2006 Public Lecture Series
April 26, 2006
THE MACHINERY OF LIFE: Little Engines that Could
There are literally hundreds of tiny machines at work inside a human cell. They perform a wide range of tasks, with common parallels in our everyday lives. These tasks include product import and export, home construction and repair, transportation, communication, and even taking out the trash. This talk will provide a general introduction to this machinery, but will primarily focus on the motors that generate movement. Movement is one of the defining features of living organisms and is essential for feeding, defense, reproduction and development. What is the molecular basis by which we can walk? How do cells organize their internal spaces for efficient function? We will also address human health consequences of when motility motors malfunction, touching briefly on genetic disorders and on the potential of these motors as targets for cancer treatment.