Yale Open Labs Science Café July 15th, 2016
Talks: Tyler Rice, Eric Jin, Danielle Widner
Location: Kroon Hall, Yale
Date: July 16th, 2016
Tyler Rice, Ph.D. student in Immunobiology, speaks about the topic of Healthy Bacteria. He is studying the relationship between gut bacteria and the immune system of mammals, through the influence of a protein called IgA. Tyler came to Yale from the NIH Postbac program in Bethesda, MD where he studied the effects of probiotics on alveolar macrophages. Previously he attended Auburn University in Alabama where he enjoyed learning about plant biology, engineering, and eating lots of BBQ. In his spare time he enjoys playing volleyball and, whenever possible, spending time with family on the sunny beaches of Florida.
Eric Jin, Ph.D. student in Applied Physics, will discuss Creating Fuel from Sunlight. Eric spent most of his life in California, where he attended college at the University of California at Berkeley, majoring in physics. He is now working toward his Ph.D. at Yale in the Applied Physics department, where he uses fancy vacuum chambers to grow and characterize atomic nanostructures. By having precision down to the atom (literally!), we can design new materials for the future in the fields of renewable energies, advanced electronics, biotechnology, and aerospace engineering. Eric will talk about the renewable energy component; notably, how to use these new materials to effectively convert sunlight into usable fuel. When Eric isn’t doing physics, you might find him hiking, taking photos, or swing dancing!
Danielle Widner, Ph.D. student in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry will talk about Antibiotic Resistance. Growing up in rural Wisconsin, Dani became fascinated with the natural world. In college at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point that love of nature transformed into a fascination with the intricacies of life on a molecular level. She is a graduate student in the Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry graduate program at Yale and studies non-coding RNAs in bacteria. Outside of lab Dani enjoys rollerblading, board games, and sushi.