Science for all Seasons 2013

As an alternative to transplant, what if patients facing liver failure could simply have a new organ grown for them? In this fascinating installment of Science for All Seasons, Broad senior associate member Sangeeta Bhatia explores recent advances in liver tissue engineering, and what they might mean for patients and scientists. Learn more about this work and our public lecture series: Science for All Seasons (www.broadinstitute.org/sfas)

Our bodies are host to trillions of microorganisms, many of which reside in our digestive system. This tiny population, known as the gut microbiome, mostly functions to aid digestion or repress the growth of harmful bacteria. But imbalances in these same bacterial species have also been linked to inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and even cancer. In his Science for All Seasons lecture in November 2013, Broad senior associate member and renowned gastroenterologist Ramnik Xavier discussed the link between the gut microbiome and our health.  Learn more about this work and our public lecture series: Science for All Seasons (www.broadinstitute.org/sfas) Additional information about Ramnik Xavier (http://www.broadinstitute.org/node/5327)

Different as we may seem, humans and dogs suffer from many of the same debilitating psychiatric diseases—including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). For both species, current medical treatments have proven ineffective, in large part due to a lack of understanding the roots of the disease. But an exciting collaborative effort between Broad scientists and thousands of dog owners is unraveling the genetic underpinnings of human and canine OCD, cancer, and much more. In this compelling presentation, the Broad’s Elinor Karlsson will discuss recent advances in determining the genetic causes of OCD in dogs, and implications for OCD therapies in humans. About Science for All Seasons Science for All Seasons gives you a chance to explore hot topics in genomics with leading experts from the Broad Institute. Find out what key advances, new technologies, and the latest findings mean for you in this free and open lecture series.