadline is July 31, 2024.

If your expression of interest is approved by the committee, you will be invited to apply with a formal proposal that will include further details.

The short faculty-led programs are generally held in May, and advertised as Maymester Courses, but courses can run any time of the academic year.

Questions? Contact: studyabroad@upei.ca

Everyone is invited to attend a public research presentation by Dr. Shawna Semple, a candidate for a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Biology, Dr. Semple’s talk is entitled “The Impact of Environmental Change on Microbial Responses and Interactions.“ The presentation will take place on Friday, June 21, 2024, at 1:00 pm in the Duffy Science Centre 204.

Summer is here on PEI, which means higher temperatures and humidex, potential UV index warnings, and an increased risk of developing heat-related illness. 

Whether you're working indoors or outdoors, here are some tips to help prevent heat-related illness:

• Take regular rest breaks in the shade or an air-conditioned space when possible
• Do demanding physical work before 11 am and after 3 pm
• Limit sun exposure, especially when the UV factor is high
• Use sunscreen and lip balm with a minimum 30 sun protection factor (SPF)
• Drink plenty of water before you feel thirsty
• Cover up with light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing made of breathable fabric
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and UV protective eyewear

For more information. visit the Health and Safety Tips page at www.sharepoint.com/upei/hse 

Dr. Paul Lessard, a candidate for a tenure-track position in the Department of Music, will give a public research presentation entitled “Big Ideas and the Crossover Trajectory: Compositional Philosophy and Practice behind the Music of Paul Alexander Lessard.” The presentation will take place on Monday, June 24, at 1:00 pm in the Dr. Steel Recital Hall (Room 224), Steel Building.

Using excerpts, recordings, and live performances of several of his compositions as examples, composer and performer Paul Alexander Lessard explores his compositional process from its guiding principles of versatility, problem-solving, and performer engagement, along with a discussion of his history and future working with the blending of elements from the vernacular genres of jazz and funk with the art music tradition to create a unique crossover voice.

The No Room for Hate BBQ, planned for today at the UPEI Chaplaincy Centre, is going ahead rain or shine. The campus community is invited to gather at the Chaplaincy Centre from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm for fun and food. If it is raining, the food will be served inside the Centre. Please join us as we celebrate inclusion and hospitality.  

The next deadline for submitting biosafety applications, including new applications, renewals, and/or amendments, is Friday, June 28, 2024. These applications will be reviewed at the July 19 meeting.

All research compliance applications, including biosafety application forms, must be submitted through the UPEI researcher portal. Information about the researcher portal, including instructions for using the site, is available at https://www.upei.ca/research-services/forms.

Please contact the Research Compliance Coordinator at researchcompliance@upei.ca if you have any questions about accessing or using the researcher portal, or about the biosafety application, review, and approval process.