This is also a good excuse to have some sweet treats during this year’s festival. But before we indulge into the rich flavour of chocolate, we will be acquainted with its many unexpected properties. Elspeth Garman, Professor of Molecular Biophysics at Oxford University, will talk about the connection between chocolate and drug discovery, proteins and DNA. As a former President of the British Crystallographic Association, she will explain how crystals allow us to identify the three-dimensional shapes of molecules of all kinds and sizes: from the microscopic parts of the chocolate molecules to the much larger proteins that are important for the functioning of our bodies.
Garman will help us understand how crystallography reveals the shape of biomolecules in our body so that we can effectively target diseases and thus bring up new therapeutic perspectives. But apart from what is already feasible with the help of crystallography, Elspeth Garman will also explore the future possibilities opening up with the help of science.
With a Major in Physics and a Doctorate in Nuclear Physics from Oxford University, she chose from an early age to focus on Biophysics and in particular in research of new molecular crystal structures which she then registered on the Protein Data Bank database. More than 80 entries of new models and macromolecular structure determination techniques are attributed to Garman. She is also well-known for her research into the effects of X-rays on a particular type of macromolecular crystals, which resulted in the identification of the highest tolerance level of these proteins to radioactivity, known as the “Garman Limit”.
However, she admits that there are no limits in science and she considers her duty to disseminate the applications of crystallography. She has also been honoured with a series of awards for her contribution in the field of educational television and radio as she has participated in dozens of different programs, shows and documentaries.
Title: From chocolate to drug discovery: amazing crystals || Date & Time: 28 April, 19.00- 19.50
