Biophysicist To Deliver Keynote at 2014 IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Conference

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Paul Selvin

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Biophysicist Paul R. Selvin will deliver the keynote address at the 2014 Conference for Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 7, and Saturday, Nov. 8, in Fayetteville.

The departments of physics, biological sciences and chemistry and biochemistry in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas will host the event.

Friday’s sessions will be held at various locations on the Fayetteville Square, and Saturday’s will be held on the University of Arkansas campus. See the full schedule for location and parking details.

Selvin is professor of physics and biophysics and John Bardeen Faculty Scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The title of his talk is, “Your Body is Made of Trillions of Tiny Walking Molecular Motors.”

Selvin’s research focus includes single molecule detection and nanoscale fluorescent measurement. He invented a widely used nanoimaging technique called FIONA, or Fluorescence Imaging with One Nanometer Accuracy.

In 2006, his achievements in developing novel nanoscale tools won him Tel Aviv University’s prestigious International Raymond and Beverly Sackler Award for the most outstanding advance in biophysics, noting his pioneering discoveries of fluorescence techniques and his work in single molecule detection and ultra-sensitive instrumentation.

Friday’s speakers include Joseph Herzog, a visiting assistant professor of physics at the U of A, whose talk is titled, “Beyond the Diffraction Limit with Nano-Optics: Plasmonics and Photonic Crystals.” Other speakers on Friday include Andres A. Caro, an associate professor of chemistry at Hendrix College; and Joel Funk, an assistant professor of biology at John Brown University.

The conference also will feature invited undergraduate oral presentations, student and faculty discussion groups, workshops, poster presentations and awards.

Arkansas INBRE is funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, under the Institutional Development Award program of the National Institutes of Health. The program was established for the purpose of broadening the geographic distribution of National Institute of Health funding for biomedical and behavioral research.