Dairy scientist advances field of transgenics and knowledge of growt...( recognition of the tremendous potentia...)

recognition of the tremendous potential of the mammary gland as a bioreactor for the production of pharmaceutical proteins, Drohan says. "Dr. Akers has been an extremely important contributor to the American Red Cross transgenic animal research program. He assisted in the development of DNA constructs, which were put into animals to optimize the expression of proteins in their mammary glands. This led to the successful production of the first transgenic pig in the United States."

Aker's research contributions to the Red Cross program, which began in the late 1980s, continues to influence the current program of isolating additional proteins, establishing herds of transgenic animals, and the commercial production of products," Drohan says. "His contributions and insights into the basic science of transgenic technology and mammary gland development have contributed ... to transgenic research worldwide."

Kris Sejrsen, senior scientist and group leader at the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, reports that Aker's studies with transgenic mice have yielded significant new insight into the involvement of IGF-I and IGF binding proteins in regulation of mammary gland development and function. The results are important not only in the context of dairy science but also in relation to breast cancer."

Akers studies of mammary development and differentiation in the dry period and during lactation have also resulted in interesting new findings concerning the balance between cell proliferation and milk synthesis, Sejrsen says. He reports that Akers was the first to prove that prolactin is essential for normal onset of lactation in ruminants.

"A significant factor in (Akers) success as a scientist is his excellent skills and ingenuity in applying and developing techniques He was the fist to show that iodinated human GH could be used to measure prolactin receptors in cattle. His expertise in applying cell culture techniques is unsurpassed, Sejrsen says, adding
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Contact: R. Michael Akers
rma@vt.edu
540-231-4757
Virginia Tech
8-Aug-2000

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