Seventh Graders Explore Frontiers Of Science At Shady Grove Life Sciences Center

Learning About Chemical Reactions

Today, Johns Hopkins University, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, and other companies and organizations in the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center held the second annual Frontiers in Science and Medicine Day. All seventh graders from Rockville’s Julius West Middle School and Montgomery Village Middle School traveled to the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center for lab tours in a variety of company labs and hands-on science experiments at the JHU Montgomery County Campus.

Frontiers in Science and Medicine Day is an opportunity to energize middle school students about exciting career opportunities in science, medicine, and research to build a future workforce for the science, engineering, and healthcare industries in this region. The event is also an opportunity to highlight the incredible scientific research and healthcare delivery happening every day in Montgomery County and especially in the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center.

Here’s a conversation I had with Dennis Hanson, president of Shady Grove Adventist Hospital — whom, I am told, was instrumental in the creation of Science Day.

I can tell you, the morning was a hoot — and important for the future of our nation, if I may wax poetic for a moment. A key issue today is a lack of scientific and math literacy among youth. This isn’t just a matter of not knowing how to find a square root, how evolution works, or what Avogadro’s Number is. It’s vitally important that we train tomorrow’s engineers and scientists today. At the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center, I saw young scientists working on new cancer-beating medicines, working with DNA, developing new ways to handle remote medicine, and create new robots. They’re young scientists — but we need to be training up their replacements right now.

Using Remote Manipulators To Make Sutures

Cells In The Microscope

Craig Thomas, an organic chemist at NIH’s Genomics Lab, puts the issue very eloquently:

Science Day is a chance for seventh graders to get exposed to science outside of the classroom, in a real lab, in situations where it might actually be applied. Some students on today’s trip will be bitten by the science bug. In fact, I saw one student hanging back after his class left a demonstration, talking to the organic chemist about what it was like to do what he did.

The future is looking bright.

Everyone Wore Gloves

Hello, 'Synthia:' Venter Produces Life; Controversy

Rockville-based DNA pioneer >Craig Venter announced Thursday that his lab had created synthetic life. Says the release: “Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, published results today describing the successful construction of the first self-replicating, synthetic bacterial cell.”

“This is the first synthetic cell that’s been made, and we call it synthetic because the cell is totally derived from a synthetic chromosome, made with four bottles of chemicals on a chemical synthesizer, starting with information in a computer,” said Venter.

Dubbed “Synthia,” the single-cell organism has sparked controversy. According to a Financial Times article, “beyond doubt, the creation of synthetic life in a US laboratory . . . has aroused awe, admiration - and antagonism - around the world. . . . [N]o one denies the deep significance of the research - and some philosophers have gone into ecstasy. ‘Venter’s achievement would seem to extinguish the argument that life requires a special force or power to exist,’ says Arthur Caplan, bioethics professor at the University of Pennsylvania. ‘This makes it one of the most important scientific achievements in the history of mankind.’”

On the other hand, in an article in Today.AZ , Professor Julian Savulescu, an Oxford ethics expert, said: “Venter is creaking open the most profound door in humanity’s history, potentially peeking into its destiny. . . . We need new standards of safety evaluation for this kind of radical research and protections from military or terrorist misuse and abuse.”

It’s of interest that the news has indeed traveled around the globe, evidenced by the Today.AZ piece — it is an Azerbaijan news outlet.

And this remarkable achievement took place right here in Our Fair City.

Rockville Science Day is Sunday April 25

As >Rockville Central readers know by now, I simply love Science Day! I get to geek out at Montgomery College on a sunny afternoon! This year I will be out of town but that should not stop you!

Here are the details:

• Sunday, April 24, 2010, noon to 5:00 pm
• Montgomery College Rockville campus (just look for the crowds at the north end)

More than 50 exhibitors will be there with exhibits covering the environment, technology, health, biotechnology, and more. There will be am exhibit on Civil war medicine! (That sounds both creepy and cool.)

