Erol Akçay, Ph.D.
Department of Biology
University of Pennsylvania
Abstract
Evolution of social behaviors is one of the most fascinating and active fields of evolutionary biology. During the past half century, social evolution theory developed into a mature field with powerful tools to understand the dynamics of social traits such as cooperation under a wide range of conditions. But when these conditions themselves evolve remains a largely open question, which I argue represents the next step in the development of social evolution theory. In this talk, I will present a few examples of such co-evolutionary dynamics leading to unexpected results. In particular I will talk about two models where social network structure co-evolves with (i) a social trait such as cooperation, and (ii) with cumulative culture, and a third model where the strategies individuals play in a game co-evolves with the resource environment that determines with game is being played.
Event Details
THIS SEMINAR WAS CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER.
Michael Hecht, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry
Princeton University
ABSTRACT
A key goal of synthetic biology is to design novel proteins that fold and function in vivo. A particularly challenging objective would be to produce non-natural proteins that don’t merely generate interesting phenotypes, but which actually provide essential functions necessary for the growth of living cells. Successful design of such life-sustaining proteins would represent a step toward constructing “artificial proteomes” of non-natural sequences. In initial work toward this goal, we designed large libraries of novel proteins encoded by millions of synthetic genes. Many of these new proteins fold into stable 3-dimensional structures; and many bind biologically relevant metals, metabolites, and cofactors. Several of the novel proteins function in vivo providing essential activities necessary to sustain the growth of E. coli cells. In some cases, these novel proteins rewire gene regulation and alter the expression of endogenous genes. In other cases, the novel protein sustains cell growth by functioning as bona fide enzyme that catalyzes an essential biochemical reaction. These results suggest that (i) the molecular toolkit of life need not be limited to sequences that already exist in nature, and (ii) artificial genomes and proteomes might be built from non-natural sequences.
Host: Frank Rosenzweig
Event Details
The 71st American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia. This premier annual meeting is the largest gathering of the year for the fluid dynamics community. Organizers expect 3,400 attendees from around the world.
Georgia Tech faculty are helping organize the meeting. College of Engineering Professors Donald Webster and P. K. Yeung co-chairs of the local organizing committee. Seven faculty from the College of Sciences are members of the local organizing committee
- Annalissa Bracco, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Daniel Goldman, School of Physics
- Roman Grigoriev, School of Physics
- David Hu, Schools of Biological Sciences and Physics
- Michael Schatz, School of Physics
- Marc Weissburg, School of Biological Sciences
- Jeannette Yen, School of Biological Sciences
Georgia Tech faculty are working with colleagues from the other hosts institutions: Auburn University, Clemson University, Emory University, University of Alabama, University of Georgia, and Vanderbilt University.
Financial support was provided by the host institutions, including Georgia Tech College of Engineering and College of Sciences.
Full information is available at the conference website.
Important Dates
Registration Deadlines
- Early Registration Rate: on or before September 16, 2018
- Regular Registration Rate: September 17 – October 21, 2018
- On-Site Registration Rate: October 22 – November 20, 2018
- Cancellation Deadline (no registration refunds past this date): November 7, 2018
Housing
APS/DFD Hotel Block opens June 4, 2018 (See Hotels & Travel tab for more information)
Hotel's Reduced Rate Ends: October 14, 2018, or earlier if block sells out
Abstracts
Abstract Submission Deadline: August 1, 2018
Travel and Child Care
Travel Grant Application Deadline: August 1, 2018, 5:00 PM EDT
Child Care Grant Application Deadline: August 1, 2018, 5:00 PM EDT
Travel Assistance for Participants with Disabilities Deadline: August 1, 2018, 5:00 PM EDT
Gallery of Fluid Motion GFM
- GFM Posters and Video Submission Entries Must be Made by September 14, 2018
- Videos must be uploaded by October 5, 2018
- GFM Poster: Bring to meeting
Event Details
Hangue Park, Ph. D.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Texas A&M University
Abstract
Proper communications between the nervous and musculoskeletal systems is important for movement organization using feedback and feedforward control. If these communications are disrupted by peripheral nerve injury or neuropathy, spinal cord injury, etc., the patient encounters difficulties with control of movement. These difficulties potentially could be overcome with the use of prosthetic devices that provide communication channels between the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. The prosthetic devices modulate motor commands and/or sensory feedback, based on neural signal and sensor inputs. In this talk, I will discuss the development of neuroprostheses integrated with the body and their potential for enhancements of rehabilitative outcomes and augmentations of human abilities.
About the Speaker
Hangue Park is currently an assistant professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University. He is also affiliated with the Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) Foundation, and Texas Brain & Spine Institute, as a research faculty. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, in 2017. Before joining Georgia Tech, he received B.S. and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, in 2006 and 2008, respectively. He also has 5+ years of industrial experience at multiple companies including Samsung Electronics. He is a recipient of the Trainee Professional Development Award from Society for Neuroscience in 2017, the Outstanding Research Award from the Association of Korean Neuroscientists in 2016, and the Best Demonstration Award at the IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference in 2012.
