Popping the Science Bubble: Wastewater viruses & plant sunscreen

This month's presentations will be:

Tracking viruses in wastewater: Some are more vulnerable to soaps and detergents than others - Allie Nguyen, Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley

My research lies at the intersection of environmental water microbiology and public health. I am currently involved in multiple projects. One project focuses on wastewater-based epidemiology, specifically investigating the persistence of viral nucleic acid signals in wastewater and how surfactants may affect their stability. Another project explores how sub-sewershed-level sampling can enhance efforts to improve health equity in wastewater-based surveillance. In an upcoming project, I will study the impact of blending purified direct potable reuse water with conventional drinking water directly within distribution systems, with a focus on implications for drinking water quality and safety.

Plant sunscreen: Zooming in on how plants avoid the light - Jeff Chen, Plant and Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley

Plants need sunscreen to protect themselves, just like people. However, this creates an interesting dilemma because, unlike people, they also need light to grow. In my talk, I will describe some of the things that we know about plant sunscreen, and why it is an interesting topic to study. Then I will talk about my own research, which uses advanced microscopes to look at what is actually happening inside the plant when sunscreen is applied.

Room: 2nd Floor Mystery Room.  Attend in person, or register here to watch via Zoom