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Molecular Biology Building




Image by SD Dirk

Opened in 1992, the Molecular Biology Building is a truly unique structure. The one and one-half ton "G-Nome" figures atop each of the four corners of the building provide the first clues that this building is unique. Then, a closer inspection shows DNA helixes trailing down the building from each of the gnomes. The airy atrium provides a sense of openness inside the building, and helps to highlight the DNA molecule, in mosaic tile, that graces the floor of the atrium. In short, public art, a requirement for all newly constructed state buildings since 1978, is built into the actual structure of the Molecular Biology Building. This impressive four story structure give students and faculty state-of-the-art laboratory and classroom facilities in which to generate new knowledge in disease resistance, environmental protection, genetic alterations, and a host of other topics that will ultimately benefit virtually the entire planet.

PhotonQ-Antoine Danchin on Synthetic Biology




Image by PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE

Meeting with Antoine Danchin last night, before his first talk (part of a series of three, this month in Paris) on Synthetic Biology. A curious mind for sure, full of passion and happiness about his work and research. But more than that, it seems like he was "feeling", more than just thinking, about all the possibilities, implication, dangers and wonders, this field may lead to.

A funny and "first time" thing happened, when I ask him if he would be interested and happy to be part of the upcoming Conference / Project, in am working on at the moment.
His first thought was. Yes...but....I' ll need to be sure of the ideology of this conference...
I had no idea what he was talking about at first so I just laugh...then stopped and thought for a second..and asked..what do you mean ? Ho you know..sometimes you have groups.. like the Vatican, behind this kind of proposition, because of the subject and implication.... I guess their was some kind of "not from the Vatican thing" in my laugh..because he smiled back O=)

Anyway, while talking with him, few interesting things came up. First, the lack of researchers in France, working on synthetic biology. Why ? First, because their is no risk taking in exploring new ways of thinking, approach, ideas. Then because most scientists in their 40th don' t (or want to) understand it. But young generation do. Because biology is becoming a science of information. And the youngest are more and more use to deal with this kind of approach and way of thinking today.Thanks to computers, information and complex sciences etc.. Their will be a change soon, and it will be very fast.

Another thing was that " We usually think that the world is constitute of 4 dimensions. You have matter, energy, space and time. But I think we really need to add Information as a fifth one. To think a lot deeper about it, and its implications on science and our perception of life and the Universe.

Then after a while, talking about some of his current research he told me...I think I may have found the genes of Maxwell's demon. (and I don' t need to tell you how exited he was to tell me that..and how I was listening to him.)
One of the experiment he is working on at the moment, with a team in Hong Kong (if I remember correctly) may have given him an answer he has been looking for a long time apparently.

They introduced genetically-modified organisms in a control environment. "Taking out" the genes that allows them to feed on their natural food supply.
But add in this environment a new source of food, that they were not able to assimilate and use in anyway.
Then they waited...nothing happened for the next few hours, days...week....but then something did.
"We discovered that a mutant-variation of these organisms had emerge and found a way of exploiting this new food supply. Now you see, the question was, how did they do it... and I think I may have found how... found the genes of Maxwell's demon, that transmit that information".
The conference had to start few minutes after, so I left him, with the head full of questions.. But I' ll have more info and understanding of all the implication of what he was trying to tell me in the next few days or next Thursday for the second meeting.

If you are around Paris, and free on Thursday and the next one, the talks are from 18h30 to 20h...20h30. Fell free to come and feed your mind with his two next conferences, at La Cité des Sciences- La Vilette =)

*Antoine Danchin PhD DSc is the director of the Department Genomes and Genetics at the Institut Pasteur in Paris where he heads the Genetics of Bacterial Genomes Unit. He is a world authority in the study of microbial genomes. ...

Have a look to his great and very interesting Personal WebSite . Full of great thoughts, quotes, links, papers etc...