Difference between revisions of "Journey through the cell"

Revision as of 10:02, 16 February 2010

Bridget S. Wilson, Ph.D. Professor, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

A popular film in 1966 was FANTASTIC VOYAGE, remembered for its fanciful view of the human body as experienced by a miniaturized crew. While hugely imaginative and fun to watch (remember Raquel Welch swarming with antibodies?), this was Hollywood’s vision and far from reality. Four decades later, teams of scientists are making use of advanced imaging, nanotechnologies, and sophisticated computational methods to capture and illustrate the real behavior of individual molecules and cells that make up the body. In this lecture, Dr. Wilson will survey some of these exciting new methods, including computer simulations of ion channel openings and 3D views of cellular compartments. She particularly focus on technologies that have been developed and applied by collaborative research teams in New Mexico, including UNM, Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.