'Science On Saturday' lecture series to reconstruct a rabies epidemic: byte by byte

Who: Lawrence Livermore scientists Monica Borucki and Jonathan Allen, along with Granada High School science teacher Elizabeth Lopez, will present "Reconstructing a Rabies Epidemic: Byte by Byte," the second lecture in the 2017 Science on Saturday series. The series theme is "Ingenious Inventions."

What: This informative and entertaining lecture will explain how biologists and computer scientists used cutting-edge, ultra-deep sequencing technology to study the dynamics of a 2009 rabies outbreak. This case study, based on a dramatic increase (more than 350 percent) in the gray fox population infected with a rabies variant for which striped skunks serve as the reservoir hosts, will be used to help illustrate the changes in the viral genome during cross-species viral transmission.

When:  Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017
Session I: 9:30 a.m.
Session II: 11:15 a.m. (same content as Session I)

Where: Bankhead Theater, 2400 First Street, Livermore.

Note: Science on Saturday is sponsored by LLNL's University Relations and Science Education Program. The lectures and demonstrations are open to the public and specifically targeted to middle and high school students. No pre-registration is required, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about Science on Saturday, visit the web or contact Joanna Albala, Education Program manager, at (925) 422-6803.