<![CDATA[The School of Biological Sciences Spring 2026 Seminar Series presents Kevin Lafferty]]>36506Food webs are ecological maps that help ecologists describe and understand complex species interactions. Although most species are parasitic, most food webs don’t have parasites. As a result, classic ecological theory has not considered little role for parasites. Whether this matters depends on the roles that parasites play in terms of their biomass density, their effects on hosts, and how they modify predator-prey interactions. On the other hand, although food webs might affect parasite transmission and responses to ecological change, epidemiologists rarely think about disease transmission in a food-web context. Putting parasites and food webs together is technically challenging, but it can give new insights to ecology and disease transmission.]]> rbailey74117731644922026-03-10 17:41:3217731658042026-03-10 18:03:2400eventParasites and Food Webs]]>2026-04-23T11:00:00-04:002026-04-23T12:00:00-04:002026-04-23T12:00:00-04:002026-04-23 15:00:002026-04-23 16:00:002026-04-23 16:00:002026-04-23T11:00:00-04:002026-04-23T12:00:00-04:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime2026-04-23 11:00:002026-04-23 12:00:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime<![CDATA[]]>rbailey74@gatech.edu ]]>679566679566image<![CDATA[lafferty-final.jpg]]>image/jpeg17731645722026-03-10 17:42:5217731645722026-03-10 17:42:52<![CDATA[The School of Biological Sciences Spring 2026 Seminar Series presents Sally Stern]]>36506Frontotemporal dementia is a devastating degenerative brain disease that causes altered personality, behavior, cognition and often motor impairment. Mutations in the MAPT gene that encodes tau can underlie familial forms of FTD (FTD-tau). Brain organoids from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines patterned towards the most affected brain region, the cerebral cortex, are valuable human models for understanding disease progression and testing candidate therapeutics. Cerebral cortical organoid modeling is limited by low efficiency, high variability across hPSC donors and lines, and high activation of stress pathways. We developed a novel organoid method and quality control (QC) metrics that enable efficient, scalable production of well-patterned cortical organoids. We validated the protocol by testing on 64 hPSC lines. Well-patterned cortical organoids exhibited markedly lower stress signatures and higher cortical quality scores, similar to those of the developing brain. Applying this protocol across multiple patient donor lines revealed phenotypes associated with the V337M, R406W and IVS10+16 MAPT mutations causing FTD-tau. Notably, approximately a third of primary tauopathy-risk genes identified by GWAS were differentially expressed in progenitor cell populations and newly differentiated neurons. These observations indicate a potential neurodevelopmental contribution to FTD-tau and underscore the value of these models to elucidate disease mechanisms and how the disease evolves over time.]]> rbailey74117731639982026-03-10 17:33:1817731657812026-03-10 18:03:0100eventModeling Tau-Driven Frontotemporal Dementia Using Human iPSC-Derived Brain Organoids]]>2026-04-16T11:00:00-04:002026-04-16T12:00:00-04:002026-04-16T12:00:00-04:002026-04-16 15:00:002026-04-16 16:00:002026-04-16 16:00:002026-04-16T11:00:00-04:002026-04-16T12:00:00-04:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime2026-04-16 11:00:002026-04-16 12:00:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime<![CDATA[]]>rbailey74@gatech.edu]]>679565679565image<![CDATA[sally_stern.jpg]]>image/jpeg17731641912026-03-10 17:36:3117731641912026-03-10 17:36:31<![CDATA[Observatory Public Night]]>34798 Stargazers are invited to the Georgia Tech Observatory’s Public Nights for a close-up glimpse of the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and other night-sky wonders. Public Nights, which are held on select Thursday evenings, are free and open to everyone.
On the grounds between the Howey and Mason Buildings, several telescopes are typically set up for viewing, and visitors are also welcome to bring their own telescopes.
Public Nights are contingent on clear weather.
For updated schedules, potential closures, driving and parking directions, and other information, please consult the official website: astronomy.gatech.edu
Fall 2025 Semester
September 4 - 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. - Moon, Albireo
October 2 - 8:00 to 10:30 p.m. - Moon, Saturn
October 30 - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Moon, Saturn
December 4 - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Full Moon, Saturn
Spring 2026 Semester
January 22 - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - Moon, Jupiter
February 26 - 7 to 9 p.m. - Moon, Jupiter
April 2 - 8 to 10 p.m. - Jupiter, Orion Nebula
April 23 - 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. - Moon, Jupiter
]]> cos-ms123117696008722026-01-28 11:47:5217696009002026-01-28 11:48:2000eventOn the grounds between the Howey and Mason Buildings, several telescopes are typically set up for viewing, and visitors are also invited to bring their own telescope.]]>2026-04-23T20:30:00-04:002026-04-23T22:30:00-04:002026-04-23T22:30:00-04:002026-04-24 00:30:002026-04-24 02:30:002026-04-24 02:30:002026-04-23T20:30:00-04:002026-04-23T22:30:00-04:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime2026-04-23 08:30:002026-04-23 10:30:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime<![CDATA[]]>677758602174677758image<![CDATA[Georgia Tech Observatory: 2025-26 Public Nights Schedule]]>image/jpeg17557238622025-08-20 21:04:2217557243772025-08-20 21:12:57602174image<![CDATA[Observatory]]>image/jpeg15181189102018-02-08 19:41:5015181189102018-02-08 19:41:50<![CDATA[Georgia Tech Observatory]]><![CDATA[Fossil Friday]]>36583 Come join the Spatial Ecology and Paleontology Lab each week for Fossil Fridays!
