Dr. Grochau-Wright will present an interactive seminar on how his teaching philosophy connects biostatistics to a general biology curriculum and to training undergraduate biologists holistically.
Hosted by: Dr. Chrissy Spencer and Dr. Shana Kerr
Event Details
Live via Zoom
ABSTRACT
Wiring an animal brain requires a staggering number of neurons (~1011 in humans) to precisely connect with a specific set of synaptic partners. Errors in this process are associated with disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. During the incredibly complex process of neuronal circuit formation neurons go through several, complex developmental steps. The steps involved are neuron-type specific and need to occur at precise times in development. This requires neurons to express the right set of genes at the right time, but how do developing neurons know which genes to express when?
Using a combination of single-cell RNA-Seq and classical genetics, we recently described a unique global temporal regulator in developing fly visual system neurons. We found that the steroid hormone Ecdysone induces synchronous expression of several dynamic transcription factors (TFs) during development across all neuron-types. While the hormone induces the same TFs across all visual system neurons, these factors control a cell-type specific set of target genes and depend upon neuron-type specific TFs for target gene specificity. This work demonstrates a general principle wherein timing is controlled by cell-extrinsic cues (such as hormones and stimulation of neuronal activity), which work with neuron-type specific transcription factors to ensure the proper timing of wiring-regulating genes.
Host: Dr. Patrick McGrath
Event Details
Live via Zoom
ABSTRACT
Neurons are highly specialized cells that face unique biological challenges to build our brains and nervous systems. To support rapid communication, neurons connect through synapses: specialized, asymmetric junctions capable of extremely fast signal transfer. Fundamentally, it is the location and properties of synapses that define the function of neural circuits and nervous systems. My research aims to determine molecularly how neurons build their synapses.
I have found that phase separation of core presynaptic scaffold molecules is a key mechanism in synapse formation. Biological phase separation is a phenomenon where proteins demix from the cytoplasm into dense, but fluid, condensates – a mechanism useful for concentrating and compartmentalizing cytoplasmic components. I found core active zone scaffold proteins, including SYD-2/Liprin-α, were capable of phase separation in vitro and in vivo at nascent synapses. Mutations that blocked phase separation resulted in defective synapse assembly and synaptic transmission, indicating phase separation is critical for synaptic development and function. Crucially, I found the defects were rescued when a phase separation motif from an unrelated protein was reintroduced into mutant SYD-2. Finally, I found presynaptic phase separation is activated through phosphorylation by the SAD-1 kinase, which relieves an autoinhibitory interaction within SYD-2. Together these results provide in vivo evidence that presynapses form through phase separation during development and indicate that condensate formation is a central assembly hub for synapse formation.
Host: Dr. Patrick McGrath
Event Details
Returning March 10–25, 2023, the Atlanta Science Festival is an annual public celebration of local science and technology. Curious people of all ages will explore the science and technology in our region and see how science is connected to all parts of our lives.
Join us as we partner with Science ATL to bring STEAM events to curious community members of all ages! The Georgia Tech Science and Engineering Day will occur as part of the festival on Saturday, March 11 in the Georgia Tech Bioquad area.
Visit atlantasciencefestival.org for more details about the festival and to find events near you.
Event Details
Registration is open for the Ocean Visions Biennial Summit 2023, Innovating Solutions at the Ocean-Climate Nexus, scheduled for the 4th-6th of April 2023 at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia.
Through the 15th of February you can reserve your spot early and take advantage of our special early bird rates. Both in-person and virtual attendance options are being offered, with all plenary sessions streamed.
Space is limited so register now!
The Ocean Visions Biennial Summit 2023 will be a significant opportunity to advance the sharing of knowledge and solutions to critical challenges at the ocean-climate nexus.
The ocean is under threat from a host of pressures, but none loom larger than those caused by greenhouse gas pollution, which drives overheating and acidification. Ocean heating is in turn causing deoxygenation, sea level rise, and disruption of critical marine ecosystem functions and services.
In order to address this ocean-climate crisis, the world needs to generate and scale innovative solutions much more effectively and quickly.
Summit participants will share and discuss cutting-edge advancements in ocean sciences, engineering, policy, governance, and economics that support trajectory-changing solutions to the dangerous climate impacts on the ocean within 7-10 years.
The Summit will be held at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia from 4-6 April 2023 and offers online attendance options. We welcome a diversity of solutions-oriented participants, including scientists, academics, policymakers, entrepreneurs, those with indigenous knowledge of oceans and solutions, innovators, and funders.
The conference is designed to be highly interactive with a mix of session types such as plenaries, lightning presentations, posters, an innovation showcase, and other networking interactions. The conference is structured around five core topical tracks, which will be addressed through concentrated, half-day sessions, in addition to other schedule session times.
