The
human body is made of trillions of cells. Inside each cell, it’s as busy as the subway system with a
dismaying array of routes, signals, and ever-moving
parts. Exploring these teeny-tiny living labyrinths is the mission of
modern-day micronauts like Kevin
Gardner.
A
biochemist and biophysicist, Kevin
Gardner has been unlocking the secrets
inside cells for over two decades. As he dives into this microscopic world, he visualizes how all-important cellular
proteins look in three dimensions and studies how they react to different stimuli—all with the goal of learning
how the human body works and finding new cures
for diseases.
At
the next Secret Science Club, Dr. Gardner
asks:
--How do cells—bacteria, plant, and human—sense what is going on in the world around them?
--What role does light play in the world of cells? What are “optogenetic tools”? How
do they turn genes on and off?
--How can understanding a cell’s
reaction to stimuli, such as light and oxygen levels, be used to discover new biotech tools and cancer treatments?
BEFORE & AFTER
--Imbibe
our macroscopic cocktail of the
night, the Inner Space
--Sway
to bio-themed tunes and feel the grooves at the cellular level
--Stick
around for the scintillating Q&A
Kevin Gardner is the Einstein Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the
City College of New York, and he is the Director of the Structural Biology
Initiative at CUNY’s Advanced Science Research Center. Dr. Gardner uses
combinations of structural biology methods, including Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, to probe how cellular proteins perceive and
react to changes in the environments around them. He and his research team have
discovered that a diverse group of proteins use similar mechanisms of
signaling and regulation despite sensing radically different stimuli. His lab
is exploring how these processes can be artificially controlled, leading to the
development of new anti-cancer therapies and research tools.
This
molecular edition of the Secret Science
Club meets Tuesday, January 21,
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 St.
Doors open at 7:30 pm.
Please bring ID: 21+. No cover. Just bring your smart self.
For
more information, contact secretscienceclub@gmail.com
Or visit us on the Web at http://secretscienceclub.blogspot.com
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
