“Visualizing Tiny Worlds ”
Convocation Lecture
April 15, 2025, 11 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Life as we know it relies on the constant and tireless work of tiny molecular machines that are too small to observe directly. Janet Iwasa’s work focuses on creating animations and illustrations of how these machines are hypothesized to operate based on data collected by the biological community.
A recording of the Sverdrup Convocation Lecture can be found on Augburg’s YouTube page.
“Animating Molecular Machines ”
Technical Talk
April 14, 2025, 5 p.m. —Hagfors 150
In recent years, there has been a rapid growth in the use of animation as a means to communicate complex biological processes to a wide range of audiences. Using 3D animation software from the entertainment industry, it is possible to synthesize data from diverse sources to create a coherent and contextualized view of how molecular and cellular systems operate. These visualizations have served not only to make molecular concepts more accessible to students and the public, but have also proven to be extremely useful for researchers seeking to build and refine their hypotheses. In this talk, Janet Iwasa will describe her career path and current projects that focus on using animation and creating new tools for research and outreach.
BIOGRAPHY
Janet Iwasa, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Utah, where she serves as director of the Genetic Science Learning Center. Her broad goal is to create accurate and compelling molecular and cellular visualizations that will support research, learning and scientific communication. Janet’s award-winning illustrations and animations have appeared in scientific journals including Nature, Science and Cell, as well as in the New York Times. Her work has also been featured on television and in museum exhibits. Janet was named a 2014 TED fellow and recognized as one of the “100 Leading Global Thinkers” of 2014 by Foreign Policy magazine and one of the “100 Most Creative People” of 2012 by Fast Company magazine. More recently, she was selected by the RCSB Protein Data Bank to become lead author for the “Molecule of the Month” monthly report. As a postdoctoral fellow, she created a multimedia exhibit with Nobel Laureate Jack Szostak (Harvard University) and the Museum of Science, Boston, and later worked on biological visualizations as a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. She received her Ph.D. in 2006 from the University of California, San Francisco for her work on the actin cytoskeleton in the laboratory of Dyche Mullins, and completed 3D animation training at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects later that same summer.
Sponsored by the General Leif J. Sverdrup Visiting Scientist Program and the Minnesota NASA Space Grant Consortium at Augsburg University.