SOS: How scientists use modeling to determine how therapeutics cross the blood brain barrier

WHO: LLNL scientists Tim Carpenter and Nicholas Be, with teacher Dan Burns of Los Gatos High School, will present "Crossing the Blood-Brain Barrier: One Byte at a Time," the fourth and final lecture in the 2019 Science on Saturday series that highlights the many facets of the brain.

WHAT: The talk will focus on the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a special structure in the body that helps to protect the brain from unwanted toxins and germs. Unfortunately, this barrier also can make it difficult for therapeutics to reach their intended target within the brain. This requires the modification of the therapeutic drugs to allow them to cross the BBB and enter where they can reach their target and be effective. Testing which chemical modifications act to improve accessibility of therapeutics to the brain can be a long and expensive process. Scientists at LLNL are combining experimental techniques with computational methods, making use of some of the fastest supercomputers in the world, to speed up the process of optimizing therapeutics to cross the BBB.

WHEN:  Saturday, Feb. 23
Session I: 9:30 a.m.
Session II: 11:15 a.m. (same content as Session I)

WHERE: Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore.

NOTE: Science on Saturday is sponsored by LLNL's University Relations and Science Education Program. Lectures 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 basis. For more information about Science on Saturday, visit the web or contact Joanna Albala, Education Program manager, at (925) 422-6803 or albala1 [at] llnl.gov (email).