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Professor Neal Devaraj
Tuesday, October 02, 2018, 11:00am - 12:00pm
 

devaraj 2dc47Professor Neal Devaraj

University of California, San Diego

Hosted by Professor Enver C. Izgu

Tuesday October 2, 2018

11:00AM, CCB* Auditorium

*New Chemistry and Chemical Biology Building

"Peering into the Lipid World"

Lipids remain one of the most enigmatic classes of biological molecules. Lipids were likely one of the first components necessary for life, yet our understanding of how lipid membranes could have arisen spontaneously is a mystery.  Human cells produce thousands of unique lipid species, but the purpose for such diversity remains unknown. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism is a key factor in some of the most common diseases that afflict human beings. My lab is using imaging and chemistry to understand the assembly and function lipids. We are watching the formation of artificial cells that consist of synthetic membranes that can continually reproduce. We are designing specific chemical reactions to manipulate and image lipids within living cells during cell death and disease. Our ultimate goal is to answer fundamental questions about the origins of lipid membranes and build a functional understanding of the diverse array of lipids present in life today.

~Coffee/tea will be served prior to lecture.~