May 11, 2009
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| William Ja |
DAVIS—Molecular biologist William Ja of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, will lecture on "Bugs and Drugs: Manipulations of Drosophila Lifespan" on Thursday, May 14 in 122 Briggs Hall.
The lecture, open to all, is set for 12:10 to 1 p.m. with 30 minutes available for any extended discussion. Host is UC Davis entomology professor Bruce Hammock.
Ja, currently a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral scholar in the Divison of Biology at Cal Tech, received his bachelor of science degree from the College of Chemistry at UC Berkeley, working with professors Rich Mathies and Alex Glazer on developing high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies.
His doctoral work with professor Rich Roberts at Cal Tech focused on using mRNA display to develop peptide modulators of G protein signaling.
Ja completed his crossover into biology when he started his postdoctoral career with professor Seymour Benzer. After applying mRNA display toward developing longevity "drugs" for Drosophila, Ja began pursuing his current interests, including aging and dietary restriction, the genetics of feeding and nutrition, the effects of commensal and symbiotic gut bacteria on hosts, and the structure and function of G protein-coupled receptors.
Outside of the lab, Ja can be found on the volleyball court where he is an assistant coach for Cal Tech's NCAA D-III women's team and the head coach of Pasadena Polytechnic School's varsity boys' team.
For more information, contact Peter Cranston, UC Davis professor of entomology, at (530) 754-5803 or e-mail him at pscranston@ucdavis.edu.
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--Kathy Keatley Garvey
Communications specialist
UC Davis Department of Entomology
(530) 754-6894
