The Art and Science of Systems Biology

March 26, 2010toMarch 27, 2010

The Art and Science of Systems Biology is a two-day event that will feature public lectures on quantitative biology, workshops for kids, and an exhibition of winning pieces in the NSF-sponsored 2009 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge. This competition celebrates the grand tradition of the visualization of research—powerful statements made not through words, but through visuals such as DaVinci’s diagrams or Rosalind Franklin’s x-rays.

Highlights

Evening Lectures
On Friday at 5:30 pm, Drs. Garrett M. Odell and Victoria E. Foe, of the Center for Cell Dynamics in Friday Harbor, Washington, will explore the topic “How the sea urchin embryo gets its cleavage furrows (in the right place)” and explain the long-standing mystery of how a parent cell divides to produce two daughter cells. The lecture comprises a sequence of pictures and movies that border on art.

On Saturday at 5:30 pm, Dr. Bridget S. Wilson, of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, will speak on “Journey through the Cell” and present a survey of imaging technologies that provide 3D views of cells and cellular compartments reminiscent of Hollywood’s 1966 film “Fantastic Voyage.”

Workshops for Kids of All Ages
On Saturday from noon to 4 pm, the event will host workshops organized by local scientists on nanoscience, agent-based modeling, and imaging. The nanoscience workshop features interactive experiments for kids of all ages and is part of a national network of educational events designed to reach under-represented audiences in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Fulldome Projection
Lumenscape/UNM ARTS Lab will host dome projections of educational animations like those seen at DomeFest or like Molecularium’s trip through the crystalline structure of a snowflake or closeup look at the molecular machinery of a living cell.

Exhibition of Visualization Challenge Winners
On both evenings, the event features an exhibition of winning pieces from the 2009 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge, an annual competition sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Science magazine.

Agenda

Friday, March 26, 2010

4:30-5:30 Private reception for registered participants
  • Register here (registration is fast and free, but limited)
5:30-7:45 Public Lecture 1
7:45-9:00 Viewing

Saturday, March 27, 2010

12:00-1:00 Kid-friendly opening reception and viewing
  • 12:00 Doors open – viewing of Lumenscape dome projections of Molecularium videos
1:00-4:00 Workshop 1 – Nanoscience (abstract)
  • Interactive experiments for kids of all ages – a national NanoDays event
  • Exhibits are on display all afternoon
2:00-3:00 Workshop 2 – Agent-based modeling (abstract)
  • 2:00-2:30 A brief introduction to agent-based modeling of molecular interactions
  • 2:30-3:00 Software tutorial – learn what executable biology is all about!
3:00-4:00 Workshop 3 – Imaging
  • Take a peek at the molecular world
4:00-4:30 Break

4:30-5:30 Private reception for registered participants
  • Register here (registration is fast and free, but limited)
5:30-7:00 Public Lecture 2
7:00-9:00 Viewing

Speakers:

Display–Visualization Challenge Winners:

  • Branching Morphogenesis
  • Kuen’s Surface: a Meditation on Euclid, Lobachevsky, and Quantum Fields
  • Jellyfish Burger
  • Save our Earth, Let’s Go Green
  • Flower Power

Organizers and Event Coordinators:

Sponsors: