Date/Time
Date(s) - 20 Feb 2013
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Location
U of A Centennial Hall
Feb. 20: The 9-Billion-People Question
By Rod A. Wing, Bud Antle Endowed Chair, School of Plant Sciences; director, Arizona Genomics Institute
The world’s population will grow to more than 9 billion in less than 40 years. How can farmers grow enough food to feed this population in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way? Research is now under way to create the next generation of green revolution crops — the so called “green super crops” where “super” means a doubling or tripling of yields and “green” means a reduction in the use of water, fertilizer and pesticides. The 9-billion-people question, or 9BPQ, is one of the world’s most pressing issues of our time. Our society must realistically solve this question within the next 25 years if we are to be able to supply farmers with the seeds required to feed the future. This lecture will explore the many facets of how to feed the world and will propose a bold solution to help solve the 9BPQ.
The University of Arizona College of Science‘s popular spring lecture serieswill present six free lectures exploring the astonishing advances in genomics research. The first lecture will be on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in Centennial Hall on the UA campus.
From Gregor Mendel’s discovery of the laws of heredity to the recognition of DNA as life’s critical molecular “key,” scientists have probed the role of this remarkably complex material and the code it contains. Their findings continue to expand our understanding of life.
With the genetic code of hundreds of life forms now sequenced and geometrically larger genomic datasets publicly available, scientists are able to advance research into the genetic roots of disease, how global viral pandemics occur, how transformative agricultural research can help feed our planet’s growing population, how environmental influences affect individual development, and how genetic mutation and variation impact survival at the species level.
This year’s corresponding teacher education program for science teachers at the 6-12 grade levels has filled. Research Corporation for Science Advancement funds tuition for the program, which provides two hours of graduate credit.
All the Genomics Now lectures are free and open to the public. The lectures will be held at Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. on the UA campus. Parking is available on a pay-per-use basis in the Tyndall Avenue Garage, 880 E. Fourth St.
Funding for the College of Science Spring 2013 Lecture Series is provided by the Arizona Daily Star; Carondelet Health Network; Galileo Circle; Godat Design; Holualoa Companies; Miraval Resort & Spa; Raytheon; Research Corporation for Science Advancement; Tucson Electric Power; and Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.