Biochemistry and molecular biology

Showcase

School of Life Sciences public lectures

Throughout the year, the University of Sussex is host to an exciting series of public lectures that illustrate the breadth and quality of research being conducted at the University.

Most lectures are recorded and made available here in a number of formats.

Chemical contaminants: the sexual chemistry of fish and foetal health

Professor Elizabeth Hill

28 May 2013
Speaker: Professor Elizabeth Hill, Professor of Environmental Toxicology - School of Life Sciences

Description

We live in a world contaminated by man-made chemicals, yet only now are we beginning to understand the subtle changes to health that exposure to low levels of chemicals can cause. This lecture will describe how the latest chemical profiling approaches have identified key contaminants that are changing the sex of fish and discuss concerns that exposure to complex mixtures of chemicals can disrupt hormonal systems in humans and wildlife.

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From spider silk to Alzheimer’s disease: common threads in protein assembly

Professor Louise Serpell

06 November 2012
Speaker: Professor Louise Serpell, Professor of Biochemistry - School of Life Sciences

Description

Proteins underlie all aspects of biological functions yet, on occasion, normal proteins can assemble to form amyloid fibrils. These fibrils can either be functional, in the case of silks, or pathological, in diseases such as Alzheimer’s. In this lecture, Professor Serpell will discuss her work aims: to understand protein self-assembly, how it leads to neurodegeneration and how it may be exploited as functional materials.

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Making ends meet: mutual strategies for maintaining genome stability

Professor Aidan Doherty

24 April 2012
Speaker: Professor Aidan Doherty, Professor of Biochemistry - School of Life Sciences

Description

Our cells contain DNA, the blueprint of life which encodes the information for our genes. Its integrity is constantly challenged by damaging agents including radiation and genotoxic chemicals; even the oxygen we breathe can compromise its structure, leading to genome instability and the onset of diseases such as cancer. To counteract DNA damage and maintain genome stability, cells have evolved a myriad of strategies for repairing specific genetic lesions.

In this lecture, Professor Doherty will explore our current understanding of the onset of human disease and how evolutionary processes also protect human cells from genotoxic agents. He will also discuss why studying DNA repair pathways is so important for understanding the onset and treatment of human diseases and what potential it may have for developing treatments.

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Professorial Lecture: Colour through animal eyes

Professor Daniel Osorio

12 October 2010
Speaker: Professor Daniel Osorio, Professor of Neuroscience - School of Life Sciences

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Professorial Lecture: A twisted tale of memory research: how the humble snail helps us to understand how we learn and remember

Professor George Kemenes

01 June 2010
Speaker: Professor George Kemenes, Professor of Neuroscience - School of Life Sciences

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University of Sussex Lecture 2010: The 300 million year war

Professor Sue Hartley

18 March 2010
Speaker: Professor Sue Hartley, Professor of Ecology - School of Life Sciences

Professorial Lecture: Breaking and repairing human genes: A question of balance

Professor Keith Caldecott

17 November 2009
Speaker: Professor Keith Caldecott, Professor in the Centre of Genome Damage and Stability - School of Life Sciences

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Professorial lecture: Telling stories about nature - with mathematics

Professor David Waxman

17 April 2009
Speaker: Professor David Waxman, Professor of Biology - School of Life Sciences

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Professorial Lecture: Can Human Society Learn from Insect Society?

Professor Francis L. W. Ratnieks

17 March 2009
Speaker: Professor Francis L. W. Ratnieks, Professor of Apiculture - School of Life Sciences

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Professorial Lecture: Human Mutations: the good, the bad and the indifferent

Professor Adam Eyre-Walker

21 October 2008
Speaker: Professor Adam Eyre-Walker, Professor of Biology and Environmental Science - School of Life Sciences

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Professorial Lecture: The flame of life - teaching old enzymes new tricks

Professor Andrew Smith

11 March 2008
Speaker: Professor Andrew Smith, Professor of Biochemistry - School of Life Sciences

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Professorial Lecture: Graphite – a new twist

Professor Malcolm I. Heggie

19 February 2008
Speaker: Professor Malcolm I. Heggie, Professor of Theoretical Chemistry - School of Life Sciences

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Professorial Lecture: Reading comprehension: losing the thread

Professor Jane Oakhill

22 January 2008
Speaker: Professor Jane Oakhill, Professor of Experimental Psychology - School of Life Sciences

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Professorial Lecture: Alcohol: A simple molecule with complex consequences for emotion and behaviour

Professor Theordora Duka

20 May 2007
Speaker: Professor Theordora Duka, Professor of Experimental Psychology - School of Life Sciences

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