Tea with biology

Learn the beautiful science behind fluorescent proteins and fluorescence microscopy at a talk

Every alternate Saturday at the Chai and Why session — Tata Institute of Fundamental Research’s informal forum for public to interact with scientists and learn about their contributions — there is plenty of sharing of knowledge of science. With specials like Holi or Diwali, they cover theme-appropriate topics, such as colours or light.

For this year’s Holi special, through A mauve in the right direction: understanding biology through colours, research scholar Sravanthi Nadiminti will cover the topic of fluorescent proteins which are artificially introduced colours to visualise biological systems.

Sravanthi Nadiminti

The session will begin with a talk about the history and discovery of fluorescent proteins. “Through the talk, I aim to convey the contributions of the three most eminent scientists who discovered and brought fluorescent proteins to biological systems. I will go on to explain further advances in that area, ending with where the field currently stands. All of this will shed light on how fluorescent proteins have made understanding biology easier,” explains Nadiminti, ahead of the session.

The session will include a short demonstration of what fluorescence is. Everyone can see the phenomenon occurring right in front of their eyes. “Coming to think of it, over the years, several methods have been developed to allow humans to look within cells and understand how they worked, but none was as good as using fluorescent proteins,” she elaborates.
Biology as we know it today is unimaginable if not for fluorescent proteins and fluorescence microscopy.

On Sunday March 15, 11 am
At Room 2 Science, DG Ruparel College, Matunga West.
Call 9757157795
Free

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