The Museum of Nature & Science and Sigma Xi present “Science Café – Mutualism, Selection, and Complexity in the Origins of Life,” with guest speaker Nita Sahai, Ph.D.
Dr. Sahai joins us via Zoom at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20 from the University of Akron. Please contact education@las-cruces.org, or call 575/522-3120 for a link to the program or go to Zoom.us with webinar ID 83944573212.
The appearance of life around four billion years ago was a result of complex geochemical events involving the interaction of primitive atmosphere, water, dissolved ions, and minerals leading to the formation of biopolymeric molecular building blocks of life. These building blocks selected and self-assembled to form the earliest life-like entities or protocells. Dr. Sahai’s research aims to discover the potential role of minerals and dissolved metal ions in the self-assembly of these building blocks.
Nita Sahai completed her Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins University and is a professor at the University of Akron’s Department of Polymer Science. Her research focuses on the physical-chemical aspects of biomolecular and inorganic ion interactions relevant to the origins and early evolution of life and bone biomineralization.
The Museum of Nature & Science, 411 N. Main St., is accessible from RoadRUNNER Transit Route 1, Stop 1. For information, visit the Museums System website at: https://www.las-cruces.org/museums or follow us on Facebook and Instagram @LCMuseums.
For information, contact Stephanie Hawkins, Education Curator, at 575/532-3372, or by email at shawkins@las-cruces.org.