Physiology Brownbag Seminars
The Physiology Group in the School of Biological Sciences hosts Brownbag Lunchtime Seminars twice a month on Wednesdays at noon in room 1253 of the Applied Physiology Building located at 555 14th Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30318. You are welcome to bring a lunch and join us as we ruminate with us on topics in Physiology! A full listing of seminars can be found at http://pwp.gatech.edu/bmmc/physiology-brownbag-seminars-fall-2018/.
Event Details
Hopi Hoekstra, Ph.D.
Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Center for Brain Science
Museum of Comparative Zoology
Harvard University
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
About the Speaker
Hopi Hoekstra is studying the ultimate and proximate mechanisms responsible for traits that matter for the survival and reproduction of organisms in their natural environments. She uses wild and captive populations of deer mice to track down genetic changes that contribute to variation in morphology, reproduction and behavior. This work has implications for understanding the evolutionary process and may shed light on the genetic origins of variation in other species, including humans.
Reception with light refreshments will be held in EBB 4029 following the seminar.
Event Details
Session Topics
- Microbes and hosts
- Evolutionary dynamics
- Molecular biology of microbes
- Viral pathogenesis
- Bacterial physiology and metabolism
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Climate change and microbial ecology
- Modeling microbial communities
Event Details
104th Annual Meeting, Southeastern Branch, American Society for Microbiology
Georgia Tech is hosting the 104th annual meeting of the Southeastern Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. The meeting's theme is "Microbial Dynamics and Infection."
The southeastern states of the United States, and the Atlanta, Georgia, area in particular, form a hotbed for microbial science and the study of microbe-microbe interactions. Researchers are answering questions for the health of both humans and ecosystems.
Session Topics
- Microbes and hosts
- Evolutionary dynamics
- Molecular biology of microbes
- Viral pathogenesis
- Bacterial physiology and metabolism
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Climate change and microbial ecology
- Modeling microbial communities
Conference Chair: Frank Stewart
Conference Coordinator: Brandy Olmer
Registration
- Graduate Students: $75.00
- Postdoctoral Fellows: $100.00
- Faculty: $150.00
- More information is here. Register now here.
Abstract Submission
Interested individuals must submit an abstract for consideration no later than September 1, 2018, 5:00 p.m. ET to brandy.olmer@biosci.gatech.edu. Please specify if you would like to be considered for an oral session or poster session. More information is here.
Accomodation
Booking deadline is Nov. 9, 2018. Hotel information is here. Book online here.
Event Details
Christoph Fahrni, Chrissy Spencer, and Haomin Zhou are the 2018 recipients of the College of Sciences Faculty Mentor Awards.
The College of Sciences presents the mentoring awards annually to exemplary faculty who help early-career colleagues advance in their careers. The award consists of a certificate and a $500 prize.
“We are thoroughly committed to the success of early-career faculty as they learn how to balance their multiple roles as researchers, teachers, and advisors to their own graduate students and postdoctoral fellows,” says College of Sciences Dean and Sutherland Chair Paul M. Goldbart. “Our outstanding faculty mentors do our academic community a great service. We cannot thank them enough.”
“Our outstanding faculty mentors do our academic community a great service. We cannot thank them enough.”
Christoph J. Fahrni is a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Colleagues appreciate his wise guidance in both their personal and professional lives. His mentorship extends into areas such as child care, home loans, proposal and manuscript writing, managing a research lab, mentoring, and teaching. What distinguishes Fahrni is candor and honesty, as well as his ability to keenly dissect an issue and give multiple perspectives.
“Navigating the many challenges junior faculty encounter when starting their academic careers can be daunting,” Fahrni says. “I feel fortunate that sharing of my own perspective and experience somehow contributes to their success. In the process, we develop lasting relationships that are essential for a supportive, open, and vibrant department and academic community.”
Chrissy Spencer is a senior academic professional in the School of Biological Sciences. Colleagues commend her inclusiveness and keen ability to discover, leverage, and foster the strengths of others. By sharing the rationale behind policies, she promotes best practices while encouraging discovery of new ones to meet the needs of growth and change. She models effective teaching and communication, including seeking feedback and opportunities for collective decision-making.
“I have been so privileged to work on a diverse team of faculty, staff, and students with the common goal to educate from an evidence-based perspective,” Spencer says. “As colleagues join our group, they bring a wealth of energy and ideas to infuse into the biology curriculum and to disseminate to the biology-education literature.”
Haomin Zhou is a professor in the School of Mathematics. Colleagues praise his extraordinary commitment to mentoring junior researchers, including many from underrepresented minority groups. He is an exemplary role model. He welcomes everyone and provides junior faculty from underrepresented groups a real chance for success.
