SEMINAR: 7th Annual Alumni Lecture featuring Shirley Pomponi, PhD - March 2nd at 5:30pm

[Laura Bracken <lbracken@rsmas.miami.edu>]

Please join us for the 7^th Annual Alumni Lecture

presented by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science’s Alumni Association

& the University of Miami Citizens Board:

DRUGS FROM THE SEA:

SPONGES AS CHEMICAL FACTORIES

Shirley Pomponi, Ph.D.

Marine Biology & Fisheries, ‘78

Executive Director of Ocean Science, Technology, and Development,

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at FAU

 

 TUESDAY, March 2, 2010

 Lecture begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by

hors d’Oeuvres and cash bar reception in the Commons

Rosenstiel School Auditorium

4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Virginia Key, FL 33149

 

Dr. Pomponi receiving her PhD at RSMAS in 1978, she joined the research faculty of the University of Maryland, and then joined Harbor Branch in 1984. Her research focuses on marine biotechnology, in general, and sponge cell culture, in particular. She has authored or co-authored more than 90 scientific publications and is co-inventor on several patents. She has led numerous research expeditions worldwide and has made more than 300 dives in Harbor Branch’s Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles. She chairs the Board of Trustees of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, and is President of the Southern Association of Marine Laboratories. She serves on several ocean science advisory committees, including the Florida Oceans and Coastal Council and the Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel. Dr. Pomponi is the Executive Director and P.I. of the NOAA Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology, of which U Miami/RSMAS is a partner.

 Lecture Summary:

Sponges have been around for more than 600 million years, and one reason that they’ve been so successful is because they have the ability to live in most aquatic environments. They’ve evolved a sophisticated chemical cache that enables them to compete for space, defend against predators, communicate with other sponges, reproduce, and even prevent infections. These same chemicals are being studied for their potential development as drugs to treat human disorders and diseases. But what happens if we discover a sponge-derived chemical that’s useful as a drug? It’s not ecologically feasible to harvest sponges to obtain enough of the chemical for drug development or marketing. The most common option is synthesis of the chemical in the laboratory. Another option we’re exploring is growing sponge cells and stimulating them to produce chemicals in the lab. Dr. Pomponi’s lecture will introduce you to why and how we can use Sponges as Chemical Factories.

 

 All events are free and open to the public; however seating is limited.