Newswise — Florida Atlantic University and Scripps Florida will present the 2008 Distinguished Nobel Laureate Lecture on Wednesday, January 16 from 4-5:30 p.m. in the University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Günter Blobel, M.D., Ph.D. is the 1999 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Professor, The Rockefeller University, and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He will present a lecture entitled, "Nucleo-cytoplasmic Traffic," highlighting his groundbreaking research on the inner workings of the cell.
Blobel has spent years investigating and learning how proteins are delivered to their proper location to perform their specific function. He hypothesized and proved that each protein has a sequence in it—a code—which acts as a "zip code" directing the protein to the proper location or cellular address within the cell. Blobel's research is vital to helping understand what is wrong with cancer cells, what the AIDS virus or Alzheimer's disease does to cells, and how to develop drugs to combat these and other diseases.
"We are deeply honored to host Dr. Blobel at Florida Atlantic University and to be working in collaboration with The Scripps Research Institute and Scripps Florida to bring an event of this magnitude to South Florida," said FAU President Frank T. Brogan.
"Günter Blobel is both a friend and a colleague of long standing who is helping to guide Scripps as a member of our Board of Scientific Governors," said Scripps Research Institute President Richard A. Lerner, M.D. "I am sure the friends of FAU and Scripps, and those interested in the best of biomedical science will find his lecture intriguing and enlightening."
FAU's associate dean for research and industrial relations in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Dr. Ramaswamy Narayanan, is co-chairing the event with Dr. William R. Roush, professor of chemistry and associate dean of the Kellogg School of Science and Technology, The Scripps Research Institute.
The 2008 Distinguished Nobel Laureate Lecture is open to the public, and there is no charge to attend. RSVP is required. To reserve a seat or for more information, visit http://www.fau.edu/research or call 561-297-2010.
Sponsors of the 2008 Distinguished Nobel Laureate Lecture include Scripps Florida, Boca Raton Community Hospital, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, the law firm of Carey Rodriguez Greenberg Paul, Healthcare District of Palm Beach County, Holy Cross Hospital, Katholieke Universitiét Leuven, the law firm of Ruden McClosky, University MRI, Workforce Alliance, the Florida Bioinformatics Consortium at FAU, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Biomedical Science, the Barry Kaye College of Business, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, FAU Foundation, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at FAU and the Lifelong Learning Society at FAU.
Florida Atlantic University opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University serves more than 26,000 undergraduate and graduate students on seven campuses strategically located along 150 miles of Florida's southeastern coastline. Building on its rich tradition as a teaching university, with a world-class faculty, FAU hosts ten colleges: College of Architecture, Urban & Public Affairs, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts & Letters, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Biomedical Science, the Barry Kaye College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Engineering & Computer Science, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Graduate College, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.
The Scripps Research Institute is one of the world's largest independent, non-profit biomedical research organizations, at the forefront of basic biomedical science that seeks to comprehend the most fundamental processes of life. Scripps Research is internationally recognized for its discoveries in immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, neurosciences, autoimmune, cardiovascular, and infectious diseases, and synthetic vaccine development. Established in its current configuration in 1961, it employs approximately 3,000 scientists, postdoctoral fellows, scientific and other technicians, doctoral degree graduate students, and administrative and technical support personnel. Scripps Research is headquartered in La Jolla, California. It also includes Scripps Florida, whose researchers focus on basic biomedical science, drug discovery, and technology development. Currently operating from temporary facilities in Jupiter, Scripps Florida will move to its permanent campus in 2009.
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