Beyond the Double Helix: Spring Lecture Series at the Museum of Science

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Save the dates for this year's spring lecture series at the Boston Museum of Science, March 5, 12, and 19. This year's series, "Beyond the Double Helix," will feature Whitehead researchers who are taking a variety of new approaches to elucidate how genes and proteins coordinate cell activity and, in some cases, cause disease.

All lectures are free and open to the public. Talks begin at 7 p.m. and will be followed by refreshments at the Museum.

On March 5, Rick Young and Trey Ideker will discuss how researchers are using new tools and a holistic "systems" approach to describe the complex cell circuitry that makes life possible. Young and Ideker will present how researchers can use these cellular blueprints to better understand the "Script for Life" and more precisely determine what goes wrong in disease.

On March 12, Whitehead Director Susan Lindquist will discuss how there is "More than Meets the Genome" when it comes to controlling cell activity. Lindquist will tell the other half of the double helix story, presenting research that suggests that proteins have the ability to fine tune the instructions embedded in a cell’s genetic code.

On March 19, Bob Weinberg and Mark Daly will discuss, from two unique perspectives, how scientists are using genetics to understand disease. Weinberg will present the ways that genetic research impacts our approach to studying and understanding cancer. Daly will discuss how new genomic technologies and computational analysis are aiding in the hunt for disease-causing genes.

This year, the topic is particularly timely, as scientists around the world prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA's double helix structure. The MOS lecture series is just one of many events being held in the Boston/Cambridge area this spring to commemorate Watson and Crick's discovery and highlight new frontiers in biological research.