Science Spotlights: Chemical Movement and the Backyard Zombie Apocalypse

Meet up-and-coming scientists and learn about questions at the forefront of research today in this series of short talks.

2:00–2:30 pm

Running, Swimming, and Squirming: Chemicals That Make You Move

Whether escaping from predators in the wild or just playing on a sports team, coordination is key. No matter the animal, knowing how to move is extremely important. But, even the smallest changes at the molecular level can affect this coordination. Join cellular biologist and Harvard graduate student, Juan Orozco, as he explores how changing tiny chemical components in neurons can completely alter how animals move.

3:00–3:30 pm 

The Zombie Apocalypse Happening in Your Backyard

If you think zombies are just a work of fiction, think again! Every day, all around us, tiny fruit flies are being infected by a fungus that gets into their brain, takes them over, and controls their behavior. The fungus manipulates the fly to crawl upward to a high point, so that the fungus can then burst out of the fly, raining down to infect more victims. Join geneticist and Harvard graduate student Julius Tabin to learn more about the life cycle of this zombie infection and the questions scientists are using it to answer.

Presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History and Harvard Museums of Science & Culture