When Antonie van Leeuwenhoek first saw bacteria through a microscope in 1683,
he was amazed—tiny “animalcules” invisible to the naked
eye were all around us. No one had known. Yet they were legion. Centuries on, major microbial
mysteries are still being uncovered and continue to amaze….
At the next Secret Science Club, we dive into the world of one-celled organisms
with modern-day micronaut Joao Xavier.
At his “X Lab,” evolution happens
virtually overnight—and microbes grow faster,
stronger, and stranger.
More than a mere curiosity, the evolution, ecology, and social behavior of these "wee little beasties" could have major implications: One of the microbes
Dr. Xavier studies, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, is considered one of the 10 most dangerous
antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the planet. Knowing how these social microbes evolve, form communities, and “talk” to other cells could lead to new treatments for deadly infections.
Joao
Xavier is a computational biologist, associate faculty member,
and director of the “X Lab” at the Sloan Kettering Institute, the experimental
research arm of Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center. He uses computer
models and experiments to research social
interaction and evolution in disease-causing bacteria, biofilms, the ecological
processes and metagenomics of gut
microbiota, and how cancer cells
interact with noncancerous cells. A recipient of a New Innovator Award from the National
Institutes of Health, he has been a featured scientist in the New York Times, Quanta, and Wired.
Before
& After
--Try our (r)evolutionary
cocktail of the night,
the (Microbial) Resistance
--Wiggle to grooves that wriggle!
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A
This experimental
and “prettily a-moving” edition of the Secret Science Club meets Wednesday, September 19, 8 pm @ the Bell
House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn.
Subway: F or G to 4th Ave; R to 9th Street.
Doors
open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self!
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
