From Bench to Bedside

Proteins, essential for daily life, serve as the building blocks of our bodies. While the human genome encodes over 20,000 proteins, many contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs)—areas lacking defined shapes. Surprisingly, over 40% of proteins exhibit this disarray. Recent research highlights the critical roles IDRs play in biology and disease development. Let’s explore this fascinating aspect of IDRs together and the role they may contribute to well-known diseases.

From lava lamps to glow sticks, we all love things that shine. It turns out scientists do too. So much in fact that they awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of green fluorescent protein, also called GFP. One little glow-in-the-dark protein, found in jellyfish has changed how we see our bodies and helped save countless lives. Join us to see how GFP illuminates biology.

This talk highlights our extensive work program delving into the social outcomes of Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) facing the daunting challenge of cancer or chronic illness. Explore with us as we uncover the myriad ways in which these conditions impact their lives. But fear not, we'll unveil the pivotal roles that education, workplaces, family, friends and healthcare professionals play in reshaping the outcomes for these resilliant young people. Join us as we navigate the path towards a brighter, more hopeful future in the face of life-limiting illnesses.