Research Frontiers in Bioinspired Energy: Molecular-Level Learning from Natural Systems
January 6-7, 2011
The Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center
3800 Reservoir Rd. NW
Washington, DC 20057
DAY 1
8:15 a.m. | Welcome and Overview |
8:30 a.m. | Opening Plenary Speaker: Time scales and energy in biological systems Leslie Dutton, University of Pennsylvania |
9:10 a.m. | Q&A |
SESSION 1: ENERGY TRANSFORMATIONS
Covers: respiration, metabolism, chemical bonds, and molecules
9:30 a.m. | Origins of life and life in extreme environments Penelope Boston, New Mexico Tech |
9:50 a.m. | Q&A |
10:00 a.m. | Progress toward synthetic metabolisms Steven Benner, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution |
10:20 a.m. | Q&A |
10:30 a.m. | Break |
10:45 a.m. | Breakout sessions |
12:30 p.m. | Report back |
1:30 p.m. | Lunch break |
SESSION 2: ENERGY CAPTURE
Covers: antennae, membranes, ion channels
2:30 p.m. | Ion translocation across biological membranes Janos Lanyi, University of California, Irvine |
2:50 p.m. | Q&A |
3:00 p.m. | Novel mechanisms of anaerobic methane oxidation with sulfate Rudolf Thauer, Max Planck Institute |
3:20 p.m. | Q&A |
3:30 p.m. | Break |
3:45 p.m. | Breakout sessions |
5:30 p.m. | Report back |
6:30 p.m. | Dinner break |
7:15 p.m. | Evening Plenary Speaker: Solar energy harvesting in the epicuticle of the oriental hornet Marian Plotkin, National University of Singapore (remote) |
DAY 2
SESSION 3: BIOINSPIRED ENERGY SYSTEMS
Covers: devices, engineered systems
8:00 a.m. | Energy production in biofuel cells Kenneth Nealson, J. Craig Venter Institute |
8:20 a.m. | Q&A |
8:30 a.m. | Microbes and the four basic strategies for life on Earth: What we can learn from what we know (and how to look for what we don’t know) Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA and U.S. Geological Survey |
8:50 a.m. | Q&A |
9:00 a.m. | Breakout sessions |
11:00 a.m. | Report back |
12:00 p.m. | Lunch break |
1:00 p.m. | Closing Plenary Speaker: Controlling nanoscale structure in 3D with an informational biopolymer: DNA Nadrian Seeman, New York University |
1:40 p.m. | Q&A |
2:00 p.m. | Closing remarks |
2:30 p.m. | Adjourn |
This page intentionally left blank.