MBL Public Events

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Woods Hole Immunoparasitology Conference 2024

Event Type: Conferences. Sunday, April 21, 2024 – Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Swope Center 5 North Street Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.eventsquid.com.

Analytical and Quantitative Light Microscopy Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Analytical and Quantitative Light Microscopy course runs April 24 – May 3, 2024 Directors: Peter Kner, University of Georgia; and Alexa Mattheyses, University of Alabama, Birmingham A comprehensive and intensive course in light microscopy for researchers in biology, medicine, and material sciences. This course provides a systematic and in-depth examination of the theory of image formation and application of video and digital methods for exploring subtle interactions between light and the specimen. This course emphasizes the quantitative issues that are critical to the proper interpretation of images obtained with modern wide-field and confocal microscopes. Event Type: Courses. Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

Northeast Society for Developmental Biology

Event Type: Conferences. Friday, April 26, 2024 – Sunday, April 28, 2024. Swope Center 5 North Street Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.eventsquid.com.

Frontiers in Reproduction: Molecular and Cellular Concepts and Applications Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Frontiers in Reproduction course runs from Apr 28 - Jun 09, 2024. Directors: Rafael Fissore, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and Daniel Bernard (McGill University) Frontiers in Reproduction (FIR) is an intensive six-week laboratory and lecture course designed for advanced graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, newly independent scientists and physicians who seek training in modern state-of-the-art methods and a broad view of current concepts in all areas of reproductive biology. Event Type: Courses. Sunday, April 28, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

"Living with White Sharks" - Greg Skomal

For more than a decade, the Division of Marine Fisheries and collaborators have been studying the ecology and behavior of white sharks off Cape Cod using state-of-the-art tagging technology. This presentation will highlight how this research is being used to mitigate potential shark and human conflicts. Dr. Greg Skomal is an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, and author. He has been a fisheries scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries since 1987 and currently heads up the Massachusetts Shark Research Program. He is also adjunct faculty at the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology and an adjunct scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island and a Ph.D. from Boston University. For more than 40 years, Greg has been actively involved in the study of life history, ecology, and physiology of sharks.  His research has spanned the globe from the frigid waters of t… Event Type: Other. Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM. Cornelia Clapp Auditorium.

The Shinya Inoué Endowed Lecture in Analytical and Quantitative Microscopy

Title: "Diverse Mechanisms of Myosin-Based Filopodia Formation" Speaker: Margaret Titus, PhD, Professor, Associate Dean for Graduate Students and Postdocs, University of Minnesota Abstract: Cells interact with their environment using filopodia, slender membrane protrusions supported by a bundle of parallel actin filaments.  A wide range of evolutionarily diverse cell types make these extensions that have roles in capturing prey, making initial adhesive contacts with external surfaces and sensing extracellular cues.  Unexpectedly, filopodia formation does not simply require regulators of actin polymerization.  The initiation and extension of filopodia in evolutionarily diverse organisms requires the activity of a MyTH4-FERM myosin, such as the amoeboid Dictyostelium DdMyo7 or metazoan Myo10.  The goal of our work is to understand how a myosin motor functions in collaboration with actin regulators to build filopodia in divergent cell types using biochemical, biophysical and cell biological approaches in… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Thursday, May 2, 2024, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. Meigs Room, Swope Conference Center.

Logan Science Journalism Program

May 13, 2024 - May 23, 2024 The Logan Science Journalism Program provides journalists, writers, editors, and broadcast journalists with immersive, hands-on training in basic biomedical or environmental research. The program's 2024 fellows are listed here. Photo credit, Blacki Migliozzi. Event Type: Other. Monday, May 13, 2024. MBL, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

