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Upcoming Events
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Open to the Public: "Anhydrobiosis Across Organisms, Scales, and Disciplines" Webinar Series Anhydrobiosis is the process by which organisms and cells dehydrate, remain viable in a desiccated state, and resume function after rehydration. This process that allows organisms to tolerate desiccation is not well understood. In this new webinar series, hosted by NSF's Water and Life Interface Institute (WALII), we will learn about the latest research from scientists around the world studying anhydrobiosis across organisms, scales, and disciplines. Webinar Schedule:
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PREVIOUS EVENTS
December 5, 2024
Open to the Public: "Anhydrobiosis Across Organisms, Scales, and Disciplines" Webinar Series - Talk by Duncan Ryan
Anhydrobiosis is the process by which organisms and cells dehydrate, remain viable in a desiccated state, and resume function after rehydration. This process that allows organisms to tolerate desiccation is not well understood. In this new webinar series, hosted by NSF's Water and Life Interface Institute (WALII), we will learn about the latest research from scientists around the world studying anhydrobiosis across organisms, scales, and disciplines. Please join us on December 5 at 8 am PT, 9 am MT, 10 am CT, and 11 am ET for a talk by Dr. Duncan Ryan from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Talk Title: "Observing plants in silence: quantum ghost imaging for plant physiology"
Abstract: "Most of the tools we have for imaging biological samples involve intense light sources. Light sensitive processes can be affected or disrupted by the mere process of measuring a sample. Absorption microscopy in the infrared, for example, indicates the presence of specific chemical species like water or lignocellulose, but scientists typically need bright light sources to overcome the noise intrinsic to infrared detectors. Quantum light offers new measurement methods that can overcome noise and enable imaging at extremely low light levels. With quantum ghost imaging, we can image plants with less light than they experience under starlight, ensuring metabolic and photosynthesis processes are not altered during imaging and that our observations reflect natural responses. I will discuss this new method and its application in the biological sciences."
WALII Webinars are virtual, open to the public, and free to attend. Register here for the December Webinar!
Open to the Public: "Anhydrobiosis Across Organisms, Scales, and Disciplines" Webinar Series - Talk by Duncan Ryan
Anhydrobiosis is the process by which organisms and cells dehydrate, remain viable in a desiccated state, and resume function after rehydration. This process that allows organisms to tolerate desiccation is not well understood. In this new webinar series, hosted by NSF's Water and Life Interface Institute (WALII), we will learn about the latest research from scientists around the world studying anhydrobiosis across organisms, scales, and disciplines. Please join us on December 5 at 8 am PT, 9 am MT, 10 am CT, and 11 am ET for a talk by Dr. Duncan Ryan from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Talk Title: "Observing plants in silence: quantum ghost imaging for plant physiology"
Abstract: "Most of the tools we have for imaging biological samples involve intense light sources. Light sensitive processes can be affected or disrupted by the mere process of measuring a sample. Absorption microscopy in the infrared, for example, indicates the presence of specific chemical species like water or lignocellulose, but scientists typically need bright light sources to overcome the noise intrinsic to infrared detectors. Quantum light offers new measurement methods that can overcome noise and enable imaging at extremely low light levels. With quantum ghost imaging, we can image plants with less light than they experience under starlight, ensuring metabolic and photosynthesis processes are not altered during imaging and that our observations reflect natural responses. I will discuss this new method and its application in the biological sciences."
WALII Webinars are virtual, open to the public, and free to attend. Register here for the December Webinar!
November 7, 2024
Open to the Public: "Anhydrobiosis Across Organisms, Scales, and Disciplines" Webinar Series - Talk by Jenna Ekwealor
Anhydrobiosis is the process by which organisms and cells dehydrate, remain viable in a desiccated state, and resume function after rehydration. This process that allows organisms to tolerate desiccation is not well understood. In this new webinar series, hosted by NSF's Water and Life Interface Institute (WALII), we will learn about the latest research from scientists around the world studying anhydrobiosis across organisms, scales, and disciplines. Please join us on November 7 at 8 am PT, 9 am MT, 10 am CT, and 11 am ET for a talk by Dr. Jenna Ekwealor from San Francisco State University.
