Science Seminars is a weekly list of science-related seminars sponsored by colleges, research institutes, and other organizations throughout Penn State. Science Seminars is published by the Penn State Eberly College of Science as a service to Penn State and its surrounding communities

Science Seminars

18 to 24 April 2005

MONDAY, 18 APRIL

"Plus-End Tracking of a Minus-End Motor: A Paradox and Its Contribution to Microtubule Organization," Chris Ambrose, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 106 Wartik Laboratory, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Physiology (863-3892).

"Antitumor-Drug Discovery Using Natural Products and Novel Targets," Sidney M. Hecht, University of Virginia, 2:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Steven Weinreb, Department of Chemistry (863-0189).

SEMINAR CANCELLED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Quantum Black Holes, Strong Fields, and Relativistic Heavy Ions," Dmitri Kharzeev, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Mark Strikman, Department of Physics (865-7382).

"Hydrogen Bonding in Biological Materials: The Importance of Cooperative Interactions for Determination of Peptide Structures," Joseph Dannenberg, Hunter College, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Kenneth Merz, Department of Chemistry (865-3623).

"The Hunt for the Dawn Monkey: Unearthing the Origins of Monkeys, Apes, and Humans," Chris Beard, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4:00 p.m., 114 Earth-Engineering Sciences Building, Earth and Environmental Systems Institute (863-7091).

"Transcriptional Regulatory Mechanisms in Yeast and Human Cells" (Pollard lecture), Kevin Struhl, Harvard University, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Joseph Reese, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-1976 or 865-3072).

"University of Florida Tomato Breeding: Past Accomplishments and Future Directions," Jay Scott, University of Florida, 4:00 p.m., 108 Tyson Building, Department of Horticulture (863-3371).

TUESDAY, 19 APRIL

"Algorithms and Randomization in Networking and Social Networks," Aravind Srinivasan, University of Maryland, 10:00 a.m., 333 Information Sciences and Technology Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering (865-9505).

"Quantitative Ethology: A Study of Song Development in the Zebra Finch," Partha Mitra, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 3:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Dezhe Jin, Department of Physics (865-7533).

"Evolutionary Genomic Approaches to Identifying Adaptive Trait Genes in Arabidopsis," Karl Schmid (faculty candidate), Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (Germany), 4:00 p.m. (refreshments at 3:45 p.m.), 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Hong Ma, Department of Biology (865-4562).

(title to be announced), Francois Morel, Princeton University, 4:00 p.m., 22 Deike Building, Department of Geosciences (865-2622).

WEDNESDAY, 20 APRIL

"Mutations in the Toll-like Receptor 4 (TLR-4) Gene: Signaling and Susceptibility to infection," Stefanie Vogel, University of Maryland, 11:00 a.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, host: Eric Harvill, Department of Veterinary Science (863-8522).

(title to be announced), Luc Blachet, Institute of Applied Physics (France), 12:00 noon, 318 Osmond Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9601).

(title to be announced), Jamie Blair, Penn State, 12:10 p.m., 317 Mueller Laboratory, host: Masatoshi Nei, Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics (863-7334).

"Lecture I: Contact Non-Squeezing at the Quantum Scale," Leonid Polterovich, Tel Aviv University (Israel), 3:30 p.m., 122 Pond Laboratory, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

THURSDAY, 21 APRIL

"Contributions of the JC-Virus Tumor Proteins to Cellular Transformation," Catherine Hofstetter, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Richard Frisque, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

(title to be announced), Eric Mortenson, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Nanoparticle Optics for Surface-Enhanced Sensing and Spectroscopy," Richard Van Duyne, Northwestern University, 12:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Christine Keating, Department of Chemistry (863-7832).

"Cadherins in Axon Guidance and Synapse Assembly," Deanna Benson, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 4:00 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, host: Gong Chen, Eberly College of Science + Department of Biology + Department of Biobehavioral Health + Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences + College of Health and Human Development + Department of Chemistry (865-2488).

ADDED AFTER EMAIL DISTRIBUTION:
"Instrumentation for Imaging Cancer," David Townsend, University of Tennessee, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Mark Strikman, Department of Physics (865-7382).

"On the Detection and Retrieval of Cirrus Properties Using Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) Data," Brian Kahn, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4:00 p.m., 112 Walker Building, Department of Meterology (863-8566).

"Quasi-Morphisms and Quasi-States in Symplectic Topology," Leonid Polterovich, Tel Aviv University (Israel), 4:00 p.m., 215 Thomas Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

FRIDAY, 22 APRIL

"Transition to Organic at Rock Springs: Initial Measures of Soil," Andy Hulting, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Entomology (865-1895).

"Soil Compaction Effects and Management in No-Till," Dilraj Sidhu Talwar, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (863-1601).

"The Flexed-Tail (f ) Mutant Mouse: Advancing the Understanding of Expansive Erythropoiesis," Laurie Lenox, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Robert Paulson, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-3072).

"Hot Electron Relations in Seminconductor Quantum Wells and Dots" by LaSalle Swenson and "Molecular Structure and Interactions at Aqueous Interfaces" by Michael Russo, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, hosts: Thomas Mallouk and Barbara Garrison, Department of Chemistry (863-9637 or 863-2103).

(title to be announced), Edoardo Sontag, Rutgers University, 3:30 p.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

SATURDAY, 23 APRIL and SUNDAY, 24 APRIL

(none)

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Additions or cancellations will be noted on weekly Science Seminar listings on the Web.

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Science Seminars is a weekly list of science-related seminars sponsored by colleges, research institutes, and other organizations throughout Penn State. Science Seminars is published by the Penn State Eberly College of Science as a service to Penn State and its surrounding communities. Click here for additional information about Science Seminars, or for instruction on how to SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE.

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Press releases occasionally are written for some of the lectures sponsored by the Eberly College of Science. If you would like to receive copies of these press releases in the future, send a note to Barbara K. Kennedy at SCIENCE@PSU.EDU. Your e-mail address will be added to a distribution list.

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Penn State is an affirmative action, equal opportunity university. Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the office in charge of the seminar in advance of your attendance. U.Ed. SCI 05-129

This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Barbara K. Kennedy and Kristen Devlin.