Events
CEMINAR
The most important community-oriented activity we sponsor is CEMINAR, formerly MicroMorning, a monthly seminar series where students and postdocs in the CEMI program present their work. Usually 2 individuals present 20-25 min talks (+ 5 min questions) to fill the hour, but on rare occasions we invite an outside speaker. CEMINAR is primarily designed to provide CEMI students and postdocs with an opportunity to practice giving a formal talk to a friendly Caltech audience. Numerous collaborations have been sparked between labs at Caltech thanks to creative connections made during these seminars. View past CEMINARS
CEMINAR
CEMINAR is on the second Wednesday of every month.
UPCOMING
Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 4:00 pm
4:00-5:00pm Chen 130
5:00-5:30pm Socializing (snacks and drinks will be provided)
"An exploration of the ultrastructure of a unique manganese oxidizing co-culture"
Hannah Way
Leadbetter Lab
An enrichment culture of chemolithoautotrophic manganese oxidizing bacteria has been successfully refined to a co-culture. Subsequent experimentation has repeatedly suggested that the bacteria responsible for the manganese oxidation, Manganitrophus noduliformans, requires a partner. To investigate the nature of the association between partners, identify surface structures potentially involved in Mn oxidation, and to characterize the physical relationship between the bacteria and the oxides they generate, we have developed a specialized processing pipeline for transmission electron microscopy. With the expertise of Mark Ladinsky, we have successfully imaged these unique bacteria in context with the manganese oxides that they generate.
"Methane-based microbial lifestyles in and on seep carbonate rocks"
Magdalena Mayr
Orphan Lab
Anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea coupled to sulfate-reducing bacteria facilitate carbonate rock formation acting as methane and carbon sink. The microbes get entombed inside the carbonates but can remain active. Here, we investigate the lifestyles of microbes in and on seep carbonates with sequencing, BONCAT and incubations. We show carbonates with low methane oxidation activity can be reactivated over months to years upon methane resurgence, suggesting carbonates serve as potential methane sink over the carbonate lifespan of thousands of years. The surface community is heterogeneous, hosts new divergent particulate methane monooxygenases, and animals may recruit episymbionts from the carbonate surface.
Social Events
In addition to CEMINAR, CEMI sponsors social events during the academic year:
Fall Poster Sessions: All CEMI labs present one or more posters on their lab’s research. This helps incoming/current students and postdocs remain up-to-date on that latest research projects going on across the campus. One attractive feature of Caltech is that students admitted in any graduate program are welcome to rotate in any lab (as long as the lab is taking students), so this poster session can open up new interests and areas for exploration. It also can spawn new collaborations between labs.
Spring Lectures and Evening Gala: To celebrate the start of the calendar year, we invite a keynote speaker from outside Caltech to give a seminar, plus a few shorter talks by assistant professors or postdocs at Caltech and other local universities. These “Spring Lectures” are open to anyone interested. As a companion event, we hold a formal gathering for a limited number of CEMI sponsors, faculty, and students and postdocs currently being supported by CEMI grants. The evening’s entertainment is organized by a different CEMI lab each year, and the evening culminates with a presentation of the “CEMI Oscars” (we are close to Hollywood, after all…), roasting CEMI members for notable achievements in the past year, all in good fun. View past lectures
Spring Happy Hour: In recognition of the fact that sometimes the most inspired ideas come when we least expect them, we promote casual conversation between all members of the CEMI community supplemented with drinks and food at the start of the spring term (no posters required!).
CEMI Spring Celebration of Science: This hour-long science program featured short lightning talks from CEMI graduate students and postdocs followed by time to talk with the speakers and socialize with our CEMI colleagues. The inaugural event was held on May 12, 2021.
Workshops
CEMI occasionally supports training courses at Caltech that provide members of the CEMI community with an opportunity for intensive training in a particular area. Any member of the CEMI community is welcome to suggest a topic for a workshop. Please contact the CEMI administrator if you have an idea. View past workshops