Talk Title: “Harnessing the sun: The beneficial role of ultraviolet radiation in desert moss desiccation tolerance”
Abstract: “In this talk, I will present findings from two studies exploring how Syntrichia caninervis, a desert specialist moss, responds to the dual stressors of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and desiccation. Using field and lab experiments, we found evidence of cross-talk between UVR tolerance and desiccation tolerance, reflected in shared transcriptomic and metabolomic responses. Specifically, we found that UVR exposure not only triggers photoprotective mechanisms but also enhances recovery from desiccation, highlighting the complexities of stress tolerance and resilience of S. caninervis in harsh desert environments. These studies provide insights into the molecular and physiological strategies that allow this moss to survive under extreme environmental conditions.”
WALII Webinars are virtual, open to the public, and free to attend. Register here for the November Webinar!
Open to the Public: "Anhydrobiosis Across Organisms, Scales, and Disciplines" Webinar Series - Talk by Jenna Ekwealor
Anhydrobiosis is the process by which organisms and cells dehydrate, remain viable in a desiccated state, and resume function after rehydration. This process that allows organisms to tolerate desiccation is not well understood. In this new webinar series, hosted by NSF's Water and Life Interface Institute (WALII), we will learn about the latest research from scientists around the world studying anhydrobiosis across organisms, scales, and disciplines. Please join us on November 7 at 8 am PT, 9 am MT, 10 am CT, and 11 am ET for a talk by Dr. Jenna Ekwealor from San Francisco State University.
Talk Title: “Harnessing the sun: The beneficial role of ultraviolet radiation in desert moss desiccation tolerance”
Abstract: “In this talk, I will present findings from two studies exploring how Syntrichia caninervis, a desert specialist moss, responds to the dual stressors of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and desiccation. Using field and lab experiments, we found evidence of cross-talk between UVR tolerance and desiccation tolerance, reflected in shared transcriptomic and metabolomic responses. Specifically, we found that UVR exposure not only triggers photoprotective mechanisms but also enhances recovery from desiccation, highlighting the complexities of stress tolerance and resilience of S. caninervis in harsh desert environments. These studies provide insights into the molecular and physiological strategies that allow this moss to survive under extreme environmental conditions.”
WALII Webinars are virtual, open to the public, and free to attend. Register here for the November Webinar!
October 3, 2024
Open to the Public: "Anhydrobiosis Across Organisms, Scales, and Disciplines" Webinar Series - Talk by Matthias Heyden
Anhydrobiosis is the process by which organisms and cells dehydrate, remain viable in a desiccated state, and resume function after rehydration. This process that allows organisms to tolerate desiccation is not well understood. In this new webinar series, hosted by NSF's Water and Life Interface Institute (WALII), we will learn about the latest research from scientists around the world studying anhydrobiosis across organisms, scales, and disciplines. Please join us on October 3 at 8 am PT, 9 am MT, 10 am CT, and 11 am ET for a talk by Dr. Matthias Heyden from Arizona State University.
Talk Title: Collective Motions in Proteins, their Hydration Shell, and Both Combined
Abstract: Molecular simulations offer insights into biomolecular behavior across diverse environments, from dilute solutions to crowded cellular conditions. However, extracting meaningful information from these simulations, which capture the positions and velocities of all atoms and particles over time, can be challenging.Certain measurements, such as counting interactions between specific functional groups or hydrogen bonds, are straightforward and reflect the thermodynamic stability of these interactions. In contrast, quantifying protein-water interactions is more complex. While proteins constantly interact with water, merely counting surrounding water molecules does not reveal their solvation state or aggregation tendencies, which require thermodynamic properties like enthalpy and entropy of the hydration shell. To tackle these challenges, my research group develops algorithms to quantify the thermodynamic consequences of protein-water interactions by analyzing low-frequency vibrations of the water hydrogen bond network—key to water's unique properties as a biological solvent. Additionally, we study anharmonic low-frequency vibrations in proteins, yielding insights into potential conformational changes that we leverage in enhanced sampling simulations.