“I’m always excited about the possibilities of Science Day,” said Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, long a supporter of Science Day and the Rockville Science Consortium. “We have more exhibits than ever before. We have plenty for adults, too.”

They’re looking for volunteers to help out, so if you get the notion, fill out this form.

Next Science Cafe Is Tuesday Dec. 15 On "Science And Health — Medical Ethics"

Readers of >Rockville Central know how enthused we are about the monthly “Science Cafes’” put on my the folks behind the Rockville Science Center.

These Science Cafes are informal get-togethers where an expert presents and leads a conversation about a topic of interest. They have been growing month by month, and now are among the hottest ticket in town!

The next one is next Tuesday, December 15, at Branded 72 (you remember, they used to be O’Brien’s Pit Barbecue) at 387 E. Gude Drive at 6:00 pm.

This one should be interesting. The subject will be medical ethics and the conversation will be led by Dr. Randy Howe, Uniformed Services, University of Health Science.

For more information call Tim Fahey at 202-276-3263 or Ruth Hanessian at 301-674-7884.

Science Cafe Goes Way Down Under

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Last night’s Rockville Science Cafe attracted over 30 people for dinner and “deep” conversation and gave me something new to consider. Dr. Constance Bertka started by saying “At some time or another we’ve all wondered what’s down there under the ground.”

Connie described the new Sloan Deep Carbon Observatory at the Carnegie Geophysical Laboratory which has just begun to bring researchers together from around the world as they study the nature of carbon in the earth’s interior. After a general review of the interior of the earth, Connie described the process to test for carbon and the vast microbial ecosystems found under high pressure deep in the earth. Then she challenged us to think about the possibility of life IN other planets. They might be barren on the surface but have enormous ecosystems of life in their core. I have never considered this possibility.

Everyone filled a section of the Branded 72 dining room and enjoyed the B-B-Q. Sitting in a packed restaurant for dinner during a highly informative scientific dialogue was a unique experience. People from many different fields asked questions. I was impressed with the young curious students who came up to ask questions at the end. Everyone at the Cafe was certainly excited about science.

By the time the Science Cafe was over, another group was setting up for the Wednesday night music in the other section of the dining room. But I couldn’t stay because I wanted to make it to the Twinbrook Citizins Forum. Ruth Hanessian of the Animal Exchange told me the band was good. Most nights there is so much going on in Rockville, it’s difficult to choose!

Rockville Science Cafe Features My Friend

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I haven’t been able to attend any of the previous Rockville Science Cafes but I am going to be at the next. My good friend and motorcycle buddy, Dr. Constance Bertka, will be speaking on Tuesday, October 20, 2009. You can see us here in this photo after returning from a weekend motorcycle rally back in June. (Please ignore the helmet hair!)

Her topic is The Earth and Carbon: The Inside Story. The Cafe will be held on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 6 PM at the restaurant Branded 72 (formerly O’Briens BBQ).

Connie is the Program Director of the new Sloan Deep Carbon Observatory at the Carnegie Geophysical Laboratory. She coordinates the efforts of researchers around the world who are studying the nature of carbon in the earth’s interior. She’s a knowledgeable and insightful conversationalist on many broad-reaching topics.

In 2008, Connie was quoted in The Washington Post article Discoveries Out There Require Preparation Right Here about how the discovery of life forms on other planets would impact our religious and philosophical beliefs.

Admission to Science Cafes is free. Obviously, since Cafes are in a restaurant, you can purchase dinner and beverages.

I’m sorry I’ll have to miss the Twinbrook Citizens Association Candidate Forum but I’m glad it will be televised.

The Rockville Science Center has planned a series of Science Cafes in Rockville during 2009 through the beginning of 2010.

Company Shows Progress On Swine Flu Vaccine

As many >Rockville Central readers know, Rockville is a hotbed of biotechnology innovation, one of our crown jewels in fact.

Good news has come from local company Novavax on their efforts to craft a H1N1 flu vaccine:

A small study conducted by federal scientists shows Novavax Inc.’s experimental vaccine against swine flu, produced in just weeks versus several months for standard methods, is effective in animals, the company said Tuesday.

