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X-WR-CALNAME:Genetics and Genomics Academy
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Genetics and Genomics Academy
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260824T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260824T143000
DTSTAMP:20260803T171455Z
CREATED:20260720T150012Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T171455Z
UID:10000192-1787578200-1787581800@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Jason Stein\, UNC Chapel Hill
DESCRIPTION:Mechanisms underlying genetic and environmental associations with autism\nAbstract\nBoth genetic variants and environmental exposures have been identified that increase the likelihood of being diagnosed with autism. However\, the molecular\, cellular\, and systems level cascade by which genetic factors\, or their interaction with environment\, lead to an autism diagnosis is largely unknown. In this talk\, I will first present work from our lab describing the impact of autism associated mutations in the gene Chd8 on brain structure using a mouse model. Using tissue clearing and lightsheet microscopy\, we explain the cellular basis underlying macrocephaly observed in this model\, and we also discover and replicate molecular layer heterotopias\, where neurons overmigrate beyond the pial border. Next\, moving to a human model system\, I will present our work developing human cortical organoid models from the densely phenotyped Infant Brain Imaging Study\, allowing assessment of the in vivo fidelity of brain organoids for measuring differences in brain size. Finally\, I will present our work evaluating molecular gene by environment interactions in a dish\, a well-controlled alternative approach to epidemiological studies that are subjected to confounding effects. We find that genetic variants modulate response to valproic acid\, a known autism environmental risk factor\, in this developing cell type. In all\, our work aims to better explain the mechanisms by which genetic variants\, and their interaction with environment\, alters brain development. \nJoin us on Monday\, August 24 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact host Jennifer Ocasio Adorno (jkocasio@ncsu.edu) with any questions. 
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/jason-stein-unc-chapel-hill/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://gga.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/07/Jason.png
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260831T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260831T143000
DTSTAMP:20260803T195724Z
CREATED:20260720T172825Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T195724Z
UID:10000193-1788183000-1788186600@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Martha Burford Reiskind\, NC State University
DESCRIPTION:Evolutionary response to anthropogenic disturbance\nAbstract\nMartha Burford Reiskind earned her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California Santa Cruz. Following her doctoral studies\, she completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University where she focused on an experimental-evolution project measuring local adaptation in the eastern oyster. Martha’s research program investigates how species adapt to global anthropogenic forces—including habitat fragmentation\, invasive species\, urbanization\, anthropogenic chemical inputs\, and climate change. She employs an interdisciplinary approach that integrates population genomics\, molecular genetics\, demographic modeling\, and environmental data to address two fundamental questions: (1) how do populations adapt to their environments\, and\, (2) how will environmental change affect the geographic distribution and viability of populations? She addresses these questions in a variety of systems\, including the vector-mosquitoes Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus and species of conservation concern such as marine fishes and invertebrates\, rare butterflies\, and sea turtles. In addition to her research\, she has a robust teaching and training program. Since 2019\, Martha has served as the Director of Graduate Programs for the Genetics & Genomics Academy. In this capacity\, she built and leads the first-year Genetics & Genomics Scholars graduate training program\, and to date has provided mentorship to 113 graduate students across 15 different PhD granting programs at NC State over the past 7 years. \nJoin us on Monday\, August 31 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom:
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/martha-burford-reiskind-nc-state-university/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://gga.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/07/Fall-2026-GGA-Seminar-Series.png
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260914T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260914T143000
DTSTAMP:20260803T175400Z
CREATED:20260720T173850Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T175400Z
UID:10000194-1789392600-1789396200@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Jill Anderson\, University of Georgia
DESCRIPTION:Local adaptation in a rapidly changing climate: Insights from a North American wildflower\, Boechera stricta\nAbstract\nDivergent selection across heterogeneous landscapes can favor the evolution of local adaptation. Contemporary climate change is simultaneously modifying multiple abiotic and biotic agents of selection\, likely leading to growing discrepancies between current and optimal phenotypes. My lab evaluates the hypotheses that novel selection imposed by climate change shifts fitness landscapes\, disrupts long-standing patterns of local adaptation\, and leads to widespread maladaptation. In this talk\, I will examine the ecological and evolutionary consequences of climate change for Boechera stricta\, a mustard plant native to the Rocky Mountains. To do so\, I first explore adaptation to contemporary and historical climates by analyzing fitness and phenotypes in five common gardens arrayed across an elevational gradient around the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (Gothic\, Colorado\, USA). Genetic clines in functional traits can reflect adaptive responses to selection that varies over large spatial scales\, and we have found extensive evidence for clinal variation in phenological\, functional and physiological traits. I will then document on shifts in flowering phenology mediated by climate change from the 1970s to the present and present data from our climatic manipulations to interrogate the eco-evolutionary consequences of climate change. Finally\, I will combine genome environmental associations and genome-wide association studies of the climatic niche to detect loci involved in local adaptation and biological responses to climate change. \nJoin us on Monday\, September 14 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact host Seema Sheth (ssheth3@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/jill-anderson-university-of-georgia-2/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://gga.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/07/Jill.png
