How NOT to Stop Bacterial Biofilms

Most bacteria have at their disposal a smart strategy to escape environmental chemical and physical stresses by forming fortress around themselves known as biofilms. Bacterial biofilm consists of a complex mixture of biopolymers including proteins and DNA. While biofilms are beneficial to bacteria, they are a big problem for public health. For example, bacterial biofilms frequently develop on surgical implants, which may lead to deteriorating performance and further complications. Over 80 percent of all incidences of microbial infections are related to biofilms. Biofilm–associated bacterial cells are inherently more tolerant to antibiotic treatment and can lie dormant to resist the actions of the antibiotics. The development of drugs that can disrupt biofilm formation and disperse existing biofilm is of prime importance.

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Critical Techniques and Technologies for Advancing Foundations and Applications of Big Data Science & Engineering (BIGDATA)

Due date: May 20, 2015

The BIGDATA program seeks novel approaches in computer science, statistics, computational science, and mathematics, along with innovative applications in domain science, including social and behavioral sciences, geosciences, education, biology, the physical sciences, and engineering that lead towards the further development of the interdisciplinary field of data science.
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Kalpana Seshadri’s “Posthuman Economics” at the Humanities Center

Professor Seshadri’s new work on “posthuman economics” picks up where her recent study, HumAnimal (Minnesota, 2013) left off. Posthuman economics is a new coinage and field of study that aims to make an intervention in both posthuman studies and economics. Continue reading Kalpana Seshadri’s “Posthuman Economics” at the Humanities Center