The annual student-invited biochemistry seminar will occur Friday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m. in TW-Chemistry room 121. Distinguished Professor Dr. Jo Handelsman of the University of Wisconsin-Madison will present a lecture titled “Finding THOR’s Hammer: Multi-omics search for the driver of microbiome function.”
Handelsman is the director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor, an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, and previously served as associate director for science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) from 2014-17. She is responsible for groundbreaking studies in microbial communication and is widely recognized for her contributions to science education and diversity in science. Her work focuses on the genetic basis for stability of microbial soil and gut communities, as well as the emergence of opportunistic bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes.
Handelsman’s visit is supported jointly by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and was organized by undergraduate students of the Topics in Biochemistry (BIOL 4931) course. The course introduces students to new research methodologies, offers insight into how cutting-edge research is conducted, and provides strategies for reading and evaluating the primary literature research papers from a principal investigator. In addition to her seminar, students will meet with Handelsman to learn more about her approach to scientific research and her life perspectives.