- Ocean-Based Contributions to Global Decarbonization
- Ocean-Based Contributions to Carbon Dioxide Removal
- Ocean Ecosystem Repair and Regeneration
- Human Adaptation to a Changing Ocean
- Building a Global Community of Solvers at the Ocean-Climate Nexus
Event Details
Dear Astrobiology, Origins of Life, and Space Exploration Enthusiasts,
The ExplOrigins early career group invites you to join the 2023 Exploration and Origins Colloquium! This colloquium will have events on two days: a poster session and reception on the evening of February 9th and talks throughout the day on February 10th. Talks and the poster session will be held in person at Georgia Tech, with a possible virtual viewing/presenting option for talks. We are thrilled to feature keynotes from Dr. Amy Williams and Dr. Heather Abbott-Lyon. Our aim is to bring together researchers from around the Atlanta regional area, and to highlight early career projects from any field that explore, conceptualize, celebrate, and discover pieces of space, life’s origins, and astrobiology. Through this colloquium, we hope to:
- forge relationships between diverse individuals of various fields, experience levels, and backgrounds
- expand our awareness of local work and innovations
- encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary understanding
- provide a professional growth opportunity for early career individuals including undergraduates, graduates, and post-docs
General registration and abstract submission are through this form. All early career individuals (undergrads, grads, postdocs, research scientists, and more) are highly encouraged to submit abstracts, due by noon on January 19th. Late submissions for posters will be accepted through February 8th. To prepare your abstract you will need a title, author/affiliation list, and one descriptive paragraph. Announcement of selected speakers will be made on January 20th.
ExplOrigins’ inclusion of a wide breadth of fields joins our commitment for inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, (dis)ability, sexual orientation, and experience.
If you have any questions about the abstract submission process or any other aspect of the colloquium, please email the conference organizers at gtexplorigins@gmail.com.
Thank you for your consideration. We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
The organizing committee
Christina Buffo, Claire Elbon, Tatiana Gibson, Becca Guth-Metzler, Emmy Hughes, Sarah Kingsley, Jordan McKaig, Vahab Rajaei, Micah Schaible, and Sharissa Thompson
Event Details
Join Portal Atlanta's Life Sciences Startup Careers Networking Night!
Growing ecosystems require great companies and great people - and Atlanta life sciences is growing!
If you're a job seeker looking to break into the life sciences ecosystem in Atlanta, we would love to invite you to attend our upcoming event.
February 16th, 2023, 5pm
Ventanas, 275 Baker St, Atlanta, GA 30313
Founders, CEOs, and HR employees of local biotech and med tech startups that plan on hiring in the next 6 months will be in attendance, so it will be a great place to meet and network. Light bites and drinks will be served.
Questions?
Please reach out to Suna Lumeh (suna.lumeh@portalinnovations.com) for any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you there!
To learn more about Portal Atlanta, click here!
Event Details
Andrew Alexander, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Boston University
Livestream via Zoom
Dr. Alexander will present: The association cortex spatial transformation network
Spatial transformation is a critical neural computation in which the locations of stimuli in the external world, experienced via disparate sensory processes, are registered across distinct coordinate systems. During navigation, information about the configuration of external features is initially acquired via sensory modalities in egocentric coordinates, but is then transformed into a map-like internal model of locations, landmarks, and goals relative to the external world (i.e. allocentric coordinate frame) that can subsequently be utilized to guide actions. Here, I present work investigating the role of association cortices in spatial transformations including during ethologically-inspired predation behavior. These experiments reveal computational building blocks for mediating transformations between egocentric and allocentric coordinate frames, including the discovery of a subpopulation of retrosplenial cortex neurons that map the position of external features in egocentric coordinates. I have also explored how these signals could be synchronized with hippocampal processing in a state-dependent manner via network oscillations. Future work will utilize projection-specific neuroimaging and optogenetics to characterize and perturb dynamics in these neural circuits in both navigation and memory tasks, including during performance of a novel target pursuit assay designed to test the flexibility of navigation computations.
Host: Dr. Patrick McGrath
Event Details
David Ranava, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Microbiology- Immunology
Livestream via Zoom
David Ravana will present: Cheating Death by Ribosome Hibernation.
Many bacterial species including the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus have evolved a vast diversity of mechanisms to adapt quickly to changing environmental conditions such as temperature fluctuations or altered nutrient availability. This study shows that the ribosome hibernation, a widespread phenomenon among bacteria, is critical for S. aureus adaptation to cold and glucose metabolism. Ribosome hibernation-deficient cells exhibit low viability both at low temperature and in glucose rich conditions. The primary goal of my projects is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptation processes mediated by ribosome hibernation.
Host: Dr. Joel Kostka
Event Details
The campus community is invited to attend a virtual town hall to learn more about the Sustainability Next Plan and its newly unified vision for coalescing, implementing, and measuring cross-cutting sustainability initiatives across Georgia Tech in support of the Institute’s Strategic Plan.
Members of the implementation team will share goals including plans to launch signature initiatives designed to coordinate and amplify the Institute’s research, education, operational, and economic development activities. This includes:
- Sustainable-X Student Entrepreneurship Program,
- Stackable online graduate credentials in Climate and Sustainability,
- Undergraduate Sustainability Education Innovation Grants,
- Transdisciplinary Climate Research Seed Grant Program,
- Climate Action Plan, and
- Living Learning Lab.
Presenters include:
- Jennifer Chirico, Infrastructure and Sustainability (I&S)
- Maria Cimilluca, vice president for I&S
- Laura Taylor, chair and professor, School of Economics, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
- Beril Toktay, Regents’ Professor; interim executive director, Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems; faculty director, Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, Scheller College of Business
This virtual town hall is hosted by Administration and Finance and will be held on Friday, Jan. 13, from 2 to 3 p.m. Attendees should click here to join.
Read more about the Sustainability Next Plan.
Event Details
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