Craveology Cafe and the North Star Science Store are temporarily closed for renovation.
Sharp Minds
Start the month the smart way
Engage with local scientists as they discuss their latest research and discoveries in a friendly, inviting environment. These lectures address hot topics on the first Monday of every month, in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. Stay for a special noon documentary showing.
The Sharp Minds lecture is free with general admission or a Senior Monday ticket. This event is not included with the Annual Explorer Pass.
- November 3 - Philip Unitt
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Serving in the department of birds and mammals at the San Diego Natural History Museum since 1988, Philip Unitt has over 50 years of experience in ornithology. He is an expert on the identification, distribution, and historical trends of birds in southern California and Baja California, having published over 40 articles, book chapters, and books, including Birds of the Salton Sea (2003) and the San Diego County Bird Atlas (2004). Other studies have examined the effects of San Diego County's wildfires in 2002 and 2003, as well as patterns of change in the distributions of California birds. He served on the California Department of Fish and Game's advisory committee on birds of special concern and co-authored its landmark report on bird conservation. Additionally, he has prepared over 5,000 bird specimens and speaks regularly to the public and the media. In his role as an editor, he has produced publications on a wide variety of scientific subjects for diverse readers. Phil has served as editor of Western Birds, the regional journal of ornithology for western North America, since 1986.
- December 2 - Cecilia Panfil
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Cecilia is a current chemistry graduate student at Scripps Research, where she studies the synthesis of antibiotics under Professor Ian Seiple. She’s currently interested in improving unusable antibiotics through structural changes to make them clinically viable. Prior to attending Scripps, she worked at The Rockefeller University under Professor Sean Brady, where she built a pipeline to discover new antibiotics from soil bacteria. In her free time, Cecilia enjoys line dancing, going to the movies, and surfing.
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Save the Date
Building New Antibiotics
Dec 1 at 10:30–11:30am
As antibiotic resistance rises globally, developing new antibiotics is becoming increasingly important. Unfortunately, traditional methods for discovering new antibiotics have slowed. One way of combating resistance is by adapting existing molecules to evade bacterial defense mechanisms. By using chemistry to alter the structure of these compounds, we can improve their properties. This talk will explore where antibiotics come from, how resistance arises, and how we think about building better medicines for the future.