“The School of Mathematics has a tradition in mentoring young faculty members and postdocs, as evidenced by many former recipients of the College of Sciences Faculty Mentors award,” Zhou says. “I am very pleased to continue this tradition. It is a great honor that really belongs to many members of the school.”
Christoph Fahrni, Chrissy Spencer, and Haomin Zhou are the 2018 recipients of the College of Sciences Faculty Mentor Awards.
The College of Sciences presents the mentoring awards annually to exemplary faculty who help early-career colleagues advance in their careers. The award consists of a certificate and a $500 prize.
“We are thoroughly committed to the success of early-career faculty as they learn how to balance their multiple roles as researchers, teachers, and advisors to their own graduate students and postdoctoral fellows,” says College of Sciences Dean and Sutherland Chair Paul M. Goldbart. “Our outstanding faculty mentors do our academic community a great service. We cannot thank them enough.”
“Our outstanding faculty mentors do our academic community a great service. We cannot thank them enough.”
Christoph J. Fahrni is a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Colleagues appreciate his wise guidance in both their personal and professional lives. His mentorship extends into areas such as child care, home loans, proposal and manuscript writing, managing a research lab, mentoring, and teaching. What distinguishes Fahrni is candor and honesty, as well as his ability to keenly dissect an issue and give multiple perspectives.
“Navigating the many challenges junior faculty encounter when starting their academic careers can be daunting,” Fahrni says. “I feel fortunate that sharing of my own perspective and experience somehow contributes to their success. In the process, we develop lasting relationships that are essential for a supportive, open, and vibrant department and academic community.”
Chrissy Spencer is a senior academic professional in the School of Biological Sciences. Colleagues commend her inclusiveness and keen ability to discover, leverage, and foster the strengths of others. By sharing the rationale behind policies, she promotes best practices while encouraging discovery of new ones to meet the needs of growth and change. She models effective teaching and communication, including seeking feedback and opportunities for collective decision-making.
“I have been so privileged to work on a diverse team of faculty, staff, and students with the common goal to educate from an evidence-based perspective,” Spencer says. “As colleagues join our group, they bring a wealth of energy and ideas to infuse into the biology curriculum and to disseminate to the biology-education literature.”
Haomin Zhou is a professor in the School of Mathematics. Colleagues praise his extraordinary commitment to mentoring junior researchers, including many from underrepresented minority groups. He is an exemplary role model. He welcomes everyone and provides junior faculty from underrepresented groups a real chance for success.
“The School of Mathematics has a tradition in mentoring young faculty members and postdocs, as evidenced by many former recipients of the College of Sciences Faculty Mentors award,” Zhou says. “I am very pleased to continue this tradition. It is a great honor that really belongs to many members of the school.”
Georgia Tech students in the Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program are working to help Ryker, a two-year-old beagle-Chihuahua mix, get mobile again after he was paralyzed by a BB gun pellet in July 2017.
Since then, Ryker has been in the care of Carolyn Reaves O’Brien, founder of Two Tailz Rescue in Roswell, Georgia. Because his front legs are still functional, he mostly gets around by dragging his back legs behind him. While efficient, this often leaves Ryker with sores and infections and necessitates monthly trips to the vet.
“When I walk my other dogs, I have to carry him in a backpack,” O’Brien said. “He’s only two and he has tons of energy, and he just wants to go with the others.”
After months of struggling, O’Brien reached out to Georgia Tech’s Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program for help.
Other options have included carts that flip over due to their lack of customizability, since Ryker’s 18.5 pounds are more than these carts usually support.
Students from the program are now competing in teams to provide the best option for Ryker. Two teams will make protective orthoses, or braces, for his back legs to prevent infections and discomfort. The remaining three groups will build a cart that provides more customization and functionality than carts currently on the market.
“He’s not exactly a small dog, but he’s not medium-sized,” said Gerald Stark, senior lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences and director of the master’s program. “That’s probably why what he has isn’t working.”
The teams first met Ryker on Feb. 5. They got straight to work evaluating, measuring, taking 3-D scans of his body, and even casting him in a plaster mold. Molly Jeffers, a first-year student in the program, wasn’t sure what to expect before meeting Ryker. She’s working on one of the teams creating his leg braces.
“He’s smaller than I thought he’d be, but so far the challenge seems about on par with what I was expecting,” she said.
None of the students in the program have worked on prosthetics or orthoses for animals before, but many are dog owners.
“One of the things that will make this hard is that we usually test things out on each other, but we can’t do that,” said Max Spencer, a first-year graduate student in the program. Spencer said they also usually do critique sessions with those who will be using the prosthetic or orthotic. “He can’t tell us what’s wrong or what hurts like a human would, so we’ll have to closely watch how he moves and responds.”
The teams hope to have a solution within the next couple of months. Meanwhile, Ryker is still looking for a forever home.
Pages