ASU - History of Biology

In studying intersections of biological sciences and society, also explore how these intersections matter and why they often evoke such strong opinions. Respectful communication across differences serves as a core commitment. We seek to be inclusive of persons and diverse views, which allows us to learn from each other and thereby helps us act more effectively in service to society. We have fun working together to develop new projects and strengthening our commitment to respectful communication about our research and education. Event Type: Conferences. Wednesday, May 15, 2024 – Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Swope Center 5 North Street Woods Hole, MA 02543.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Hazards and Opportunities (ECHO) Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Hazards and Opportunities (ECHO) course runs from May 17 - May 31, 2024. Directors: Patricia Hunt, Washington State University; Joan Ruderman, Princeton University Numerous chemicals invented for agricultural, industrial and consumer products are now known to interfere with hormone-regulated events in development, reproduction, metabolism, and behavior.  Exposures to many of these endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have pronounced adverse effects in animals (including transgenerational effects), and increasing evidence suggests human populations also are affected.  The field has attracted increasing scrutiny, bringing EDC researchers into contact with the press, regulatory agencies, industry, and consumer groups.  Thus, expertise across a wide range of disciplines is required to understand and deal with the full impacts of EDCs. The course focuses on the chemical, biological, and societal challenges of EDCs and new opportunities for moving forward. It provides an immer… Event Type: Courses. Friday, May 17, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

MBL Falmouth Forum: “Regeneration of Complex Tissues: Axolotls Lead the Way, Can We Follow?” Karen Echeverri, Marine Biological Laboratory

Lectures are open to the public for in-person and virtual attendance. Free parking is available in any MBL lot. No registration required for in-person attendance. Doors open at 7:00 PM, lectures start at 7:30 PM. “Regeneration of Complex Tissues: Axolotls Lead the Way, Can We Follow?” Karen Echeverri, Marine Biological Laboratory Lecture Abstract: Throughout human life, many cells such as hair follicles and certain tissues such as liver can be continuously replaced to maintain tissue integrity in response to normal, daily wear and tear. While humans do exhibit some very limited regenerative capacity, other animals exhibit sometimes astonishing regenerative ability. Salamanders show the highest diversity in being able to regenerate limbs, tail, heart, eyes, and jaw and in addition can repair lesions in the brain and heal all wounds without forming scar tissue. Karen Echeverri’s research group is working on elucidating how the axolotl can regenerate multiple body parts including limbs and the spinal cord… Virtual Information: https://mbl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lWD-Or28QiiLtIFM6MOV_Q. Event Type: Falmouth Forum. Friday, May 17, 2024, 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM. Cornelia Clapp Auditorium.

Workshop on Molecular Evolution Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Workshop on Molecular Evolution Course runs May 24 - Jun 03, 2024. Directors: Tracy Heath, Iowa State University; and Laura Kubatko, The Ohio State University MBL’s Workshop on Molecular Evolution is the most prestigious workshop serving the field of evolutionary studies. Founded in 1988, it is the longest-running workshop if its kind, and it has earned worldwide recognition for its rich and intensive learning experience. Students work closely with internationally-recognized scientists, receiving (i) high-level instruction in the principles of molecular evolution and evolutionary genomics, (ii) advanced training in statistical methods best suited to modern datasets, and (iii) hands-on experience with the latest software tools (often from the authors of the programs they are using). The material is delivered via lectures, discussions, and bioinformatic exercises motivated by contemporary topics in molecular evolution. A hallmark of this workshop is the direct interaction between students and field-leadin… Event Type: Courses. Friday, May 24, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

Memorial Day - MBL Closed

Event Type: Other. Monday, May 27, 2024.

Neural Systems & Behavior Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Neural Systems & Behavior Course runs from Jun 01 - Jul 28, 2024. Directors: Alberto Pereda, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Stephanie White, UCLA This is an intensive eight-week laboratory and lecture course focusing on the neural basis of behavior. The course is intended for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and independent investigators. Limited to 20 participants. This course provides broad training in modern approaches to the study of neural mechanisms underlying behavior, perception, and cognition. Through a combination of lectures, exercises, and projects, students investigate neural systems at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels using state-of-the-art techniques. The eight weeks are divided into two-week cycles, providing participants with an in-depth familiarity with several different experimental model systems. Event Type: Courses. Saturday, June 1, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

Embryology: Concepts and Techniques in Modern Developmental Biology Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Embryology: Concepts and Techniques in Modern Developmental Biology Course runs from Jun 2 - Jul 15, 2024 Directors: Tatjana Piotrowski, Stowers Institute; and Athula Wikramanayake, University of Miami Established in 1893, the Embryology Course is an intensive six-week laboratory and lecture course for advanced graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and more senior researchers who seek a broad and balanced view of modern issues in developmental biology. Enrollment is limited to 24 students. Event Type: Courses. Sunday, June 2, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

