Series Finale: Alumni Highlights featuring
Brian León (Dept. of Chemistry, UCSC)
Russell Roberson (Dept. of Chemistry, Caltech)
Robert Vogel (Weill Cornell Medical College)
Friday, April 6, 2012 from 10:30am-12pm in SM313

About the Speakers:
All three guest speakers are Saddleback College alumni. Each guest will speak about their current research and answer audience questions.

Brian León will discuss the research his laboratory has begun to discover biofilm inhibitors/molecular probes that will allow them to study biofilm progression and physiology, as well as provide new avenues for therapeutic intervention. Read more here.

Russell Roberson will discuss "Chemistry at the Frontiers of Biological Science". Russ believes the current state of public health has provoked a new paradigm of interdisciplinary research at top-rank universities. The capacity of chemists to access the "chemical logic" of reactions in cells affords them the unique opportunity to make this dialectic accessible to scientists of myriad backgrounds. Read more here.

Robert Vogel will discuss his research on single cell phospho-profiling and its relationship in drug inhibition of signaling pathways. His research lab has developed experimental assays and computational techniques to circumvent difficulties found when using other assays that do not account for dynamic and intrinsic complexities. Read more here.

End of Series : Outside the Science Math student lounge(SM312) following this lecture. The first 200 attendees at the Alumni Highlights lecture program get a ticket for a free lunch.

"Sniffing Molecules with Nanowires"
by Dr. Reginald M.Penner, University of California in Irvine
Friday, March 23, 2012 from 10:30am-12pm in SM313

Speaker info: Dr. Reginald M. Penner, Ph.D., has been a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at University of California, Irvine (UCI) since 1998. Previously, he was an Associate Professor from 1995 to 1998, and as an Assistant Professor from 1990 to 1995, at UCI. Dr. Penner is a frequent lecturer at university and industry events around the world. In 1991. Dr. Penner established the Penner Group High School Outreach Program for local high school students. He served as Member of Scientific Advisory team of QuantumSphere, Inc. Dr. Penner has been the recipient of many awards including: 2004-2006 National Science Foundation, Award for Special Creativity; 200- Hellmuth Fischer Medal, 8th International Fischer Symposium; 1995-2000 - Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award; 1995-1997 - Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow; 1995- UCI School of Physical Sciences Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education; and more. Dr. Penner received a B.A. in Chemistry and Biology from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1983, a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Texas A&M University in 1987, and served as a post-doctoral fellow at Standford University and the California Institute of Technology.

Lecture Abstract: Dr. Penner's current research focuses on the development of new synthetic methods for nanomaterials that have unique and useful properties for chemical sensing, and other applications such as thermoelectrics and optoelectrics. The emphasis is on electronic materials including metals, metal oxides, semiconductors, thermoelectric materials, and electronically conductive polymers.

"Cystic Fibrosis: Journey to a Cure"
by Dr. Brian Bear, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, San Diego CA
Friday, March 2, 2012 from 10:30am-12pm in SM313
Lecture dedicated to Dr. Curt McLendon

Speaker info:
Dr. Brian Bear is a Senior Research Scientist in the Discovery Innovation department at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, California.  He earned a B.S. in chemistry and a M.B.A. from Penn State University and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from University of California, Irvine.  His research has focused on the discovery of small molecules for the treatment of life-threatening diseases such as cystic fibrosis and cancer. Most recently, Dr. Brian Bear has focused his research on the Cystic Fibrosis treatment Kalydeco. In January 2012, Vertex received FDA approval for Kalydeco, which is the first medicine to treat the underlying cause of Cystic Fibrosis.

Lecture Abstract:
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening, genetic disease that affects 30,000 people in the U.S. and 70,000 worldwide. CF is caused by defective or mission CTFR proteins resulting from mutations in the CFTR gene. CFTR proteins act as channels at the cell surface that control the flow of salt and water across the cell membrane. When the defective CFTR protein does not work properly at the cell surface, abnormally thick, sticky mucus builds up in the lungs. The digestive tract and a number of other organs are also affected.
This lecture will include a historic look at the discovery and treatments of cystic fibrosis over the past 50 years, as well as an overview of current drug discovery approaches toward the treatment of the disease.

