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Seminars

Born to be Bad? The Biological Basis of Criminal Behavior

Presented by Clare Malone Is there a biological reason why some people become violent offenders? This is an area of biology with many legal, ethical, and societal implications. Tonight we will focus on what the biology can, and cannot, tell us about the…

Allergies and the Modern World

Presented by Dan Dwyer Most of the time our immune system protects us from the outside world. Occasionally, it tries to protect us from things like pollen and peanuts instead, a process that we call allergy. The allergic response involves several…

Sudden Death– A Tale of Cell Suicide

Presented by Marshall Thomas Every day, a program of cell death called apoptosis destroys millions of cells in our bodies. Though it sounds morbid and scary, apoptosis is critical for keeping us healthy by removing old and damaged cells. This staves off…

Living Foods: The Microbiology of Food and Drink

Presented by Wesley Loo, Heather Olins, and Dipti Nayak Some scientists estimate that one third of the food we eat on a daily basis has been fermented. This seminar will explain what fermentation is, how it works, and why we should care about the…

Biotechnology and the Emergence of New Therapeutics

Presented by Vini Mani, Ekaterina (Kat) Pak, and Dima Ter-Ovanesyan In 2011, the FDA approved 35 new drugs–one of the highest approval volumes in the past decade. Drug development is a long and costly undertaking that involves integrated efforts…

How Evolution Generates “Endless Forms, Most Beautiful”

Presented by Marc Presler, Peter Wang, and Elizabeth Brown Few biological concepts are as perennially captivating and contentious as the theory of evolution. Rather than reciting another litany of evidence in support of the idea, this seminar hopes to…