Upcoming talk: Janneke Balk

Think fighting world hunger is just about the calories? Think iron deficiency is not the most important cause of global malnutrition? Think molecular biology won’t help feed the planet? Think again. Please join us for a very special talk and learn the truth about iron biogenesis.

Who: Dr. Janneke Balk, University of Cambridge
Title: Unraveling the biogenesis of Fe-S and Moco enzymes
Date: Monday, March 22, 2010
Time: TBC
Venue: TBC
Host: Wiebke Tapken, Biology

Many of life’s biochemical processes are catalysed by metal cofactors. Organisms have developed elaborate molecular machinery to acquire the metals, transport them safely and insert them correctly into proteins. The genes involved in metal cofactor assembly are generally highly conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, but compartmentalization adds an extra layer of complexity in eukaryotes. Our studies on iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster assembly in yeast and plants show that the mitochondria play a pivotal role in the biogenesis of cytosolic and nuclear Fe-S cofactors. The mitochondrial cysteine desulfurase, as well as an ABC transporter across the inner mitochondrial membrane are required for this process. Interestingly, the same ABC transporter also plays a role in the assembly of molybdenum cofactor (Moco), both in plants and mammals. Immuno-localization in Arabidopsis showed that the first step of Moco assembly takes place in the mitochondrial matrix, and not in the cytosol as previously thought.

Janneke Balk is a Royal Society Research Fellow in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge. Read more about her research interests here. Please contact Wiebke if you would like to meet with Dr. Balk during her visit to CSU.

Eugenie Scott: not over after Dover

Think evolution is “just a theory”? Think intelligent design is science and not a religious argument? Think teaching ID along with evolution in the life science classroom is harmless? Think again. Please join us for a very special talk and learn the truth about intelligent design.

Who: Dr. Eugenie Scott, National Center for Science Education
Title: Not over after Dover: what we learned from Kitzmiller v. Dover
Date: Monday, January 25, 2010
Time: 3:00PM – 4:00PM, discussion panel and reception afterward
Venue: East Ballroom, Lory Student Center
Host: Jeric Harper, Biology

The 2005 Kitzmiller v Dover trial was a test of the constitutionality of teaching intelligent design – and ID failed. In response, the creationist movement has evolved new strategies calling for teaching the “strengths and weaknesses of evolution” or the “critical analysis of evolution”, but these turn out to be creationism in disguise. Dr. Scott will discuss the Kitzmiller trial and its aftermath. This presentation for the Colloquium in the Life Sciences is sponsored by ASCSU and is open to the public. Please contact Jeric if you would like to meet with Dr. Scott during her visit to CSU.

Eugenie Scott is the executive director of NCSE, the premier institution dedicated to keeping evolution in the classroom. Check out their Facebook page, or follow their good fight on Twitter.

Upcoming talk: Anthony Cognato

Think humans pose the only threat to our future forests? Think one insect is much like another? Think beetles are harmless? Think again. Please join us for a very special seminar and learn the truth about pine beetles.

Who: Dr. Anthony Cognato,  Michigan State University
Title: Recent advances in the knowledge of bark beetle systematics
Date: Monday, October 26, 2009
Time: Mixer at 3:30 PM, talk at 4:00 PM
Venue: Room 109, Natural Resources Building [map]
Host: Shiloh McCollum, BSPM

In addition to being an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology at MSU, Anthony Cognato is also the Director of the AJ Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Read more about his research interests here. Please contact Shiloh if you would like to meet with Dr. Cognato during his visit to CSU.

Speaker nominations are now closed

Thank you all for your speaker nominations for The Colloquium in the Life Sciences. We have received a total of ten nominations, in such diverse fields as biodiversity, climate change, cancer, evolutionary theory, and genome science! Good going, guys! We could never have done it without you! Keep checking this very webpage for updates – the seminar schedule will be announced very soon!

Help The Colloquium bring speakers to CSU

Genetic engineering. The environmental crisis. Nature vs. nurture. Nanomedicine. Designer babies. Biofuels. The organic movement. Extinction. Synthetic biology. Carbon credits. Emergent diseases. Functional food. Human evolution.

We here at The Colloquium in the Life Sciences are very excited about our schedule for the new year. The Colloquium provides an opportunity to connect with some of the biggest thinkers in life science research today. So don’t get left out: nominate your favourite speaker for our upcoming seminar series!

This year’s theme is: learn the truth. This exciting new series of talks will shatter stereotypes and set straight some of the public misconceptions about science. We are looking for dynamic speakers, scientists, teachers, philosophers, researchers, journalists, authors and policymakers from all areas of life science.

If you would like to participate in this year’s events, simply click on the tab above labeled Speaker Nomination for all you need to know about getting your favourite speaker to CSU.

We also now have a Twitter feed up and running. Follow us to receive seminar reminders, links to speaker profiles and for the latest news on Colloquium activities!

As always, feel free to email us with any questions or suggestions you may have.

Join the conversation. Get involved.

The Colloquium comes to WordPress

Welcome to the new online home of the Colloquium in the Life Sciences. It’s going to take us a while to get everything up and running, but we’re really looking forward to a successful new year!