BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Phytoplankton membrane transport:  The big physiological and evolu
 tionary secrets of small cells - Colin Brownlee\, Marine Biological Associ
 ation 
DTSTART:20161110T130000Z
DTEND:20161110T140000Z
UID:TALK67637@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:38889
DESCRIPTION:Marine phytoplankton are responsible for removing much of the 
 CO2 that we pump into the atmosphere and for producing much of the oxygen 
 that we breath.  Particular groups such as the calcifying coccolithophores
  and silicifying diatoms represent the major biomineralizing organisms on 
 Earth. Our work addresses some of the fundamental membrane properties of p
 hytoplankton with implications for understanding cell-environment interact
 ions\, cellular regulation\, biomineralization and evolution of ion channe
 ls.\n\nWhile the phytoplankton are photosynthetic\, exploration of their m
 embrane properties has revealed a number of features that are more similar
  to animals\, including animal-like electrical excitability in the form of
  sodium- and calcium-based action potentials.  Parallel molecular studies 
 are revealing a number of new and surprising ion channel types\, some of w
 hich are novel for eukaryotes and which are likely to underlie electrical 
 excitability and cellular signalling.  The talk will address some of the w
 ider physiological\, ecological and evolutionary implications of these fin
 dings and will speculate on why land plants lost some of these “ancient
 ” ion channel types that remain widespread amongst the eukaryotes.\n
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR