BioChemistry – Science Cafe

November 20th: The Universe of Protein Science

“How Structure Biology Aids to Visualize the Molecules of Life”

Have you ever wondered what makes our planet look green from space? Have you ever wondered how our cells generate the power we need to function and live? Have you ever wondered how our cells communicate with the outside world? Have you ever wondered what is responsible for how we experience ourselves and the world around us?

Join Dr Susanne Ressl on a fascinating journey through highlights from structure biology and how this particular field helped to understand how molecular machines (proteins) work.

Several things to note:
1) We’re starting at 7pm
2) We’re on the 3rd Wednesday
3) We’re at Hopscotch on Morton & Dodds
4) Hopscotch doesn’t have much food, which is why we’re beginning at 7pm (They do have great coffee, tea, beer, and pastries all the time.)

Wednesday, June 19th: The Pharmacology of Capital Punishment

Regardless of one’s position on capital punishment, nearly all people agree that the method should be humane. This was the rationale for the embrace of lethal injection in the 1980s but has proven problematic, with ‘botch’ rates now much higher than for other methods. Much of this comes down to the pharmacology of the drugs used and problems with their administration.

Dr. Alex Straiker will talk about the history and pharmacology of lethal injections in the US.

Four things are different from our usual meetings:
1) We’re starting at 7pm
2) We’re at Hopscotch on Morton & Dodds
3) Hopscotch doesn’t traditionally have food, though they’re working on that and we’ll update this event as more information becomes available They do have coffee, tea, beer, and pastries all the time.
4) We’re on the 3rd, rather than 4th Wednesday, so as not to conflict with Green Drinks

Wednesday, February 20th: Molecular Machines

Image courtesy of Kenji Matsuda, University of Kyoto

Join us Wednesday, February 20th, 6:30pm for a Science Cafe talk by Dr. Amar Flood, on Molecular Machines.

Molecular machines were the basis for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 for “the design and synthesis of molecular motors”. What are molecular machines, how are they made and how are their small molecule-scale movements the same and different from the machines in the world around us?

This Science Cafe will be at The Roost (formerly Finch’s), upstairs, at 514 E Kirkwood Ave

July 25: Superbugs and Superdrugs

Antibiotic resistance is a major concern in the medical community, as the well-publicized “superbugs” appear to be staying well ahead of our current antibiotic armamentarium. However, a few new antibacterial drugs have recently been approved by the FDA. Come to hear what we now are able to treat, and what still remains untreatable in the infectious disease arena.

Dr. Karen Bush will talk about this important work.

January 31, 2018: CBD – ‘Wonder drug’ or just ‘I wonder?’ drug?

Cannabidiol (aka CBD) is a compound isolated from Cannabis that has found a recent celebrity as a Cannabis-derived therapeutic. What is CBD and is it the “cure-all” that many websites and articles suggest? Come with curiosity and questions and we will work through some of what we know and what we don’t yet know about this interesting cannabinoid.

Join us for this talk by Neurobiochemist Heather Bradshaw, PhD.

We’ll be in the back room of Bears Place (1316 E 3rd St) at 6:30 pm. As always, Bloomington Science Cafe is free and open to anyone (over 21)!

Wednesday, November 29th: A bio-chemist walks into a bar…

Yeast is a wonder-microbe responsible for making bread and beer delicious, and it has helped scientists score Nobel prizes for years. Join us a Professor Matt Bochman explains how this single-celled organism has yielded scientific breakthroughs for decades and how science and craft beverages have recently joined forces to tickle your taste buds.

Yeast

We’ll be in the back room of Bears Place (1316 E 3rd St) at 6:30 pm. As always, Bloomington Science Cafe is free and open to anyone (over 21)!