01.08.09 Emily Outen 757-864-7022 emily.s.outen@nasa.govMEDIA ADVISORY: 09-003 09-003: NASA LANGLEY TO HOST TALKS BY LEADING GENOMICS SCIENTISTS HAMPTON, Va. -- Recent ground-breaking research that investigates gene sequences in living organisms offers a new understanding of biology and life in general. The relatively young field, called Genomics, has the potential for development of new medical treatments and biological sources of energy. On Tuesday, Jan. 13, NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va., is hosting two executives from Synthetic Genomics, Inc., a company dedicated to developing and commercializing genomic-driven solutions to address global energy and environmental challenges. Dr. Aristides Patrinos, president of Synthetic Genomics, will speak to NASA Langley employees on "Energy for the Greenhouse World" at 2 p.m. in the Reid Conference Center. On Tuesday evening, Founder and CEO of Synthetic Genomics Dr. J. Craig Venter will present a talk for the general public called "From Reading to Writing the Genetic Code" at 7:30 p.m. at the Virginia Air & Space Center in downtown Hampton. The evening talk is free and no reservations are required. The talks will explore how the innovative scientific research will benefit society and its pressing needs such as producing new alternative energies and biochemicals. Patrinos will be available for interviews at a 1:15 p.m. news briefing prior to the afternoon talk. Media interested in interviewing Patrinos Tuesday should contact Emily Outen at 864-7022 or at emily.s.outen@nasa.gov by noon for credentials and entry to NASA Langley. Synthetic Genomics, Inc. was founded in 2005 by Venter who was named one of the 100 most influential scientists of 2008 by Time magazine. His company is developing new scientific processes to enable industry to design and test genetic modifications. The organization's team includes leading researchers with expertise in areas including metabolic engineering, microbiology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, plant genomics, climate change and energy policies.
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