The Millennium Café runs 10-11am in the 3rd floor Café Commons of the MSC Bldg. Join researchers from across campus for a stellar cup of coffee and two <10 min interdisciplinary talks. All Millennium Café events are free and open to the Penn State community, include coffee and breakfast pastries, and are held in the third floor Café Commons of the Millennium Science Complex at University Park.
Decoding Microbial Diversity in the Gut Microbiome
Humans are colonized by highly diverse communities of microbes which shape our health. While diversity is correlated with health, it is often not clear why. This Bisanz lab uses lab-built microbial communities and germ-free animal models to understand the mechanisms through which diverse microbes interact with each other and the host. We seek to conduct mechanistic research with real world applications. Current research includes how healthy gut microbes impact resistance to infectious disease, pharmaceutical therapy, and exposure to environmental chemicals.
Presenter: Jordan Bisanz | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Using Light to Design Robust Functional Coatings
I will highlight recent advances in our group in the engineering of functional, topographically-, and chemically-patterned polymer coatings via light-mediated surface-initiated polymerization. Oxygen tolerance, mild reaction conditions, and the use of visible light make this approach user-friendly in its application for the design of e.g., anti-microbial surfaces, anti-fogging coatings, and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs).
Presenter: Christian Pester | Chemical Engineering