However, all-atom simulations can be computationally prohibitive for predicting behaviors on macroscopic timescales, such as liquid-liquid phase separations of intrinsically disordered proteins. While such phase separations are largely influenced by interactions with water, explicit computational models are simply too expensive to capture such slow processes. In such cases, we employ multiscale simulation approaches with coarse-grained models to connect mesoscale phase behavior with atomic-level interactions.
WALII Webinars are virtual, open to the public, and free to attend. Register here for the October 3, 2024 Webinar!
Open to the Public: "Anhydrobiosis Across Organisms, Scales, and Disciplines" Webinar Series - Talk by Matthias Heyden
Anhydrobiosis is the process by which organisms and cells dehydrate, remain viable in a desiccated state, and resume function after rehydration. This process that allows organisms to tolerate desiccation is not well understood. In this new webinar series, hosted by NSF's Water and Life Interface Institute (WALII), we will learn about the latest research from scientists around the world studying anhydrobiosis across organisms, scales, and disciplines. Please join us on October 3 at 8 am PT, 9 am MT, 10 am CT, and 11 am ET for a talk by Dr. Matthias Heyden from Arizona State University.
Talk Title: Collective Motions in Proteins, their Hydration Shell, and Both Combined
Abstract: Molecular simulations offer insights into biomolecular behavior across diverse environments, from dilute solutions to crowded cellular conditions. However, extracting meaningful information from these simulations, which capture the positions and velocities of all atoms and particles over time, can be challenging.Certain measurements, such as counting interactions between specific functional groups or hydrogen bonds, are straightforward and reflect the thermodynamic stability of these interactions. In contrast, quantifying protein-water interactions is more complex. While proteins constantly interact with water, merely counting surrounding water molecules does not reveal their solvation state or aggregation tendencies, which require thermodynamic properties like enthalpy and entropy of the hydration shell. To tackle these challenges, my research group develops algorithms to quantify the thermodynamic consequences of protein-water interactions by analyzing low-frequency vibrations of the water hydrogen bond network—key to water's unique properties as a biological solvent. Additionally, we study anharmonic low-frequency vibrations in proteins, yielding insights into potential conformational changes that we leverage in enhanced sampling simulations.
However, all-atom simulations can be computationally prohibitive for predicting behaviors on macroscopic timescales, such as liquid-liquid phase separations of intrinsically disordered proteins. While such phase separations are largely influenced by interactions with water, explicit computational models are simply too expensive to capture such slow processes. In such cases, we employ multiscale simulation approaches with coarse-grained models to connect mesoscale phase behavior with atomic-level interactions.
WALII Webinars are virtual, open to the public, and free to attend. Register here for the October 3, 2024 Webinar!
August 5, 2024
WALII Technical Seminar
WALII hosted a Technical Seminar Series to highlight tools, techniques, field sites, and growth facilities available at WALII campuses. In this workshop, participants heard from a WALII campus Core Facility about equipment availability and from a WALII lab about unique sample preparation techniques.
Speakers:
Anthony (Tony) Schilmiller – Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics Core Facility, Michigan State University. Topic: a presentation about the equipment available at the MSU campus and how to submit samples for analysis.
Thomas Boothby – Boothby Lab, University of Wyoming. Topic: A survey of approaches for assessing water content and behavior in biological samples.
WALII Technical Seminar
WALII hosted a Technical Seminar Series to highlight tools, techniques, field sites, and growth facilities available at WALII campuses. In this workshop, participants heard from a WALII campus Core Facility about equipment availability and from a WALII lab about unique sample preparation techniques.
Speakers:
Anthony (Tony) Schilmiller – Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics Core Facility, Michigan State University. Topic: a presentation about the equipment available at the MSU campus and how to submit samples for analysis.
Thomas Boothby – Boothby Lab, University of Wyoming. Topic: A survey of approaches for assessing water content and behavior in biological samples.
May 30, 2024 - June 1, 2024
WALII 2024 Retreat and SAB Meeting
The 2024 WALII Retreat brought together a cohort of scientists, from undergraduate students to faculty members, from across the nation to celebrate our second successful year of creative, bold, and curiosity-driven research! This retreat provided participants with a valuable opportunity to promote open communication and share cutting-edge discoveries through activities such as poster flash talks, breakout group discussions, and training sessions.
