Past Lectures
Franklin Lecture Series
March 27, 2024
In conjunction with the Department of Chemistry, NIS is co-sponsoring a Franklin Memorial Lecture with speaker Dr. Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus.
Emerging Imaging Technologies to Study Subcellular Architecture, Dynamics, and Functions
Powerful new ways to image the internal structures and complex dynamics of cells are revolutionizing cell biology and bio-medical research. In my talk, I will focus on three emerging technologies capable of revealing new properties of cellular organization at scales ranging from nanometer to atomic resolution. Whole cell milling using Focused Ion Beam Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) was used to reconstruct the entire cell volume at 4-nm voxel resolution, revealing all membrane-bound organelles and their trafficking intermediates at isotropic resolution. Single particle tracking using Halo dyes revealed unexpected features of mRNA trafficking, including sites where secretory proteins are translated on ER and their regulation by lysosomes. Finally, High Resolution Template Matching (HRTM) of ribosome subunits in cryo-EM images of intact human cells afforded a look at ribosomes at different stages of peptide elongation at the atomic scale. Together, these new tools open-up a plethora of questions related to mechanisms of cell structure/function that can now be studied in intact cells at the nanometric/molecular level.
Dr. Lippincott-Schwartz is a group leader and head of 4D cellular physiology at HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus. She studies the machinery inside cells, investigating the organization and interplay of membrane-bound organelles and cytoskeletal structures. Using fluorescence-based technologies and super-resolution microscopy techniques, she and her team parse the molecular complexity of the subcellular landscape in the context of functions such as cell motility and cell-to-cell communication. On a larger scale, Dr. Lippincott-Schwartz aims to reveal how the inner workings of neurons enable complex brain behaviors such as development, computation, and healing, under normal and pathogenic conditions.
Learn more about Dr. Lippincott-Schwartz and her research at https://www.janelia.org/people/jennifer-lippincott-schwartz.
About Joe Franklin
Joe Louis Franklin, Jr. (August 11, 1906 - August 25, 1982) was born in Natchez, Mississippi, but became a naturalized Texan early in life. He received his degrees from the University of Texas (B.S. 1926, M.S. 1930 in chemical engineering and his Ph.D. in 1934 in chemistry) where he was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 1973. Franklin spent the early part of his career in research and development with the Humble Oil and Refining Company (later Exxon) in Baytown, Texas. After 1949, his focus shifted from applied research toward a total dedication to fundamental science. While at Humble, he introduced the Franklin group-equivalent method of estimating the standard enthalpies and free energies of formation of molecules, radicals and ions, and began the fundamental studies of gaseous ion chemistry, for which he was best known. This work involved many of today’s eminent mass spectroscopists, and in 1957 resulted in the well known book “Electrical Impact Phenomena and the Properties of Gaseous Ions,” coauthored with F. H. Field.
In 1963, Franklin accepted the position as the Robert A. Welch Professor of Chemistry at Rice University. His reputation attracted scholars at all levels – graduate and postdoctoral students, and faculty members. He and his students not only continued the research started at Humble, but also branched out into other areas, such as ion-molecule reactions, ion-kinetic energy studies and photoelectron spectroscopy. By his example, Franklin made a significant contribution to Rice’s transformation into a premiere science and research institution.
Franklin authored four books and published 170 papers, of which 110 were published while at Rice. Many of these publications represent truly significant and enduring contributions to science. Perhaps of greater significance is the impact he had on the hearts and minds of the people with whom he came in contact. He exuded a genuine warmth and concern for people which, combined with his intellect, enthusiasm and broad interest, enabled him to provide a unique degree of scientific stimulation, guidance and inspiration to many.