UAS to Feature Faculty Research and Creative Activity Spring Flash Talks

The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) Research and Creative Activities Committee is sponsoring two dives into faculty research at 12 noon on Friday, February 14.

Juneau, Alaska

Date of Press Release: February 10, 2020

The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) Research and Creative Activities Committee is sponsoring two dives into faculty research at 12 noon on Friday, February 14. These five-minute “Flash Talks” are geared toward anyone with an interest in local science with plenty of time for questions and discussion. Participants are encouraged to bring along a lunch, with UAS providing coffee and dessert. The event takes place in the conference room of the Whitehead building on the Juneau Auke Lake campus.

The overall title for the presentation is, “What is New in Environmental Research from UAS Chemistry Faculty?” Two flash talks are featured:

PFAS— Should We Be Concerned About This Class of Toxic Chemicals?

Speaker: Associate Professor Lisa Hoferkamp

PFAS is found in many consumer products and has contaminated drinking water in Fairbanks, North Pole, Moose Creek, Utqiagvik, Gustavus, Dillingham, King Salmon, Shemya, and Yakutat. Dr. Hoferkamp describes her team’s investigations of PFAS' compounds and their ability to move through the environment and magnify up the food chain.

Cool Molecules: Unraveling the Mysteries of Antifreeze Proteins

Speaker: Assistant Professor Konrad Meister

Antifreeze proteins are a unique class of biomolecules that enable the survival of organisms in freezing environments. Their success in protecting against freezing is illustrated by their wide distribution among organisms as diverse as polar fish, insects, fungi or bacteria. Dr. Meister describes his team's investigations on how they work, how to purify them, and their use in biomedical and food science applications.

Learn more about research and creative activities at the University of Alaska Southeast.