"Strawberry Poison Frog: Ecological
and Evolutionary Studies of a Model Organism"
by Dr. Maureen A. Donnelly, Florida International University
Friday, January 20, 2012 from 10:30am-12pm in SM313
Lecture dedicated to Dr. Bayard Brattstrom

Speaker info:
Dr. Maureen Donnelly is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies for the College of Arts & Sciences at Florida International University (FIU). Dr. Donnelly earned a B.A. in Biology (with honors) from CSU Fullerton and has a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Miami. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the territoriality in the poison-dart frog, Dendrobates pumilio. Her curatorial experiece includes a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the American Museum of Natural History. She has a great deal of teaching experience, and has mentored and supervised countless undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Connelly is the author of several books, including

Lecture Abstract:
The strawberry poison frog, Oophaga (= Dendrobates) pumilio has been the focus of many studies in ecology and evolutionary biology, and in my talk I will summarize what we have learned regarding the natural history, ecology, and evolution of this remarkable frog, and how this body of knowledge can inform studies of other dendrobatid species characterized by female feeding of tadpoles.  While we have accumulated substantial data concerning the La Selva population, relationships among the Panamanian populations, alkaloid profiles of a several populations in Costa Rica and Panama, several aspects of biology remain to be explored.  I will focus on feeding and its relation to chemical defense and coloration and will also describe other aspects of dendrobatid biology, as seen through the O. pumilio lens.

"Untangled Amyloid: Slowing the Progression of
Alzheimer's Disease and Type 2 Diabetes "
by Dr. David Moffet, Loyola Marymount University
Friday, December 2, 2011 from 10:30am-12pm in SM313
Lecture dedicated to Dr. Richard McCullough

Speaker info:
Dr. David Moffet earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Princeton University in 2002, then completed a NIH Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship at Brown University. Dr. Moffet is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Loyola Marymount University. Over the past six years, he has been the academic advisor, honors thesis advisor, and undergraduate research advisor to nearly 100 students at LMU. Dr. Moffet is currently the Principal Investigator for research funded by the NIH Institute of Aging. His lab is focused on "Screening of Biological and Synthetic Compounds for the Discovery of Novel Substances that Prevent Amyloid Formation". For more information click here.

Lecture Abstract:
Several diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes, are directly linked to the unwanted misfolding of proteins.  Rather than being removed by the body, these misfolded proteins aggregate to form a toxic substance called amyloid.  The amyloid-linked diseases represent a serious threat to the overall health of our nation.  The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that 5.1 million Americans are currently afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease while the American Diabetes Association estimates that 25.8 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, approximately 8.3% of our population.  Because the onset of both diseases is linked to age, the number of people afflicted will increase as our population ages.  Our research at LMU involves screening thousands of substances to find those few that are capable of preventing the first step in the formation of toxic amyloid.  We will describe the characterization of several small peptides and small molecules discovered at LMU by undergraduate research students. 

Read articles by Dr. Moffet: Biochemistry Journal (2010), Journal of Peptide Science (2009),Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education (2009)

Dedication:
This lecture is dedicated to Dr. Richard McCullough for his lifelong commitment to Saddleback College.
Dr. McCullough started his career as a professor in the Biological Sciences Department in 1971. He served in many capacities during his 37 years at the college, including as Chair of the Biological Sciences Department, Dean of the Mathematics, Science and Engineering Division, and College President from 2004 to 2008. Although now retired from academia, Dr. McCullough continues to support students as a member of the Saddleback College Foundation.

"Understanding Dolphin Biosonar by Rocket Science,
Finite Element Modeling, and High-speed Video Endoscopy"
by Dr. Ted W. Cranford, San Diego State University
Friday, November 18, 2011 from 10:30am-12pm in SM313

Speaker info:
Dr. Ted W. Cranford is an Adjunct Professor of Research in the Department of Biology at San Diego State University (SDSU). Dr. Cranford is interested in questions of functional morphology (broadly defined) and in understanding patterns of morphologic changes in evolution. Marine mammals offer exemplary comparative models for questions about mammalian anatomy and physiology. Dr. Cranford's work focuses primarily upon the functional morphology of biosonar, particularly sound generation and transmission, but also sound reception in toothed whales. He prefers to combine technological tools with traditional anatomic techniques to develop new or innovative methods to interrogate the structure/function complex. This combination of methods enables him to answer intriguing questions about the origin and evolution of biosonar in toothed whales.
Read articles by Dr. Ted Cranford:
The Anatomical Record, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology.

Lecture Abstract:
The potential deleterious effects of high-intensity sound on living marine resources has become a controversial topic over the last decade, with at least one court case reaching the United States Supreme Court.  Investigating acoustic physiology in large whales is problematic.  We have developed a technique to produce finite element models of whale heads.  These models allow us to simulate what happens when the anatomy of the whale interacts with sound energy, producing unexpected discoveries and a new paradigm for whale hearing.  Simulations revealed “new” pathways for sound propagation into and out of toothed whale heads.  Computer models are valuable because they provide a means to simulate bioacoustic physiology across a broad range of sizes and taxa.  In addition, virtual experiments can help determine the potential for physical damage from exposure to high-intensity sound and provide a means for evaluating mitigation efforts.  Assessing the veracity of our models, a process known as validation, was accomplished using fiber optics endoscopes to peer into the dolphin sound generation apparatus during biosonar.

Read about the Spring 2011 lecture series at http://www.saddleback.edu/mse/lectures2011.html