During a special event on Thursday, Nov. 9, the Morgridge Institute welcomed a group of enthusiastic, science-curious donors and supporters into our collegial environment to explore “fearless science” first-hand.
Morgridge Investigator Jing Fan and her team opened their lab doors to give guests a closer look at the fascinating world of metabolism. In her opening remarks, she emphasized how metabolism is fundamental to life — every cell in every living organism requires this process. The attendees learned that from this process branches many diverse questions and opportunities for interdisciplinary research approaches.
“I really enjoyed the curiosity that people had,” says graduate student Steve John. “Their eyes were lighting up when I showed them cells, and it just kind of reinforces that there’s more to what I’m doing than just simply the day to day of the lab—it does have a bigger picture.”
Guests interacted with Fan Lab scientists at several different stations, including an introduction to immune cells, a crash course in chromatography, and discussions about potential biomedical applications.
“The group I was with were smart and interested in what they were learning,” says Jacquelyn Fredrick, Morgridge Board of Trustees chair. “They were particularly enthusiastic when the scientists translated the information into the patient possibilities.”
View photos of the event below.