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We rely on nature for many of our resources, some of which may be a lot smaller than you realise! In this evening’s talks we will hear about some of nature’s smallest artisans. Come along to learn more about the building blocks of biology-from the genetic blueprint of an organism’s genome to the future of fungal-based construction materials.
Fungi in our homes: Mycelium-based composites as sustainable building materials
Joni Wildman
(Researcher in Fungal Based Materials, University of Bath)
Mycelium-based composites are derived from the inoculation of organic substrates with fungi, leveraging fungal digestion to form a waste-reducing, recyclable material with low embodied carbon. We will explore their production, impressive properties, and use as sustainable construction materials.
Doubling Down: From Plants to Cancer Cells - The Intriguing Tale of Polyploidy
Dr Paula Kover
(Reader in Plant Evolutionary Genetics, University of Bath)
The central dogma in biology is that DNA sequences determines the characteristics of organisms. However, other genetic information such as epigenetics and genome doubling seem to be also very important in determining characteristics. In this talk we will look at what is genome doubling, why is it considered an evolutionary force in plants, and how it might explain the difficulty in fighting cancer.
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