Neurobiology: Mechanisms & Advanced Approaches Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Neurobiology: Mechanisms & Advanced Approaches Course runs from Jun 2 - Jul 13, 2024. Directors: Ricardo Araneda, University of Maryland, Mike Hoppa, Dartmouth College; and Rebecca Piskorowski, INSERM FR  The goal of the Neurobiology: Mechanisms and Advanced Approaches course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA is to provide intensive and immersive training in neurobiology with a particular focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern nervous system function in health and neurological disorders. The program is designed to provide an on-ramp for entry into neuroscience for scientists from other fields, as well as to augment conventional training by providing educational approaches that are not typically available to graduate students or postdoctoral fellows. This program is a comprehensive, research-oriented course that runs for six weeks, from the early-June to mid-July. A hallmark of this course is the opportunity to work side-by-side with internationally recognized experts… Event Type: Courses. Sunday, June 2, 2024. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

Physiology: Modern Cell Biology Using Microscopic, Biochemical and Computational Approaches Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Physiology: Modern Cell Biology Using Microscopic, Biochemical and Computational Approaches Course runs from Jun 02 - Jul 21, 2024. Directors: Cliff Brangwynne, Princeton University; and Amy Gladfelter, Duke University The MBL Physiology Course was founded by Jacques Loeb in 1892 and is one of the oldest continually running biology courses in the world. This intensive seven-week laboratory course has educated generations of leading biologists and fostered groundbreaking biological discoveries, including the Nobel prize-winning discovery of cyclin B. As physiology has evolved to embrace modern microscopy and computational methods and incorporate the latest biological techniques, so has the Physiology Course. Today, the course is at the forefront of new tools — molecular, computational, biophysical — as it prepares students to tackle emerging biological questions. To teach this modern approach to research, faculty from the biological sciences and physical sciences, including engineering and computational… Event Type: Courses. Sunday, June 2, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

The Jack and Rosalyn Rosenbluth Endowed Lecture in Neurobiology

MBL Course Events Title: "Inside Out: Molecules and Cells for sensing the body" Speaker: Alexander Chesler, PhD, Senior Investigator, NCCIH/NINDS Intramural program Abstract: My group is interested in defining molecules, cells, and neural circuits that mediate innocuous, pleasurable, and noxious sensations and uncovering how perception is altered by context (e.g. during affiliative touch or chronic pain). Specifically, we seek to: (1) define how external and internal stimuli are detected by peripheral neurons, (2) decode neural responses as they are transmitted from the body and through the brain, and (3) determine how neural activity gets transformed by injury, inflammation, disease, and mental state to produce or relieve pain. For our studies, we use a wide range of techniques, including genetics, electrophysiology, functional imaging, and behavioral measurements in rodents and we work with patients with a rare inherited disorder affecting mechanosensation. Jack Rosenbluth is a Research Professor and Professor Emeritus… Event Type: Courses. Monday, June 10, 2024, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Speck Auditorium, 10 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543.

The S. Meryl Rose Lectureship

Title: "Tardigrades: Emerging Models for Understanding how Animal Forms Evolve and how Biological Materials can Survive Extremes" Speaker: Bob Goldstein, PhD, James L Peacock III Distinguished Professor of Biology and Adjunct Professor of Studio Art, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Abstract: Scientists’ success in uncovering fascinating biological mechanisms has depended in large part on choosing tractable model systems. In 1997, two of biology's most tractable models — the nematode C. elegans and the arthropod Drosophila — were found to be much more closely related to each other than scientists had thought. I began to explore whether any little-studied relative if nematodes and arthropods might serve as a new model for comparative biology that could make use of the rich and ongoing sources of information flowing from C. elegans and Drosophila researchers. Tardigrades, also known as water bears, make up a phylum of microscopic animals. In this 2-part talk, I will explain how I chose the… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Speck Auditorium.

