Popping the Science Bubble @Central

cacti resilience & membrane tension

A UC Berkeley seminar series

Learn about cutting-edge research happening at UC Berkeley, directly from the scientists themselves. Join Popping the Science Bubble on Tuesday, September 15th at 5:30 pm at the Central Library in the second floor Mystery Room or join us virtually on Zoom: http://bit.ly/PtSBBerkeley (register at the link).

This month's presentations will be:

Are cacti ready to face climate change? — Eddy Mendoza-Galindo, Plant and Microbial Biology

Plants are constantly challenged by climate change, and their ability to survive depends on their genetic composition. In this talk, we will explore the genetics of Saguaro cacti living in the Sonoran Desert. We will also look at what their genes can tell us about how they might respond to future climate change, why even succulent plants face these challenges, and why understanding their genetics is key to protecting them.

Making a fluorescent sensor: TRAAKing membrane tension — Anna Elleman, Molecular and Cell Biology

Mechanical forces underly fundamental biological processes (cell division, sensation) and diverse pathologies (hypertension, cancer). These forces are translated to intracellular signals through transient changes in membrane tension. Today I will describe how we engineered a small protein to visualize membrane tension change in living cells. We call this sensor Tension TRAAKer, and expect it to be a powerful tool for the study of mechanotransduction across biological systems and diseases.

Learn more at the Science Bubble website.

Watch past talks on YouTube.

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