November Pub Talk
Science Pub: “Air Bubbles and Huckleberries: Water Across Scales from Cells to Ecosystems”
Nov 15th, 2022 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Sip your favorite brew, while you learn a thing or two! Science Pub is an opportunity to enjoy learning about science in an informal atmosphere; no scientific background necessary! Just bring your curiosity and a thirst to learn.
There are 2 ways to be at this event:
- In Person – Paradise Creek Brewery will be seating indoors at 100% capacity and the pub talk will be broadcast/projected on a the large projection screen in the pub/restaurant area.
- On Zoom – Register for the Zoom Talk HERE. Place a food/drink order for pick up at Paradise Creek Brewery’s Downtown Restaurant – 245 SE Paradise St, Pullman. Local delivery is also available. Mention Science Pub and you’ll be sent a link by text or email to join the event. Tip: Place your order early so it’s ready by Science Pub time.
See the Facebook event here
This month’s speakers:
Join Mark Swanson and Andrei Smertenko on November 15th for their pub talk, “Air Bubbles and Huckleberries: Water Across Scales From Cells to Ecosystems”.
“Water is a key resource for plants, especially in arid ecosystems. Water-related processes that affect plants and their survival operate at scales from individual cells up to the scale of landscapes. In this talk, Dr. Andrei Smertenko and Dr. Mark Swanson discuss how plants, water, and the physical environment interact, with outcomes relevant far beyond the plants themselves. Dr. Smertenko will give the audience insight into plant-water relations at the scale of cells and tissues, using stunning microscopic photography techniques, while Dr. Swanson will discuss research on how even dead trees can keep much needed water for plants (trees and shrubs) attempting to recolonize disturbed sites. In a time of climate change, an understanding of the fascinating relationship between plants and water is key to interpreting what is happening in ecosystems, and devising strategies for mitigating impacts of drought on humans.”
Dr. Mark Swanson is Associate Professor of Landscape Ecology and Silviculture and is the Forest Ecology and Management Program Leader in the School of the Environment and the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. Mark’s research interests include: compositional, structural, and function attributes of early succession on forest sites in the Pacific Northwest, the ecology of native large mammals,
forest disturbance processes, including fire and volcanic eruption and he regularly participates in agricultural and horticultural research with partners within WSU
Dr. Andrei Smertenko is Associate Professor in the Institute of Biological Chemistry, He received his Ph.D at the National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine. The Smertenko lab studies the role of cellular architecture in the regulation of life and death processes in plants. They combine diverse techniques including advanced live-cell imaging, genetics, biochemistry, modelling and cell biology to address fundamental questions of plant biology. Current research projects in the lab focus on: Structural proteins of microtubules and actin filaments, regulation of cytoskeletal organization and dynamics, mechanisms of cell division, terminal differentiation and programmed cell death, alteration of cytoplasm architecture in response to stress.