Systems Biology DTC Monthly Seminar Series 13:00 until evening, December 7th 2012 This month’s main speaker: Prof David Rand: “Oscillators: Clocks, Signals and Cycles” Abstract: I will discuss a number of examples from research projects I am working on. I want to discuss how oscillations are used in cells for timing, to carry information and to control cellular processes. I will look at this from the point of view of trying to understand system design principles for the circadian clock, the NF-­‐kappaB signalling system and the cell cycle. Schedule 13:00-­‐14:00 Lunch 14:00-­‐15:00 Main speaker 15:00-­‐15:15 Tea/coffee 15:15-­‐16:15 PhD presentations 16:20-­‐16:45 Post-­‐doc talk 16:45 onwards Wine and cheese Monthly Seminar Program
Guest Speakers:
Prof. David Rand
Research Fellow Speaker:
Dr. Jo Rhodes
Phd Speakers:
Alexander Bird
Kashi Gorton
Catriona Smith
7th December 2012
Seminar program
Time
13:00-14:00
Session
Lunch
Location
Common room
14:00-15:00
David Rand
MOAC Seminar room
15:00-15:15
Tea and coffee break
Common room
15:15-16:15
3 Phd Presentations
Phd presentations consist 15 minute talks (including questions) audience rotates between
three rooms
Alexander Bird
Kashi Gorton
Catriona Smith
MOAC Seminar Room
WSB 32
WSB 336
16:15-16:20
Break
Common room
16:20-16:45
Jo Rhodes
MOAC Seminar room
16:45 onwards
Wine and Cheese
Common room
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Presentation Description
Guest Speaker Session
Oscillators: Clocks, Signals and Cycles
I will discuss a number of examples from research projects I am working on.
I want to discuss how oscillations are used in cells for timing, to carry information and to control cellular processes. I will look at this from the point
of view of trying to understand system design principles for the circadian
clock, the NF-κB signalling system and the cell cycle.
Research Fellow Session
Jo Rhodes
Life as a Post Doc
A journey through one woman’s rise through the tough world of academia,
and how switching scientific disciplines can work.
Phd Session 1:
Alexander Bird
Emergent activity in spiking-neuron networks
The complex patterns of cortical activity such as up-down states or epilepsy
are the focus of a massive international research effort. Recently there have
been significant advances in our knowledge of the cellular components of
cortical tissue and the dynamic properties of the synapses that connect
them. There is also an increasing amount of data available at the mesoscopic
level, at which the collective activity of many thousands of neurons can be
measured using voltage-sensitive dyes and calcium imaging. The project
is developing models of short-term synaptic plasticity, leading towards the
population-based methods required to incorporate higher-order motifs into
neocortical network models.
Phd Session 2:
Kashi Gorton
Abstract not provided by speaker
Phd Session 3:
Catriona Smith
Peptide Mimetics Targeted to mRNA 5'Cap-Dependent Translation
A critical step in cap-dependent translation initiation in eukaryotes involves
the association of eIF4G with the cap-binding protein eIF4E, to form eIF4F,
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which then recruits the 43S ribosomal pre-initiation complex to the 5’ end
of the mRNA with the collaboration of other eIF factors. The eIF4F interaction can be blocked by small regulatory proteins, the 4E-BPs, via competition with eIF4G for the same dorsal site on eIF4E. We are investigating
the mechanism for modulation of translation initiation by regulation of the
system via a dynamic phosphorylative repression of 4E-BP binding. We
postulate that the key role of the phosphorylation events in this process is
to modify the propensity of the 4E-BPs for adopting the required alphahelical binding conformation. We are investigating this via structural and
biophysical experiments using helically stabilised peptides representing the
binding region of 4E-BP1.
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