KANNAPOLIS ó The David H. Murdock Research Institute will present a series of free public seminars about how technologies in the Core Lab are used to make advances in disease, agriculture and nutrition research.
The institute owns and operates the Core Lab, the centerpiece of the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis.
Classes will be held from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Tuesdays, beginning this week, in the first floor meeting room of the Core Laboratory Building.
The series is free but registration is required. E-mail workshops@dhmri.org or call 704-250-2600.
– Tuesday “What and Who is DHMRI: Exploring Beyond the Core,” by Dr. Michael Luther, president of the Murdock Research Institute.
Find out how what David Murdock envisioned as a simple core laboratory has grown to become more than a core lab at the Research Campus.
Pursuing science at the intersection of human health, agriculture and nutrition, the Murdock Research Institute combines the skills of a talented group of scientists with state-of-the-art capabilities engaged in bringing the best of academia and industry together. Luther will discuss the mission and strategies for DHMRI as well as review current and future activities associated with the institute and campus.
– Nov. 10 “We are 1/3 Human,” by Amr Ragab, metabolomics manager.
Metabolites ó small chemical compounds ó are the endpoints of most growth and development processes. In our bodies we produce only about a third of the metabolites we need to live.
We depend on food to not only provide a pleasant culinary experience but to infuse our bodies with nutrients essential to function and grow.
Here we look at what those nutrients are and how at DHMRI, we analyze those metabolites to give a complete metabolic snapshot of life.
– Nov. 10 “24th Century Technology Today: Medical Tests in the Palm of Your Hand,” by Dr. Sarah Schwartz, proteomics manager.
Proteins are a cell’s workforce and drive the cell’s activity to move, grow and change. Studying protein differences in sick patients helps us better understand individual diseases and develop new tools to diagnose and treat these diseases.
Learn how research groups are working to identify disease markers that can be used for cheap, rapid diagnostic tests. Schwartz specializes in protein characterization and disease biomarker studies.
– Nov. 17 “Nuclear Magnetic Resonance: Huge Magnet, Tiny Samples,” by Dr. Kevin Knagge, NMR manager.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (also known as NMR) is a scientific technique that uses a giant magnet to analyze compounds at their smallest level, the atomic level.
The Research Campus currently has the largest NMR instrument in the world to analyze all types of compounds. Knagge will explain what type of research the NMRs are used in and how this technology is beneficial to the campus.
– Nov. 17 “Making the Invisible Visible,” by Dr. Anne Vaahtokari, microscopy associate director.
How can we peek at what is going on in cells and tissues?
DHMRI houses the most cutting-edge collection of microscopes available, through a special relationship with Carl Zeiss Microimaging. Gain insights into several new ways of making molecules such as genes and proteins visible. Come watch the birth, life and death of cells.
– Dec. 1 “What’s in Your Genome and How We Find Out,” by Dr. Xinguo Wang, genomics manager.
Our genes contain a treasure-trove of information that enables us to develop and live normally but which also make us susceptible to disease.
Today, scientists have many ways of accessing our genomic data to identify causative problems in our genomes. Wang will discuss the approaches and technology the DHMRI uses to achieve these goals.
– Dec. 1 “Technology Buffet: Enabling the Science of the DHMRI,” by Coleman Cox senior manager of technology operations.
Cox will lead an engaging (and often comical) discussion about the technology of the DHMRI.
From “High-performance computing is like the a yeast roll to scientists ó they can’t seem to get enough,” to “security is like a sneeze guard,” Cox will use humor to convey information about how technology impacts science.