Dr. Julie Theriot Presentation Description: While many activities of bacterial cells can be best understood in terms of biological or chemical concepts such as gene expression or enzyme activity, the physical and mechanical properties of bacteria also determine many of their behaviors. Simple models derived from classical physics have given insight into the mechanisms underlying complex bacterial cell behaviors as diverse as cell size determination, chromosome positioning and segregation, coupling between the rates of membrane growth and cell wall growth, daughter cell separation after division, and protein translocation across the cell wall. Combining perspectives from physics with biology and chemistry allows a richer and fuller understanding of these amazing creatures.; Dr. Lalita Ramakrishnan's Presentation Description: We have developed the zebrafish as model to study tuberculosis pathogenesis. The ability to visualize the events of tuberculosis live in transparent zebrafish larvae have provided insights with immediate clinical implications for TB treatment.
Dr. Nick Lane's Presentation Description: Why do bacteria and archaea look practically indistinguishable, yet differ in fundamental traits including DNA replication and the chemistry of their bounding membranes and walls? Why are eukaryotes so constrained in their metabolic biochemistry, yet so complex in their morphological structures? I shall put forward an explanation for the deep distinctions between the three domains of life, grounded in the requirement for membrane bioenergetics across all life.