|
Dear Friend,
Only two weeks old, July has been an exciting month for San Diego science. From the 40th anniversary of the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medial Discovery Institute, to the Juno spacecraft's successful delivery of a San Diego made camera into orbit around Jupiter, to a record-setting NIH grant made to the Scripps Research Institute's own Eric Topol to further its pursuit of personalized medicine, our region is making an impact on science on a global scale. Yet beyond the communities of scientists and engineers, so many of our fellow San Diegans find themselves disconnected from the power of possibility of the science happening right here in our region.
With your help, the Fleet Science Center has been working to change that. I wanted to briefly share with you a few of our recent efforts from this past June.
On June 1 the Fleet's 52 Weeks of Science program hosted Dr. Elena Blanco Suarez from the Salk Institute at the Logan Heights Branch Library. During the event Dr. Blanco presented the results of exciting new research on the role of specialized cells called astrocytes. These star-shaped cells provide support and protection for neurons and are found in the brain and spinal cord. This exciting research has the potential to change the way diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's are treated.
On June 9 the Fleet partnered with the J. Craig Venter Institute to host renowned scientist J. Craig Venter for a conversation about his development of a minimal synthetic cell. The genome for this cell was crafted by scientists at JCVI to contain the minimal set of genes necessary to sustain life. The result is a new tool that represents a significant step forward in understanding the mysteries of the genome and brings us closer to the dream of precision medicine.
June 10 found the Fleet in Liberty Station working with local comic book publisher IDW to present Crossover: Where Comics and Science Meet! This new program brought comic book artists and local scientists together to discuss the intersection of art and science. Along the way audiences were not only connected to new science and technology but engaged in discussion about how these new discoveries affect us all.
With programs here at the Science Center, in public gathering spaces like Liberty Station or in community centers like the Logan Heights Library, the Fleet has been aggressively working to provide multiple opportunities to reach San Diegans where they live, work and play. With help from both you and our partners we are not only connecting San Diegans to the science happening right here in our region but also inspiring the next generation to use the power and possibilities of science to make the world a better place.
Your support makes it all possible and for that I thank you.
Warm regards,
|
