Events
MicroMorning
The most important community-oriented activity we sponsor is MicroMorning, a monthly seminar series where students and postdocs in the CEMI program present their work. Usually 2 individuals present 20-25 min talks (+ 5 min questions) to fill the hour, but on rare occasions we invite an outside speaker. MicroMorning is primarily designed to provide CEMI students and postdocs with an opportunity to practice giving a formal talk to a friendly Caltech audience. Numerous collaborations have been sparked between labs at Caltech thanks to creative connections made during these seminars. Doors open for breakfast (coffee, bagels) at 9am, with talks from 9:30-10:30am.
MicroMorning
9:30-10:30am, B180 BBB
Doors open at 9:00am for socializing and breakfast
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
“A redox role for the [4Fe4S] cluster of yeast DNA polymerase δ”
Phillip Bartels
Barton Lab
DNA polymerase (Pol) δ, the enzyme responsible for lagging strand synthesis in eukaryotic DNA replication, contains a [4Fe4S]2+ cluster initially thought to serve only a structural role. Using electrochemical, spectroscopic, and biochemical methods, we demonstrate that the [4Fe4S]2+ cluster of yeast Pol δ can also perform a redox function. DNA-bound Pol δ accesses a reversible [4Fe4S]2+/3+ redox couple with a midpoint potential of 113 ± 5 mV vs NHE, and activity assays with oxidized protein show a marked slowing of DNA synthesis. Remarkably, re-reduction restores activity to near native levels. Collectively, these results suggest that the [4Fe4S] cluster may act as a redox switch to regulate polymerase activity.
“Functional responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during energy-limited growth arrest”
David Basta
Newman Lab
Bacterial growth arrest is a common mode of microbial existence in various environments, yet one that is poorly understood at the molecular level. Recently, we performed a genomic screen to identify fitness determinants during energy-limited growth arrest in P. aeruginosa. We discovered that multiple categories of genes were essential at different stages of growth arrest and uncovered a role for the membrane protease FtsH in maintaining cell envelope integrity. Based on our data, we hypothesize that upon entry into growth arrest, cells must remodel their cell envelope in order to fortify this barrier in the absence of ongoing repair and turnover.
Upcoming MicroMorning
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Jensen and Orphan Labs
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Peters and Shapiro Labs
Social Events
In addition to MicroMorning, CEMI sponsors three social events during the academic year:
Fall Poster Session (early October): All CEMI labs present one or more posters on their lab’s research. This helps incoming/current students and postdocs remain up-to-date on that latest research projects going on across the campus. One attractive feature of Caltech is that students admitted in any graduate program are welcome to rotate in any lab (as long as the lab is taking students), so this poster session can open up new interests and areas for exploration. It also can spawn new collaborations between labs.
Winter Lectures and Evening Gala (early January): To celebrate the start of the calendar year, we invite a keynote speaker from outside Caltech to give a seminar, plus a few shorter talks by assistant professors or postdocs at Caltech and other local universities. These “Winter Lectures” are open to anyone interested. As a companion event, we hold a formal gathering for a limited number of CEMI sponsors, faculty, and students and postdocs currently being supported by CEMI grants. The evening’s entertainment is organized by a different CEMI lab each year, and the evening culminates with a presentation of the “CEMI Oscars” (we are close to Hollywood, after all…), roasting CEMI members for notable achievements in the past year, all in good fun.
| Date | Past Lectures |
|---|---|
| January 5, 2018 |
James Boedicker (USC) “The regulation and consequences of gene transfer in extracellular vesicles” Roy Kishony (Technion) “Tracing and reversing antibiotic resistance” Mikhail Shapiro (Caltech) “Proteins, sound waves and heat: imaging and controlling the function of microbes in mammalian hosts” Katrine Whiteson (UCI) “Metabolites, germs and people: eavesdropping on microbial communities in the Cystic Fibrosis airways” |
| December 9, 2016 | Martin Ackermann (ETH) “Collective functionality in bacterial groups” Kevin Foster (Oxford) “Cooperation and competition in microbes: from model systems to the microbiome” Alexis Pasulka (Caltech, Orphan Lab) “Nanoscale isotopic and microscopic investigations of marine viruses” Lisa Racki (Caltech, Newman Lab) “Cell biology of starvation: polyphosphate granules biogenesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa” |
| January 29, 2016 |
Frances Arnold (Caltech) “Innovation by evolution: expanding the enzyme universe” Michael Wagner (University of Vienna) “Nitrification revisited with single cell tools” |
Spring Happy Hour (early April): In recognition of the fact that sometimes the most inspired ideas come when we least expect them, we promote casual conversation between all members of the CEMI community supplemented with drinks and food at the start of the spring term (no posters required!).
Workshops
CEMI occasionally supports training courses at Caltech that provide members of the CEMI community with an opportunity for intensive training in a particular area. Any member of the CEMI community is welcome to suggest a topic for a workshop. Please contact the CEMI administrator if you have an idea.
| Year | Topic |
|---|---|
| 2014 | A Scientific Presentation Skills Workshop was held June 24 through August 19, 2014 on campus to help students and postdocs with public speaking and scientific presentation skills. |
| 2013 | A Bioinformatics Workshop was held Sept 16 through Sept 20, 2013 on campus. Instructors: Titus Brown and Rob Knight. |