Human trials are still some long ways off and the vaccine (if successful) won’t be available for at least two years, according to the article in The Oregonian . . . but this is great news of progress!

Night Time Science Cafe Planned For August 12!

I got this note from my good friend >Ruth Hanessian:

If you have been following the Science Cafes in Rockville, you know we are holding Science Cafe Lite this Summer. The attached flier will tell you all about an astronomical opportunity with local astronomers on August 12. We will be at the Redgate Golf Course (weather permitting) until midnight and the move to the Civic Center Mansion lawn if the stars are with us.

I popped open the “attached flier” and this is what I found:

Star Party|Perseids Meteor Shower

Red Gate Golf Course
14500 Avery Road
Rockville, MD

Wed., August 12, 2009
8:30pm–Midnight

• Telescopes provided
• Speakers to talk about astronomy

Be prepared for weather: water, bug spray, lawn chair, blanket, flashllight

Event cancelled if inclement weather.

courtesy: Rockville Science Center, Inc.

Info: 301.674.7884

That sounds like fun, if you ask me.

Malaria Vaccine Being Developed In Rockville

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From Sanaria

Recently, Bill Gates made headlines when he released mosquitoes during a presentation to dramatize the danger that malaria poses to humanity. It is a scourge of many nations in poverty, killing almost 1 million people per year (mostly children in West Africa). Many philanthropists are mobilizing to combat it.

Here in Rockville, biotech firm Sanaria is hard at work creating an unconventional vaccine for malaria. Just five years ago, Sanaria’s quest was scoffed at as impossible.

“We were dismissed by 99 percent of the people in the malaria field,” says Sanaria CEO Dr. Stephen Hoffman. But just two weeks ago Sanaria received the FDA go-ahead to start human trials of their new vaccine.

What’s different about this vaccine? It’s made from living malaria parasites. According to the St. Augustine Record:

In the Navy in the 1990s, Hoffman irradiated malaria-carrying mosquitoes to weaken the parasites inside them, and he and 13 colleagues subjected themselves to more than 1,000 bites. Usually malaria parasites race to the liver and multiply before invading the bloodstream to sicken. These weakened parasites instead sat harmlessly in the liver, unable to multiply but triggering the immune system to fend off later infections. All but one of the people in Hoffman’s test, himself included, were immune when bitten by regular malaria-infected mosquitoes over the next 10 months.

As we have written before, Rockville is an amazing crossroads of technology. This is a very interesting example.

Rockville Science Day Is Sunday!

One of my favorite events in Rockville all year is coming up this Sunday. Yes, that’s right! >It’s time for Science Day.

The event will be held at Montgomery College (just look for the crowd) from noon to 5:00 pm, on Sunday, April 26.

From the press release:

“Science is a great way to learn new things and have fun doing it,” said Rockville Councilmember Phyllis Marcuccio. “This event continues to grow and offer more to the community every year. And we are hard at work to develop the Rockville Science Center so people will be able to explore science every day.”

Dozens of exhibitors will be on hand at this year’s Rockville Science Day. Local scientists, educators and historians will give demonstrations and provide science, environmental and technology activities.

Activities will include learning about animals, engaging with robots and conducting chemistry experiments. In addition, attendees will learn about earthquakes, volcanoes and rocks, as well as electric vehicles and solar observing.

See you there!

Listen To Dr. Mac West On Rockville Central Radio — Anytime!

You may not have been able to tune into today’s edition of >Rockville Central Radio, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck! You can always listen to past episodes, whenever and as many times as you like.

Rockville Central Radio To Feature Evolutionary Biologist Dr. Mac West

We have an incredible >show coming up for you tomorrow, and you won’t want to miss it!

We’ll have as our special guest Dr. Robert “Mac” West, an evolutionary biologist who will be the featured speaker at next week’s Science Cafe in honor of Darwin’s 200th birthday.