Become a fossil hunter and help discover how vertebrate communities have changed through time. Experience firsthand what it is like to be a paleontologist, finding and identifying new specimens!
You will be picking and sorting 3,000 to 30,000-year-old fossil specimens from rock matrix that has been brought back from Natural Trap Cave, WY. These specimens are part of many research projects examining how the community of species living around Natural Trap Cave has changed since the extinction of the cheetahs, lions, dire wolves, mammoths, camels, horses, and other megafauna that used to live in North America.
You are welcome to participate anytime that is convenient, with no commitment necessary. In fact, you can drop in or leave anytime within the two-hour timeframe. All are welcome, so bring your friends!
If you are accompanying a minor (under 18), please be sure that a guardian/chaperone is with them at all times and that there is no less than one adult for every two minors.
For more information join the mailing list and/or contact Katie Slenker (kslenker3@gatech.edu) or Jenny McGuire (jmcguire@gatech.edu).
* No T. rex actually helped with the excavations of Natural Trap Cave as their arms would be much too small.
]]> lvidal7117659166232025-12-16 20:23:4317695498582026-01-27 21:37:3800eventJoin the Spatial Ecology and Paleontology Lab for Fossil Fridays! Become a fossil hunter and help discover how vertebrate communities have changed through time.]]>2026-04-24T15:00:00-04:002026-04-24T17:00:00-04:002026-04-24T17:00:00-04:002026-04-24 19:00:002026-04-24 21:00:002026-04-24 21:00:002026-04-24T15:00:00-04:002026-04-24T17:00:00-04:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime2026-04-24 03:00:002026-04-24 05:00:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime<![CDATA[]]>677954675993675048677954image<![CDATA[Fossil Friday]]>image/jpeg17574471822025-09-09 19:46:2217574471822025-09-09 19:46:22675993image<![CDATA[Fossil specimens]]>image/jpeg17367779602025-01-13 14:19:2017367779602025-01-13 14:19:20675048image<![CDATA[Fossil Friday]]>image/png17267637472024-09-19 16:35:4717267637472024-09-19 16:35:47<![CDATA[Spatial Ecology and Paleontology Lab's Fossil Fridays]]><![CDATA[Fossil Friday]]>36583 Come join the Spatial Ecology and Paleontology Lab each week for Fossil Fridays!
Become a fossil hunter and help discover how vertebrate communities have changed through time. Experience firsthand what it is like to be a paleontologist, finding and identifying new specimens!
You will be picking and sorting 3,000 to 30,000-year-old fossil specimens from rock matrix that has been brought back from Natural Trap Cave, WY. These specimens are part of many research projects examining how the community of species living around Natural Trap Cave has changed since the extinction of the cheetahs, lions, dire wolves, mammoths, camels, horses, and other megafauna that used to live in North America.
You are welcome to participate anytime that is convenient, with no commitment necessary. In fact, you can drop in or leave anytime within the two-hour timeframe. All are welcome, so bring your friends!
If you are accompanying a minor (under 18), please be sure that a guardian/chaperone is with them at all times and that there is no less than one adult for every two minors.
For more information join the mailing list and/or contact Katie Slenker (kslenker3@gatech.edu) or Jenny McGuire (jmcguire@gatech.edu).
* No T. rex actually helped with the excavations of Natural Trap Cave as their arms would be much too small.
]]> lvidal7117659166112025-12-16 20:23:3117695497312026-01-27 21:35:3100eventJoin the Spatial Ecology and Paleontology Lab for Fossil Fridays! Become a fossil hunter and help discover how vertebrate communities have changed through time.]]>2026-04-17T15:00:00-04:002026-04-17T17:00:00-04:002026-04-17T17:00:00-04:002026-04-17 19:00:002026-04-17 21:00:002026-04-17 21:00:002026-04-17T15:00:00-04:002026-04-17T17:00:00-04:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime2026-04-17 03:00:002026-04-17 05:00:00America/New_YorkAmerica/New_Yorkdatetime<![CDATA[]]>677954675993675048677954image<![CDATA[Fossil Friday]]>image/jpeg17574471822025-09-09 19:46:2217574471822025-09-09 19:46:22675993image<![CDATA[Fossil specimens]]>image/jpeg17367779602025-01-13 14:19:2017367779602025-01-13 14:19:20675048image<![CDATA[Fossil Friday]]>image/png17267637472024-09-19 16:35:4717267637472024-09-19 16:35:47<![CDATA[Spatial Ecology and Paleontology Lab's Fossil Fridays]]>