Force, Direction and Persistence: How Cells Crawl

Julie A. Theriot, Professor, University of Washington; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Chief Scientific Advisor, Allen Institute for Cell Science

How is a living cell created from its molecular constituents? Individual proteins are typically only a few nanometers in size. Without a blueprint or an architect, these tiny molecular parts organize themselves in a dynamic and self-correcting manner to form precise cellular structures that may be four or five orders of magnitude larger than their subunits, and capable of generating coordinated forces. Rapid cell motility, such as the crawling of white blood cells toward sites of infection, requires the proper spatial and temporal arrangement of macromolecules in cells, the large-scale coordination of their functions, and the choreography of their movements. Elected in 2021, Theriot represents Class II's section on Cellular and Developmental Biology.

Analyses from Near (Meteorites) and Far (Spacecraft): Complementary Approaches to Planetary Exploration

Harry Y. McSween, Jr., Chancellor's Professor Emeritus, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee

Understanding a planet’s composition benefits from remote-sensing measurements by spacecraft and from laboratory analyses of extraterrestrial materials from the same body.  McSween explains using geochemical data from meteorites and spectroscopic measurements from orbiters and rovers, using two examples – a large planet (Mars) and a planetesimal (asteroid Vesta).  This complementary approach to exploration is transforming these astronomical objects into geological worlds.  Elected in 2021, McSween represents Class I’s section on Geology.

Gravity’s Fatal Attraction: Black Holes at the Centers of Galaxies

Chung-Pei Ma, Judy Chandler Webb Professor in Physical Sciences, University of California at Berkeley

Black holes are spectacular end products of the fatal attraction of gravity. Supermassive black holes - with masses up to many billion suns - reside at the centers of galaxies and strongly impact the evolution of their host galaxies. For over three decades, the giant elliptical galaxy Messier 87 (M87) had hosted the most massive known black hole in the local universe. Ma will describe progress in discovering new populations of black holes beyond M87 and in understanding the symbiotic relationship between the growths of black holes and galaxies. An exciting prospect in this decade is the detection of low-frequency gravitational waves from merging binaries of supermassive black holes. Elected in 2022, Ma represents Class I's section on Astronomy.

Human Microbiome: Finding Friends Amongst the Foes

Julie Segre, Senior Investigator, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health

Using genomic sequencing as a modern microscope to discover the bacteria, fungi and viruses that colonize humans has transformed our understanding that we are all superorganisms. Segre investigates the human skin as an ecosystem, discovering how beneficial microbes colonize human skin and provide benefits such as colonization resistance and tuning of the immune system. As well, she develops real-time genomic surveillance to investigates the transmission of antimicrobial resistant organisms in healthcare ecosystems to address this urgent concern. Elected in 2022, Segre represents Class II’s section on Genetics.