Biology of Parasitism: Modern Approaches Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Biology of Parasitism: Modern Approaches Course runs from Jun 14 - Aug 01, 2024. Directors: Vernon Carruthers, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Friedrich Frischknecht, Heidelberg University Medical School; and Melissa Lodoen, University of California, Irvine A unique 7-week course for advanced doctoral students and postdocs who are seeking in-depth training in modern approaches to the study of protozoan parasites and parasitic worms. This course is focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which human and animal parasites cause disease and the host responses to infection. The course consists of daily lectures by distinguished leaders in the field juxtaposed with intensive experimental work. The lectures cover most areas of active research in modern parasitology and are designed to complement the laboratory work. Ample opportunity is provided for students to interact informally with visiting lecturers and course faculty. In the laboratory, the students work together in small groups, gaining… Event Type: Courses. Friday, June 14, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

Summer Program in Neuroscience, Excellence and Success (SPINES) Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Summer Program in Neuroscience, Excellence and Success (SPINES) Course runs from Jun 16 - Jul 05, 2024. Directors: Stephanie Correa, University of California, Los Angeles; and Gerald Downes, UMass Amherst SPINES has had an outstanding 20+ year track record of training successful neuroscientists from backgrounds underrepresented in neuroscience to be leaders in the field, honing a variety of important professional skills, including communicating your science, winning grants, honing quantitative skills and preparing to be a top notch PI. The course attracts 20 leading faculty from across the country to teach our 15-20 students in a 3 week intensive immersion experience dedicated to creating and sustaining an outstanding diverse workforce in neuroscience. Travel, room, and board at MBL are covered. Event Type: Courses. Sunday, June 16, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

The Edward Kravitz Endowed Lectureship in Neurobiology

Title: "A Synaptic Energy Crisis Entangled in Neurodegeneration" Speaker: Timothy Ryan, PhD, Tri-Institutional Professor of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine; Senior Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Abstract: The brain is a vulnerable metabolic organ that suffers acute functional decline when fuel delivery is compromised. We previously showed that CNS nerve terminals are one of the likely loci of metabolic vulnerability as they rely on efficient activity-dependent upregulation of ATP synthesis to sustain function, but failure to do so leads to abrupt synaptic collapse. To understand what steps in fuel combustion might be limiting at nerve terminals, we carried out a genetic suppressor expression screen of the glycolytic enzymes to determine, which, if any, might allow synapses to function under very low fuel conditions. Remarkably we found that modest changes in the abundance of the first ATP producing enzyme allows synapses to function under extreme hypometabolic conditions and that… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Monday, June 17, 2024, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Speck Auditorium, 10 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543.

The Arthur K. Parpart Endowed Lectureship

Talk Title: "Design Principles of Living Membranes" Speaker: Ilya Levental, PhD, Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia Abstract: Recent discoveries have elucidated the crucial role for liquid-liquid phase separation phenomena in cellular biology. I will briefly introduce recent discoveries in three-dimensional phase partitioning of the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm, followed by our recent observations on phase separation in mammalian plasma membranes.  The plasma membrane is the physical and functional interface between a cell and its environment, and is responsible for a myriad of parallel processing tasks that must be tightly regulated to avoid aberrant signaling. To achieve this functional complexity, mammalian cells produce hundreds of lipid species that are actively turned over and trafficked to produce spatial and temporal gradients between cellular compartments. Membrane physiology is also dependent on the physical phenotypes arising from the… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Tuesday, June 18, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Cornelia Clapp Auditorium.

Juneteenth - MBL Closed

Event Type: Other. Wednesday, June 19, 2024.

The Jean & Katsuma Dan Lectureship in Embryology

Title: "Germline Immortality and Evolution" Speaker: Yukiko Yamashita, PhD, Professor, Whitehead Institute, MIT; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Abstract: Germline is the sole cell type that is capable of transmitting genetic information to the next generation, supporting the continuation of metazoan life in the last 1.5 billion years. In the face of somatic cells’ limited replicative life span, the germline’s ability to continue and sustain for infinite period of time is remarkable. In this lecture, I will discuss how germline maintains their genome through generations, and how this process may be intertwined with the process of genome evolution, leading to eventual splitting of lineages, i.e. speciation. Specifically, the topic includes our recent findings on asymmetric division of germline stem cells and meiotic cells contributes to germline immortality and genome evolution.  Jean Clark (1910–1978) and Katsuma Dan (1904-1996) met when they were graduate students of the American… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Saturday, June 29, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Speck Auditorium.