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260921T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260921T143000
DTSTAMP:20260803T175900Z
CREATED:20260720T174735Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T175900Z
UID:10000195-1789997400-1790001000@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Jeff Sekelsky\, UNC Chapel Hill
DESCRIPTION:Preventing and promoting crossovers between homologous chromosomes\nAbstract\n“To discuss my lab’s research on meiotic and mitotic crossovers in Drosophila\, I decided to resurrect The Bloom Syndrome Helicase Trilogy\, modeled on The Dark Knight Trilogy. Part I: Blm is introduced as a hero that saves broken chromosomes from making detrimental mitotic crossovers. Part II: Blm is recast as the villain because meiotic chromosomes need to make crossovers to segregate. To do this\, a novel complex evolved to thwart Blm. Part III: Blm was never really the villian. In fact\, Blm has a critical role in making meiotic recombination meiotic. I will finish with a sequel about mitotic crossovers in a site that has >200 kb of a tandem octamer repeat within the intron of a > 2 Mb myosin gene that resides in heterochromatin.” \nJoin us on Monday\, September 21 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact co-hosts Jeff Yoder (jayoder@ncsu.edu) and Jennifer Ocasio Adorno (jkocasio@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/jeff-sekelsky-unc-chapel-hill/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://gga.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/07/JeffS.png
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260928T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260928T143000
DTSTAMP:20260803T180451Z
CREATED:20260720T182532Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T180451Z
UID:10000199-1790602200-1790605800@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Blake Rasor\, NC State University
DESCRIPTION:Cell-free systems for biochemistry and biomanufacturing\nAbstract\nBiomanufacturing can produce a wide array of protein and small molecule products in a suite of optimized production strains\, but engineering cells to specifically make one target molecule requires significant time and optimization. To address this challenge\, my research implements cell-free systems to reconstitute biosynthetic pathways in vitro for rapid biochemical production. Cell-free synthesis of proteins and other biochemicals uses the contents of cell lysates\, exploiting biological machinery in the absence of growth or cellular regulation. The resulting cell extracts are extremely flexible systems with open reaction environments that enable greater control over variables than cell cultures for combinatorial screening. I implement cell-free systems both to inform the design of cellular production strains and to serve as standalone synthesis platforms with reduced waste generation. Here\, I will discuss pathway prototyping to accelerate the design of non-model bacteria for carbon-negative chemical synthesis\, highlight the ability for cell-free systems to achieve greater volumetric productivities than whole cells\, and describe the ease with which diverse chemicals can be synthesized using crude cell extracts. I will also preview the new projects in my lab focused on biomanufacturing with light and CO2. \nJoin us on Monday\, September 28 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact host Anna Stepanova (atstepan@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/blake-rasor-nc-state-university-2/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://gga.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/07/Blake.png
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T143000
DTSTAMP:20260720T184227Z
CREATED:20260720T183727Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260720T184227Z
UID:10000200-1791207000-1791210600@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Dan Schrider\, UNC Chapel Hill
DESCRIPTION:Title forthcoming\nAbstract\nTBA \nJoin us on Monday\, October 5 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact host Louis-Marie Bobay (ljbobay@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/dan-schrider-unc-chapel-hill/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261012T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261012T143000
DTSTAMP:20260720T184508Z
CREATED:20260720T181022Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260720T184508Z
UID:10000196-1791811800-1791815400@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Kirsten Jensen\, University of Kansas
DESCRIPTION:Title forthcoming\nAbstract\nTBA \nJoin us on Monday\, October 12 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nThis seminar is co-hosted by the Global One Health Academy. Please contact host Meredith R. Spence Beaulieu (spencebeaulieu@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/kirsten-jensen-university-of-kansas/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261026T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261026T143000
DTSTAMP:20260803T181934Z
CREATED:20260720T185008Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T181934Z
UID:10000201-1793021400-1793025000@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Reid Longley\, NC State University
