Stanford bio-X Frontiers in Interdisciplinary Biosciences Seminar

YI ZHANG, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

The neuronal heterogeneity and complex connections of the brain reward system prevented a deeper understanding of the drug addiction mechanisms. The study Dr. Zhang will present provides a broadly applicable strategy for understanding the molecular, cellular and circuitry mechanism of drug addiction and other psychiatric diseases.

Frontiers in Quantitative Biology Seminar

SOPHIE HELAINE, HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Salmonella is the causative agent of various diseases, ranging from gastro-enteritis to typhoid fever. We have recently discovered that upon infection of host cells, there is a dramatic increase in the proportion of the Salmonella population that forms persisters. A family of genes, named Toxin/Antitoxin modules, is known to be involved in the formation of persisters in a non-pathogenic bacterial species, but almost nothing is known about these genes in pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella. The Helaine lab investigates their function, particularly in relation to persistence of Salmonellato antibiotics during infection. Understanding mechanisms of action of such genes could provide ways to prevent bacteria from becoming persisters, or force them out of that state so they become re-sensitised to antibiotics.

The Stanford Bio-X Leadership Council is pleased to announce the 17th annual competition for Stanford Bio-X Graduate Student Fellowships and for the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Stanford ChEM-H Fellowships.

Complete applications must be received by February 24, 2020 at 5:00 pm PST.

Frontiers in Quantitative Biology Seminar

ANNA-KATERINA HADJANTONAKIS, MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER

Cancer is a condition promoted by cells undergoing an identity crisis. An understanding of how cells control their identity (cell fate specification), and how they organize themselves into normal tissues (morphogenesis) provides the blueprint for the fundamental biological processes that become deregulated in cancer. The Hadjantonakis laboratory uses high-resolution quantitative methods to investigate the mechanisms underlying stem cell specification, cellular differentiation, tissue organization and growth. They use the mammalian embryo as a platform, and the mouse as a primary model system. They also exploit in vitro cultured stem cells, including pluripotent stem cells, for their studies.