September 15, 2018

Secret Science Club presents Biologist and “X-Lab” Director Joao Xavier, Wednesday, September 19, 8PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

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.