Science Café - World of Viruses - Feb. 25, 2013

News item published on: 2013-02-18 14:10:00

The University of Southern Mississippi Libraries Science Café will be held Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, at 6 p.m. in the Cook Library Art Gallery (LIB 105A), located next to Starbucks.

This Science Café will feature the work of Dr. Fengwei Bai, assistant professor in the Department of Biology, about the worlds of viruses, including West Nile virus and flu. Dr. Bai will also discuss how viruses are transmitted and the development of vaccines. His research interests are how viruses are recognized by the host’s innate immune system and how innate immunity initiates and generates protective adaptive immunity. Dr. Bai's long-term research goal is to use this knowledge in rational design of effective vaccines or therapeutics, or of microbicides for the prevention of transmission of viral pathogens.

A Science Café's casual meeting place, plain language, and inclusive conversation create a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for people whose primary background may not be science. Each meeting is organized around an interesting scientific topic, with a presenter (usually a scientist) giving a brief overview and showing a short video to kick off the discussion. Science Cafés are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Elena Azadbakht at 601.266.6424 or . Find out more about Science Café.