Internal Seminar: Yokobayashi Unit and Gioia Unit

Join us for October's first Internal Seminar Series on October 2, from 17:00 to 18:00 in C700 (Lab3). This month's first seminar features the Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Engineering Unit (Yohei Yokobayashi) and the Continuum Mechanics Unit (Gustavo Gioia).

Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Engineering Unit (Yohei Yokobayashi)

Speaker : Yohei Yokobayashi

Title : RNA Engineering at the Interface of Chemistry and Biology

Abstract : Along with DNA and protein, RNA plays an important role in biology through a variety of genetic and biochemical functions. In this brief introductory seminar, I would like to provide a quick overview of our past efforts to engineer synthetic RNA molecules with sophisticated functions, such as chemical regulation of gene expression in living cells, integrated RNA sensor-amplifier circuit in a test tube, and development of a new analytical method to study ribozymes using high-throughput sequencing.

Continuum Mechanics Unit (Gustavo Gioia)

Speaker : Tapan Sabuwala

Title : Experiments on the compaction of granular aggregates

Abstract : Where powders, soils and other cohesive granular materials are poured into a container, they form aggregates. Such aggregates are compacted under pressure to fabricate ceramic parts and pharmaceutical tablets and help prevent avalanches and landslides, for example. Compaction occurs by particle rearrangement and appears to involve two configurational phases, a low-density phase and a high-density phase, but all evidence to that effect has come from experiments with two-dimensional aggregates (PRL 88, 204302, 2002). In this talk I will discuss some experiments with three-dimensional aggregates. These new experiments are consistent with the two-phase model and may be calibrated (work in progress) to measure the Maxwell stress of any given aggregate. If you have never heard of the Maxwell stress, never mind; the talk is meant for non-specialists!