WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:02.680 Well, my name is Laura Dassama. 2 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:04.950 I am an assistant professor of chemistry 3 00:00:04.950 --> 00:00:06.668 at Stanford University. 4 00:00:06.668 --> 00:00:10.810 line:15% My lab works some things related to drug resistance, 5 00:00:10.810 --> 00:00:14.578 line:15% so we try to understand new drug-resistance mechanisms 6 00:00:14.578 --> 00:00:18.170 line:15% and we try to also work on the development 7 00:00:18.170 --> 00:00:19.170 line:15% of new molecules 8 00:00:19.170 --> 00:00:20.920 line:15% that we hope can some day be used 9 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:25.580 to treat wither drug-resistant bacteria or cancer. 10 00:00:25.580 --> 00:00:29.153 We study a family of proteins, 11 00:00:29.153 --> 00:00:30.870 line:15% lots of molecules and cells 12 00:00:30.870 --> 00:00:33.590 line:15% that bacteria typically employ 13 00:00:33.590 --> 00:00:36.330 line:15% when they encounter a new drug 14 00:00:36.330 --> 00:00:38.430 line:15% and what these molecules do 15 00:00:38.430 --> 00:00:40.980 line:15% is to just raid the drug from the bacteria cell, 16 00:00:40.980 --> 00:00:43.030 so it essentially pumps it out 17 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:48.320 and we try to understand how those molecules 18 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:53.320 can recognize a wide variety of different drugs 19 00:00:53.510 --> 00:00:55.270 and the hope then is that if we understand 20 00:00:55.270 --> 00:00:57.630 how they do this, we can target them 21 00:00:57.630 --> 00:01:01.780 for inhibition or degradation or something, 22 00:01:01.780 --> 00:01:04.940 we can stop them for doing this recognition and efflux 23 00:01:04.940 --> 00:01:07.290 and exporting of drugs. 24 00:01:07.290 --> 00:01:08.913 line:15% We also like to make molecules. 25 00:01:08.913 --> 00:01:12.740 line:15% I don't know if you currently hear 26 00:01:12.740 --> 00:01:17.300 line:15% about the fact that we are not making new antibiotics 27 00:01:17.300 --> 00:01:21.290 even though we're seeing an increased resistance 28 00:01:21.290 --> 00:01:23.290 to all of the drugs we currently use 29 00:01:23.290 --> 00:01:25.190 to treat bacterial infections 30 00:01:25.190 --> 00:01:30.190 and so, my lab looks at how nature makes molecules 31 00:01:30.650 --> 00:01:32.412 that can be used as antibiotics 32 00:01:32.412 --> 00:01:34.670 and what we try to then do 33 00:01:34.670 --> 00:01:38.110 is see if we can design better forms, 34 00:01:38.110 --> 00:01:41.420 engineering design, more potent forms 35 00:01:41.420 --> 00:01:43.313 of those natural products. 36 00:01:44.150 --> 00:01:49.150 line:15% My teaching load has been relatively light 37 00:01:50.130 --> 00:01:51.790 line:15% as a new assistant professor. 38 00:01:51.790 --> 00:01:54.380 line:15% The university tries to give me a lot 39 00:01:54.380 --> 00:01:57.410 line:15% of time to build your research program. 40 00:01:57.410 --> 00:01:59.560 And so, I haven't spent too much time teaching 41 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:02.610 but I am very excited to be running a course 42 00:02:02.610 --> 00:02:06.490 in the next quarter that's teaching chemistry 43 00:02:06.490 --> 00:02:11.080 and chemical engineering majors biochemistry lab techniques 44 00:02:11.080 --> 00:02:13.920 and so, they will actually work on experiments 45 00:02:13.920 --> 00:02:17.010 that are similar to the things we do in my laboratory 46 00:02:17.010 --> 00:02:18.792 and other biochemistry labs 47 00:02:18.792 --> 00:02:22.940 line:15% and I think that would be a very good experience for them 48 00:02:22.940 --> 00:02:24.970 line:15% as they're prepare to go out into the world 49 00:02:24.970 --> 00:02:27.950 line:15% whether be it graduate school or medical school 50 00:02:27.950 --> 00:02:30.150 line:15% to really have this hands-on lab experience, 51 00:02:30.150 --> 00:02:32.163 so I'm really looking forward to that.