DESCRIPTION:Using Metagenomics to Study Microbial Symbioses in Soil\nAbstract\nSymbioses between microbes are common in soil environments globally. These symbioses include interactions between bacteria and fungi as well as interactions between bacteria. Metagenomics is a powerful technique to study these interactions\, and the Longley lab uses metagenomics to study microbial interactions in soil and plant ecosystems. Particularly\, this work focuses on understanding interactions between Mucoromycota fungi and their Mollicutes-related bacterial endosymbionts (MRE). This symbiosis has a severe impact on MRE genomes resulting in reduced genome size and functional capacity. Studying the bacterial genomes also revealed a unique evolutionary trajectory of MRE taxa. In addition to symbioses between bacteria and fungi\, bacteria also interact closely with other bacteria in soil ecosystems. One example of an extremely close relationship between bacteria is between ultrasmall parasitic epibionts in the Patescibacteriota superphylum and their bacterial hosts. Metagenome sequencing revealed that Patescibacteriota taxa are common in soil and like other symbionts these taxa have reduced genomes and appear to be highly reliant on their bacterial hosts. Together these studies reveal the power of metagenomics for studying the unique genomes of prokaryotic symbionts. \nJoin us on Monday\, October 26 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact host Joe Gage (jlgage@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/reid-longley-nc-state-university/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://gga.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/07/Reid.png
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261102T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261102T143000
DTSTAMP:20260721T185048Z
CREATED:20260720T185410Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260721T185048Z
UID:10000202-1793626200-1793629800@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Angela Oliverio\, Syracuse University
DESCRIPTION:Title forthcoming\nAbstract\nTBA \nJoin us on Monday\, November 2 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact host Caiti Heil (cheil@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/angela-oliverio-syracuse/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall OR Zoom\, 112 Derieux Place\, Raleigh\, NC\, 27607\, United States
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261109T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261109T143000
DTSTAMP:20260721T144720Z
CREATED:20260720T185945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260721T144720Z
UID:10000203-1794231000-1794234600@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Zachary Brown\, NC State University
DESCRIPTION:Title forthcoming\nAbstract\nTBA \nJoin us on Monday\, November 9 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact host Khara Grieger (kdgriege@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/zachary-brown-nc-state-university/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall OR Zoom\, 112 Derieux Place\, Raleigh\, NC\, 27607\, United States
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261116T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261116T143000
DTSTAMP:20260720T190351Z
CREATED:20260720T190351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260720T190351Z
UID:10000204-1794835800-1794839400@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Doreen Ware\, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
DESCRIPTION:Title forthcoming\nAbstract\nTBA \nJoin us on Monday\, November 16 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact host Audrey Fahey (afahey2@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/doreen-ware-cold-spring-harbor-laboratory/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall OR Zoom\, 112 Derieux Place\, Raleigh\, NC\, 27607\, United States
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261130T133000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261130T143000
DTSTAMP:20260803T155539Z
CREATED:20260720T190923Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T155539Z
UID:10000205-1796045400-1796049000@gga.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:Michelle (Hongqing) Guo\, Iowa State University
DESCRIPTION:Cell type-specific gene manipulation uncovers FERONIA receptor kinase signaling specificity\nAbstract\nUnderstanding how cellular signaling pathways achieve specificity is an important question in developmental and stress biology. FERONIA (FER) receptor kinase is universally expressed and has been established as a critical regulator in plant growth\, development\, stress responses and reproduction. Mechanistically\, FER\, together with co-receptor LLGs\, perceives the RALF peptide ligands and modulates many downstream components involved in diverse biological processes. Cell wall component pectin and cell wall protein LRXs also play important roles in the RALF ligands perception. Loss-of-function fer mutant has reduced plant growth\, compromised fertility and altered responses to many environmental stresses. To further understand the receptor kinase signaling specificity\, we employed the primary root system in Arabidopsis. We carried out single cell transcriptomics and revealed that FER functions in a highly cell type-specific manner in the root-FER exerts unique functions in different cell types. Using cell type-specific FER knockout\, we are currently dissecting the FER receptor kinase-mediated signaling specificity in both cell-autonomous and non-cell autonomous manners. \nJoin us on Monday\, November 30 at 1:30 PM in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and ZOOM for the Genetics and Genomics Seminar Series. This event will be held in person in Stephens Room (3503 Thomas Hall) and on Zoom. \nAttend via Zoom: \nPlease contact host Anna Stepanova (atstepan@ncsu.edu) with any question.
URL:https://gga.ncsu.edu/event/michelle-guo-iowa-state-university/
LOCATION:Stephens Room\, 3503 Thomas Hall OR Zoom\, 112 Derieux Place\, Raleigh\, NC\, 27607\, United States
CATEGORIES:GGA Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://gga.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/07/Michelle.png
ORGANIZER;CN="GGA":MAILTO:mnpugsle@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
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