LabAutomation 2006 - SLAS

Where Laboratory Technologies Emerge and Merge
Viewpoints From the Experts:
Plenary Program Overview
NMR Studies of Structure and Function of Biological Macromolecules
Kurt Wüthrich, Ph.D., Professor of Biophysics, Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Professor of
Structural Biology, The Scripps Research Institute
8:15 am Monday, January 23, 2006
This session will address research interests in molecular structural biology, and in structural genomics with a specialty in nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with biological macromolecules. Dr. Wüthrich contributed the NMR method of three-dimensional structure
determination of proteins and nucleic acids in solution. His many awards and honorary degrees include recognition by the Prix Louis
Jeantet de Médecine, the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology, and the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
The Prospects of Nanotechnology for Molecular Analysis
Harold Craighead, Ph.D., Professor of Applied and Engineering Physics, Charles W. Lake, Jr. Professor of Engineering, Co-Director,
Nanobiotechology Center, Cornell University
9:15 am Monday, January 23, 2006
This talk will address some of the developing technologies in nanofluidics and approaches that may have an impact on future analytical
methods. Dr. Harold Craighead will explore how technologies continue to advance for creating structures and simple devices with
dimensions at the nanometer scale. He will address some of the developing technologies in nanofluidics and approaches that may have
impact on future analytical methods. Harold Craighead has been a pioneer in nanofabrication methods and the application of engineered
nanosystems for research and device applications. Throughout his career he has contributed to numerous scientific journals with over 277
published papers and he is an inventor on 13 issued patents. Dr. Craighead’s recent research activity includes the use of nanofabricated
devices for biological applications.
HSARPA’s Chemical Countermeasures Programs
William S. Rees, Jr., Ph.D., DHS/S&T/HSARPA Program Manager
8:30 am Tuesday, January 24, 2006
This session will highlight the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (HSARPA) chemical countermeasures programs.
Dr. Rees will highlight the existing programs within HSARPA pertaining to the chemical countermeasures portfolio, including material
outlining announced future solicitations. Since 2003 Dr. Rees has been on an Interagency Personnel Assignment at the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate, where he currently serves as a Program Manager for Critical Infrastructure
Protection (CIP) and chemical countermeasures programs. Prior to coming to DHS, Dr. Rees served as the Director of the Molecular
Design Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was a Professor in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering
and of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Artistic Approaches to High-Dimensional Visualization: The Ecce Homology Project
Ruth G. West, Director, Visual Analytics and Interactive Technologies, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of
California, San Diego
9:15 am Tuesday, January 24, 2006
The topic in this course will cover Ecce Homology, an artwork that offers an alternative approach to visualizing and interacting with large
amounts of genomic data. This physically interactive new-media work visualizes genetic data as calligraphic forms. Ruth G. West is an
artist with background as a molecular genetics researcher. Working predominantly with computer-based media, West explores how artistic
practice and aesthetic experience can nurture scientific discovery.
Demotivation: The State of the Art
E.L. Kersten, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Despair, Inc.
1:30 pm Wednesday, January 25, 2006
After intense, thought-provoking days of discussion, end your LabAutomation2006 experience with a less intense, yet still thought-provoking,
discussion of the art of demotivation. It’ll make you think. But, more importantly, it’ll make you laugh. Kersten promises a review of how
visionary companies are using demotivational techniques to transform their workforces. Do they truly work? You be the judge ... E. L.
Kersten started his career as a university professor, but left academia to join an internet startup. We all know how that field ended up.
Needless to say, his experience there was tumultuous and transformational, ultimately inspiring the birth of Despair, Inc.
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