WALII 2024 Retreat and SAB Meeting
The 2024 WALII Retreat brought together a cohort of scientists, from undergraduate students to faculty members, from across the nation to celebrate our second successful year of creative, bold, and curiosity-driven research! This retreat provided participants with a valuable opportunity to promote open communication and share cutting-edge discoveries through activities such as poster flash talks, breakout group discussions, and training sessions.
April 13, 2024 - April 14, 2024
Open to the Public: Michigan State University Science Festival STEAM Expo
WALII hosted an activity booth at the Michigan State University Science Festival STEAM Expo Days. At our booth, visitors enjoyed astronaut ice cream samples, created seed necklaces, examined rare resurrection plants, observed water bears under a microscope, and learned about how WALII scientists are studying organisms that endure extreme water loss. The MSU Science Festival had activities open to the public all month. Learn more about SciFest here.
Open to the Public: Michigan State University Science Festival STEAM Expo
WALII hosted an activity booth at the Michigan State University Science Festival STEAM Expo Days. At our booth, visitors enjoyed astronaut ice cream samples, created seed necklaces, examined rare resurrection plants, observed water bears under a microscope, and learned about how WALII scientists are studying organisms that endure extreme water loss. The MSU Science Festival had activities open to the public all month. Learn more about SciFest here.
March 11, 2024
WALII Technical Seminar
WALII hosted a Technical Seminar Series to highlight tools, techniques, field sites, and growth facilities available at WALII campuses. In this workshop, participants heard from four WALII members about unique field sites or growth facilities used in their research.
Speakers:
Rose Marks – VanBuren Lab, Michigan State University. Topic: South Africa field sites
Thomas Boothby – Boothby Lab, University of Wyoming. Topic: Tardigrade collection and cultivation
Laura Leventhal – Exposito-Alonso Lab, Stanford University/University of California, Berkeley. Topic: Arabidopsis field station
Hugo Tapia – Tapia Lab, California State University, Channel Islands. Topic: Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture
WALII Technical Seminar
WALII hosted a Technical Seminar Series to highlight tools, techniques, field sites, and growth facilities available at WALII campuses. In this workshop, participants heard from four WALII members about unique field sites or growth facilities used in their research.
Speakers:
Rose Marks – VanBuren Lab, Michigan State University. Topic: South Africa field sites
Thomas Boothby – Boothby Lab, University of Wyoming. Topic: Tardigrade collection and cultivation
Laura Leventhal – Exposito-Alonso Lab, Stanford University/University of California, Berkeley. Topic: Arabidopsis field station
Hugo Tapia – Tapia Lab, California State University, Channel Islands. Topic: Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture
February 7, 2024
Glencairn Elementary Science Night
Members of the Fleming and Rhee labs hosted expo booths at the Glencairn Elementary Science Night from 6 – 8 pm.
Glencairn Elementary Science Night
Members of the Fleming and Rhee labs hosted expo booths at the Glencairn Elementary Science Night from 6 – 8 pm.
November 15, 2023 - November 18, 2023
Annual Biomedical Research Conference For Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS)
WALII attended the ABRCMS 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona where visitors could learn more about WALII initiatives, the 2024 internship program, and careers with WALII.
Annual Biomedical Research Conference For Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS)
WALII attended the ABRCMS 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona where visitors could learn more about WALII initiatives, the 2024 internship program, and careers with WALII.
October 26, 2023 - October 28, 2023
SACNAS National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference
WALII attended the 2023 NDiSTEM Conference in Portland, Oregon! Participants learned about WALII initiatives, the 2024 internship program, and careers with WALII.
SACNAS National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference
WALII attended the 2023 NDiSTEM Conference in Portland, Oregon! Participants learned about WALII initiatives, the 2024 internship program, and careers with WALII.
September 11, 2023
The 2023 WALII Symposium
We hosted the inaugural WALII Symposium virtually on September 11, 2023. The first WALII symposium was an internal event for WALII participants. In the future, WALII symposia will be open to the broader scientific community.
The 2023 WALII Symposium
We hosted the inaugural WALII Symposium virtually on September 11, 2023. The first WALII symposium was an internal event for WALII participants. In the future, WALII symposia will be open to the broader scientific community.
