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Impact: Dinman's work with viruses may help scientists develop new antiviral drugs for diseases like HIV AIDS. His research also may lead to understanding how genes turn on and off, a process that, when it goes awry, can lead to problems like cancer. (Read about it)
His Research: How viruses "reprogram" the ribosome to reinterpret instructions for protein production; how gene expression is regulated.
The Key Players: The ribosome - a complex molecular machine that produces proteins, which tell our bodies what to do. Messenger RNA (mRNA) tells the ribosome what kind of proteins and how much it should crank out. But, some viral messenger RNAs contain signals that reprogram or fool the ribosome into reinterpreting the information in the Messenger RNA. What happens then? The ribosome ends up making two proteins from one Messenger RNA. This allows the virus to maximize the amount of information contained in its own genome, a handy ploy, given the fact that viral genomes have to be packaged inside exceedingly small packages. Importantly, the frequency of the reinterpretation determines the ratios between the two viral proteins.
Why His Work is Important: "By understanding how these signals work to reprogram the ribosome, we can identify targets and change the frequency with which the mRNA is reinterpreted. We've found that when we change that frequency, it changes the ratio of structural to functional elements, and the viral particle can't assemble properly and basically it's dead. Thus, targeting this process could be a good thing for treating diseases caused by viruses, a real target for antiviral therapy."
On Science: "Science is about describing the natural world. How do you describe what you see? You can't just look at the things that are the same -- you have to describe it in contrast to something else. I study those differences. I begin to define the rules. This is really fun."
On Science Today: "When I started, molecular biology was this voodoo science, only a few people knew it, it was kind of cookbooky. We didn't really know what was going on. The pace of scientific discovery and application is so amazing. I don't know if I'll ever get my flying car, but if our society manages to sustain itself, I'll be excited to see where we are in 50 yrs."
On Teaching at UM: "The students are the ones who shine. I provide the resources and just let them fly. It's the best part of my job. In teaching, I constantly see through new eyes."
How He Got into Science: "When I was a kid, I played in the creek, looked for bugs under rocks, that kind of thing. My dad is a scientist, and I rebelled of course. I got a degree in philosophy and was in the music business after college. But I found it boring, no intellectual stimulation, and I gravitated back to science – back to the creek, asking 'Hey, what's under that rock?' "
On Doing Research: "You study the same thing, but it keeps evolving, the foundation keeps growing and expanding. In the ever expanding structure of knowledge, you understand more and more, and then understand just how little you know. Every day is different. That's what's exciting about it."
When he's not in lab: "I play. With my kids, my family, with the piano to relax. Mainly American jazz standards."
His legacy: "I hope I've established a foundation for a whole new field of research, understanding how gene expression can be regulated and its impact on the quality of life."
Read more about Professor Dinman's research
Ask Dr. Dinman a question — e-mail him at dinman@umd.edu; or Ellen Ternes, eternes@umd.edu.
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