CHRISTINE JACOBS-WAGNER, YALE UNIVERSITY
The Jacobs-Wagner group studies the temporal and spatial mechanisms involved in bacterial physiology, with emphasis on chromosome dynamics, cell division, cell cycle regulation, cell morphogenesis and RNA biology. Their primary model organisms are Caulobacter crescentus, Escherichia coli and the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi.
PHILIP BENFEY, DUKE UNIVERSITY
The Benfey laboratory addresses the question how cells acquire their identities using a combination of genetics, molecular biology and genomics to identify and characterize the genes that regulate formation of the root in the plant model system, Arabidopsis thaliana.
The Elf lab has developed new methods for probing transcription factor dynamics at the level of single molecule in living cells. The lab is also developing new methods for tracking individual proteins molecules in living cells at ms time resolution.
LUCAS PELKMANS, UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH
The Pelkmans lab operates at the forefront of research in quantitative cell biology, in the study of cell-to-cell variability, as well as in systems approaches based on large- scale genetic perturbations and network biology.
LAURA JOHNSTON, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Dr. Johnston's laboratory investigates the mechanisms used by growing tissues to gauge and regulate the collective and individual fitness of cells, thereby optimizing tissue and animal fitness.
The research in the Nunnari laboratory is devoted to understanding how the behavior of mitochondria is controlled in cells.
ERIC SIGGIA, THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY
Developmental genetics has furnished the parts list for vertebrate development, but it is not remotely possible to reassemble those parts and predict the outcome. Dr. Siggia wishes to quantify the genetic signals that define morphogenesis.
Current activities in the Hwa lab are in the area of quantitative and systemic biology. This is an emerging area of research at the interface of biology, biochemistry, engineering, and physics.
Vaccines have produced one of the largest increases in the age of life expectancy in human history. However massive challenges remain, with 17 million deaths per year due to infectious disease – mostly in the developing-world. Professor Kendall will discuss the particular challenges holding back vaccines within the developing world; together with potential solutions under development.
Michael Specter, Staff Writer for The New Yorker
A personal talk about what scientists owe the public, why they fall short so often, and how the press can do a better job of telling their story.