Microbial Diversity Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Microbial Diversity course runs from Jun 30 - Aug 14, 2024. Directors: Scott C. Dawson, University of California, Davis; and John Spear (Colorado School of Mines) Launched in 1971 by Holger Jannasch, the Microbial Diversity summer course at the Marine Biological Laboratory has trained generations of scientists from diverse backgrounds. The course is an intense immersion experience for 20 students that lasts 6.5 weeks. The goal of the course is to teach professors, postdocs and advanced graduate students how to discover, cultivate, and isolate diverse microorganisms catalyzing a breadth of chemical transformations, as well as how to perform molecular and computational analyses relevant to their study. While microbial isolation techniques form the essential core of the course, each new set of directors brings an additional focus that reflects their interests/expertise. We have introduced basic genetic methods to the course for the first time to enable students to study how microbes catalyze interesting re… Event Type: Courses. Sunday, June 30, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

The Gail and Elkan Blout Lecture

Title: "The Biology and Importance of Parasite Sex" Speaker: Boris Striepen, PhD, Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Pennsylvania Abstract: The parasite Cryptosporidium is a leading global agent of diarrheal disease in young children, and a cause and consequence of chronic malnutrition. There are no vaccines, and only limited treatment options. We developed molecular genetic approaches to study the fundamental biology of this parasite, and to support the development of interventions. Much of our current work is focused on the complex sexual lifecycle of Cryptosporidium. We study how parasites decide to move from the asexual phase to sex, how they commit to a specific male or female sex in the absence of sex chromosomes or mating loci, and how the extracellular male gamete fertilizes the female within the cells of the host. Parasite sex is also a powerful experimental tool and we have developed models for genetic cross to identify the genes that… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Tuesday, July 2, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Loeb Laboratory Room 306/302.

The John G. Nicholls Endowed Lectureship in Neural Systems and Behavior

Title: "Specific configurations of electrical synapses filter sensory information to drive choices in behavior" Speaker: Daniel Colón-Ramos, PhD, McConnell Duberg Professor of Neuroscience and Cell Biology; Director, WTI Center for Neurodevelopment and Plasticity, Yale University Abstract: Synaptic configurations in precisely wired circuits underpin how the nervous system processes sensory information to produce a behavioral response. While this is best understood for chemical synapses, we know far less how electrical synaptic configurations in specified neural circuits in vivo modulate sensory information processing and context-specific behaviors. We discovered that INX-1, a gap junction protein that forms electrical synapses, is required to deploy context-specific behavioral strategies underlying thermotaxis behavior in C. elegans. Within this well-defined circuit, INX-1 couples two bilaterally symmetric interneurons to integrate sensory information during migratory behavior across temperature gradients.… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Wednesday, July 3, 2024, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM. Speck Auditorium.

Independence Day - MBL Closed

Event Type: Other. Thursday, July 4, 2024.

The Nancy S. Rafferty Lectureship

Title: "Mechanisms of Development and Regeneration in Hydra" Speaker: Celina Juliano, PhD, Associate Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology Department, University of California, Davis Abstract: Hydra vulgaris is a small and simple aquatic animal capable of whole-body regeneration. The entire animal, including the nervous system, is composed of about 25 cell types, and can regenerate from a fragment of tissue as small as 300 cells. In addition, all cell types are continually renewed in the uninjured adult as part of normal homeostasis. These remarkable features are enabled by three distinct populations of stem cells that support the three lineages that make up the adult animal. A major goal of our laboratory is to understand the gene regulatory networks that control the specification of all Hydra vulgaris cell types in the uninjured (homeostatic) state and then understand how injury triggers these differentiation pathways at unexpected locations during regeneration. We are particularly interested in the… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Tuesday, July 9, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Speck Auditorium.

The Richard G. Kessel Lecture in Embryology

Title: "Rewriting the cephalopod neural transcriptome by mRNA editing" Speaker: Josh Rosenthal, PhD, Senior Scientist, Marine Biological Laboratory Abstract: Genetic information is stored in DNA and realized in proteins after passing through RNA.  Its transient residence in RNA provides a prime opportunity for modification. Changes in DNA are permanent and perilous; those in RNA go away, making them safer. There are a variety of systems for altering RNA in cells. Alternative splicing, of course, is a well-studied example.  My lab focuses on RNA editing through adenosine deamination, a system for introducing point mutations within RNA. All multicellular metazoans use this system, but cephalopods take it to a new level, particularly in their nervous system.  I will discuss how cephalopods use RNA editing, the messages that are targeted, where it is taking place within neurons, and how it can respond to environmental cues.  Finally, based on new data using the first genetically tractable cephalopod model and… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Thursday, July 11, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Speck Auditorium.

