Café Synthetique

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Café Synthetique is the monthly meetup for the Cambridge synthetic and engineering biology community with informal talks, discussion and pub snacks. Speakers range from students and group leaders to industry professionals and entrepreneurs.

On Monday 3 November, 6pm, we welcome 2 talks:

Gut feelings: engineering smart probiotics that can sense disease
David Riglar, Assistant Professor in Engineering Biology, Imperial College London

The trillions of microbes that live inside our guts – together known as the gut microbiome – are central to our health and wellbeing. Changes to the gut microbiome are linked to cancer, metabolic diseases, infectious disease and various inflammatory disorders. I will discuss ways that we are using synthetic biology to better understand the gut microbiome’s role in disease with the ultimate goal of developing engineered smart probiotics that can autonomously sense and respond to issues within the gut.

Seeing Nanomaterials in Action, from Cellular Senescence to NanoDynamic Imaging
Andrew Baker, Research Associate, Dept. Pharmacology, Cambridge. 

Nanomaterials are transforming how we study biological systems, offering new ways to sense, image, and treat disease. However, while their potential in areas such as cancer therapy is immense, what often remains invisible is how these nanoparticles actually behave and transform in real time once introduced into complex environments. In our previous work, we applied nanostructured indocyanine green J-aggregates to detect and target senescent cells, a key driver of cancer relapse. Yet, understanding the nanoparticles dynamic behavior has been limited by current imaging and characterization techniques. Here, we introduce the NanoSpacer, a low-cost dark-field platform that enables real-time monitoring of nanoscale reactions and transformations using standard optical components. By bringing together nanomaterials and real-time nanodynamic imaging, we open new possibilities for understand and control how functional nanostructures operate and interact with living systems.

It would be great to see the community coming together again with free aromi food available! Drinks available to purchase at the bar. We look forward to seeing you at the Panton Arms, Cambridge 6pm-8pm.

Places are limited to 40. Please sign up here with full name and affiliation.

For questions or queries please contact Vicky Reid at vr314@cam.ac.uk