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

29 January to 4 February 2007

MONDAY, 29 JANUARY

"Lycopene Quantitative-Trait-Locus (QTL) Discovery: The Initial Step in Breeding for Value-Added Tomatoes," Matthew Kinkade, Penn State, 12:10 p.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology (863-3892).

"Recent Developments in Heck Cyclizations with Unfunctionallized Arenes (Fujiwara-Moritani Arylations)," Mark Nilson, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Ray Funk, Department of Chemistry (865-2057).

(title to be announced), Pilhwa Lee, New York University, 3:30 p.m., 216 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

"Atomic-Scale Simulations in the Nanoscience of Interfaces," Kristen Fichthorn, Penn State, 3:35 p.m., 203 Sackett Building, host: Lyle N. Long, Department of Aerospace Engineering (865-1172 or www.ics.psu.edu/springsem.html).

"Climate Change and Weed Ecology," Lewis Ziska, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3:35 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology (865-5557).

"The Yeast Palmitoyl Proteome: Mapping Palmitoylated Substrates to Cognate Palmitoyl Transferases," Nicholas G. Davis, Wayne State University, 4:00 p.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Bernhard Lüscher, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (865-5549).

"Understanding Cosmic Acceleration: Connecting Theory and Observation," Hirayna Peiris, University of Chicago, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, Department of Physics and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics (863-9605 or www.phys.psu.edu or www.astro.psu.edu).

TUESDAY, 30 JANUARY

"Nanoscience of Liquid Crystals and Porous Materials: Insights from Computational Modeling," Francisco Hung, University of Wisconsin, 10:00 a.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering (863-1375).

"Drinfeld Modular Varieties as Varieties with Many Rational Points Over Finite Fields," Mihran Papikian (faculty candidate), Stanford University, 11:15 a.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

(title to be announced), Keith Krise, Penn State, 4:00 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Erin Sheets, Department of Chemistry (863-0044).

WEDNESDAY, 31 JANUARY

"X-ray Emission from Thunderstorms and Lightning," Joseph Dwyer, Florida Institute of Technology, 2:30 p.m., 339 Davey Laboratory, host: Stephane Coutu, Department of Physics (865-2015).

THURSDAY, 1 FEBRUARY

"Biofluid Dynamics of Blood Cells," Constantine Pozrikidis, University of California, 10:00 a.m., 108 Wartik Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering (863-1375).

"Prozac for Prokaryotes: Relief of Stress Due to Inhibition of the Essential Sigma-Factor sigma^E in E. coli," Jennifer Hayden, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 101 Althouse Laboratory, host: Sarah Ades, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (863-1088).

"An Endless Universe," Paul Steinhardt, Princeton University, 4:00 p.m., 117 Osmond Laboratory, host: Martin Bojowald, Department of Physics (865-3502).

FRIDAY, 2 FEBRUARY

"New Black-Hole Solutions of Einstein's Equations Inspired by Noncommutative Geometry," Piero Nicolini, University of Trieste (Italy), 11:00 a.m., 320 Whitmore Laboratory, Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry (863-9605 or www.gravity.psu.edu).

"Trafficking of Metastatic-Breast-Cancer Cells in Bone," Andrea Mastro, Penn State, 11:15 a.m., 127 Noll Laboratory, Noll Physiological Research Center (865-3453).

"Linkage Analysis and the Structurally Volatile Genome of Poa annua L." Jonathan La Mantia, Penn State, 12:20 p.m., 101 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (863-1601).

"Kinetic Multiscale Modeling and Simulation of Cluster-Formation Processes in Free-Gas Expansions," Deborah Levin, Penn State, 2:30 p.m., 102 Chemistry Building, host: Barbara Garrison, Department of Chemistry (863-2103).

"Einstein's Wife" (video), 3:30 p.m., 211 Davey Laboratory, Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library (865-7617 or www.libraries.psu.edu/pams/filmseries.html).

"The Regularity of Green Potentials and the Solution of the Chang-Krantz-Stein Conjecture," Marius Mitrea, University of Missouri, 3:35 p.m., 106 McAllister Building, Department of Mathematics (865-7527).

SATURDAY, 3 FEBRUARY

"Addiction: A Bad Case of Good Memory" (Frontiers lecture #2 of 5), Kyung-An Han, Penn State, 11:00 a.m.,100 Thomas Building, Eberly College of Science (863-0901 or www.science.psu.edu/alert/frontiers).

SUNDAY, 4 FEBRUARY

(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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NOTICE: PRESS RELEASES AVAILABLE
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.

This publication is available in alternative media on request.

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 07-71

This issue of SCIENCE SEMINARS was produced by Leta A. Krumrine and Kristen Devlin.