Host: National Institutes of Health
Start Date: Jun 28, 2017
Time: 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Location: Bethesda, MD (NIH main campus, Building 10, Masur Auditorium)
Description: NIH BRAIN-funded investigator, Dr. Feng Zhang, will be presenting at the NIH Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series. Dr. Zhang is Core Member, The Broad Institute of MIT; Investigator, McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Associate Professor, Departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lecture summary: The microbial CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems provide archaea and bacteria with a programmable defense against invading nucleic acids. Several years ago, Dr. Zhang and others reported that the effector module from Streptococcus pyogenes CRISPR-Cas9 (SpCas9) could be harnessed for genome editing. Following this work, Zhang's lab has discovered, characterized, and engineered additional Cas enyzmes for use as molecular biology tools. These include a novel class of CRISPR-Cas systems that use RNA-guided RNases, such as Cas13a (C2c2) and Cas13b. Leveraging the natural properties of Cas13a, the lab developed a single-molecule nucleic acid sensing platform termed SHERLOCK, which can be used for rapid pathogen detection and genotyping. Zhang is continuing to explore microbial diversity to identify novel enzymes and systems that could serve as the basis for the development of additional molecular biology tools and applying these tools to tackle complex biological questions. This lecture will be followed by a reception in the NIH Library. Special thanks to the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) for its support of the weekly reception. FAES is proud to co-sponsor with the NIH in hosting the Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series. To watch the WALS lecture online, visit http://videocast.nih.gov. Registration is not required; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Fire regulations require that every person in Masur Auditorium must have a seat. Standing in the aisles or in the back of the auditorium is not permitted. Sign language interpreters can be provided. Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation to participate in this event should contact Jacqueline Roberts, Jacqueline.Roberts@nih.gov, 301-594-6747, or the Federal Relay, 800-877-8339.