The John Saunders Endowed Lectureship in Embryology

Title: "The Amazing Plasticity of Gonadal Sex Determination in Genetic- and Temperature-Dependent Systems" Speaker: Blanche Capel, PhD, James B. Duke Professor of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center Abstract: Gonadal sex determination is a remarkably plastic process. In vertebrates, the gonad forms as a bipotential primordium that can activate either the ovary or testis pathway. Within the gonad, these two distinct pathways of development are mutually antagonistic, and compete through transcription factors and cell-to-cell signaling to control the morphological outcome.  Deletion of critical components of these pathways can cause the gonad to switch its trajectory between ovary and testis fate. In mammals the fate of the gonad is governed by a strong genetically encoded genetic determinant on the Y chromosome, Sry, which acts in a single cell type to determine gonadal fate. In red-eared slider turtles and many other reptiles, the fate of the gonad is dependent on temperature and hormones, and… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Friday, July 12, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Speck Auditorium.

The Jack and Rosalyn Rosenbluth Endowed Lecture in Physiology

Title: "Coordinating Membrane Remodeling and Cytoskeletal Dynamics During Neuronal Morphogenesis" Speaker: Stephanie Gupton, PhD, Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, Associate Director of Graduate Education and Training, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Abstract: Developing neurons acquire a complex, polarized morphology, which underlies their specialized physiology and is essential to the formation and functional connectivity of the nervous system. This entails concerted insertion of membrane material to fuel plasma membrane expansion and localized cytoskeletal reorganization to directionally extend the plasma membrane. Our goal is to define mechanisms by which distinct neuronal guidance cues influence the membrane trafficking and cytoskeletal machineries that steer morphogenesis and consequently, connectivity and behavior. Vesicle fusion is regarded as the primary source of membrane material; we define mechanisms that influence the organization and mode of exocytic delivery. Filopodial… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Monday, July 15, 2024, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Cornelia Clapp Auditorium.

Strategies and Techniques for Analyzing Microbial Population Structures (STAMPS) Course Begins

MBL Course Events The Strategies and Techniques for Analyzing Microbial Population Structures (STAMPS) Course runs from  Jul 17 - Jul 27, 2024. Directors: C. Titus Brown, University of California, Davis and Amy Willis, University of Washington  Modern sequencing technologies enable comprehensive investigations of microbial communities, but generating large microbial datasets is often easier than analyzing them. STAMPS bridges the gap between data generation and knowledge generation, offering interdisciplinary training in bioinformatics and statistics to practitioners of molecular microbial ecology and genomics. Topics include: experimental design; processing raw data into genomic and functional units; annotation and reference databases; and statistical methods for analyzing microbiome data. Hands-on tutorials will focus on short-read shotgun sequencing and 16S data, but other approaches (such as long-read sequencing and ITS sequencing) will be discussed. Event Type: Courses. Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Marine Biological Laboratory, 7 MBL St, Woods Hole, MA 02543. For more info visit www.mbl.edu.

The Mazakazu Konishi Endowed Lectureship in Neural Systems and Behavior

Title: "Neurobiology of Sickness and Social Behavior" Speaker: Catherine Dulac, PhD, Samuel W. Morris University Professor, Harvard University; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Abstract: Social interactions are essential for animals to survive, reproduce, raise their young. Over the years, my lab has attempted to decipher the unique characteristics of social recognition: what are the unique cues that trigger distinct social behaviors, what is the nature and identity of social behavior circuits, how is the function of these circuits different in males and females and how are they modulated by the animal physiological status? In this lecture, I will describe our recent progress in understanding how specific brain circuits and cell types direct adaptive changes in behavior during sickness episodes in mice. Finally, I will describe our recent work uncovering how different parts of the brain as well as discrete, molecularly defined neuronal populations participate in the positive and negative… Event Type: Courses. Named Endowed Lecture. Wednesday, July 17, 2024, 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Speck Auditorium.