[View Upcoming Events] [View Past Events]

May 14, 2009 at 4:00pm. 1302 Marine Science Research Building.
ICB Distinguished Guest Seminar Series Presents Michael Bartl
Michael H. Bartl
Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics
University of Utah

"Three-Dimensional Photonic Band Gap Crystals from Biological Systems"

The strikingly colorful world of insects is in large part the result of optical interference produced by the interaction of light with precisely ordered, periodic cuticular structures, incorporated into their exoskeletons. Such structural colors have recently gained tremendous interest for the use as photonic band gap crystals with enormous potential for next-generation energy and information technology concepts. While our current photonic engineering capabilities at visible wavelengths are rather limited, biological systems have evolved to create the most complex photonic architectures – structures that are still far out of our synthetic reach. For example, we discovered recently that the brilliant coloration of several beetles is the result of photonic structures with a diamond-based lattice – one of the most efficient photonic architecture. In this talk I will present fabrication routes that take advantage of the synergistic combination of photonic engineering in biology with sol-gel chemistry-based materials synthesis. Using this approach, we create novel photonic crystals with a complete band gap at visible frequencies as revealed by band structure calculations and multi-directional optical reflectance studies. Furthermore, I will discuss biomimetic self-assembly routes for photonic structure engineering based on biopolymer self-assembly/phase separation in spatially-confined environments.

Michael Bartl Profile

Please email Seminar Coordinator for more details:
diane.higgins@icb.ucsb.edu

Tales of a Thousand SLaptamers:
Proteomics and Biomarker Discovery for Diagnostics

Classic aptamers were invented in 1989-1990. In the next twenty years the process of identifying aptamers was improved substantially - today non-classic aptamers (called SLaptamers) make possible some applications that cannot be achieved with monoclonal antibodies (or other antibody mimics). In particular SomaLogic has established high content proteomics arrays in which the concentrations of nearly a thousand human proteins are measured simultaneously, using only 10 ml of plasma or serum. The limits of detection of most proteins is below 1 pM. The platform takes advantage of the fact that SLaptamers are made of nucleic acids and can be quantified by sensitive hybridization or QPCR techniques. Using the "large-plex" array we have sought biomarkers for important human diseases for which diagnosis would be most helpful if a patient were without symptoms. This paradigm - detection of early disease - promises to improve treatment for many cancers and other diseases.

Larry Gold's CV

Please email Seminar Coordinator for more information:
diane.higgins@icb.ucsb.edu