Wesleyan’s Molecular Biophysics Program held its 14th annual Molecular Biophysics and Biological Chemistry Retreat at Wadsworth Mansion on Sept. 25.
The day-long event provided undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and guests interested in molecular biophysics, physics and chemistry to mingle and learn about each other’s ongoing research. Students shared their own research at two poster sessions held in the morning and afternoon.At right, James Williamson, professor in the departments of integrative structural and computational biology at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. delivered the keynote address on “Dynamics of Ribosome Assembly in Cells. Williamson was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in honor of his research on ribosome assembly mechanisms, and he currently serves on the editorial board of two academic journals.Following a poster session, Mikhaela-Rita Mihailescu, associate professor in the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Duquesne University, gave her presentation “Long-range RNA-RNA Interactions: Potential HCV Antiviral Targets?”
Three Wesleyan faculty made research presentations at the event. Francis Starr, professor of physics, gave a seminar on the “University Origin for Raft-like Structures in Membranes.” Irina Russu, professor of chemistry, spoke on “Structural Energetics of a Transcription Terminator.” Rex Pratt, the Beach Professor of Chemistry, talked on “Enzyme Active Site Homologies: Mechanisms of Inhibition.” Following a poster session, Mikhaela-Rita Mihailescu, associate professor in the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Duquesne University, gave her presentation “Long-range RNA-RNA Interactions: Potential HCV Antiviral Targets?”
View more photos of the retreat below: (Photos by Olivia Drake)
Olivia Drake
Mike Mavredakis
Ziba Kashef
Andrew Chatfield