Holidays of all faiths and traditions are fondly associated with pleasant fragrances—the sandalwood incense of Diwali; the aroma of latkes during Hanukkah; fresh-baked baklava for Eid gatherings; citrusy smells of Lunar New Year; and the fresh-cut fir of Christmas.
This year’s NCSWA Holiday Party will celebrate the science of scents, with presentations by two world-class researchers from the fascinating world of olfactory perception.
UC San Francisco’s Aashish Manglik, MD, PhD, is one of the world’s leading protein biologists, with a special interest in receptors on cells that make sensory perception possible. In a scientific first, in 2023 Manglik’s lab created atomic-level images of an odorant -- one responsible for a cheesy aroma – binding to a human receptor that allows us to detect smells.
He will describe how insights from his research are leading to a deeper understanding of how our senses detect signals from our environment, allowing us to see and taste as well as smell.
If time permits, Holiday Party attendees will be able to participate in an “olfactory receptor genotyping” demo (akin to a personalized wine preference experience) that will help drive Manglik’s future research.
John Crimaldi, PhD, of the University of Colorado, Boulder, leads “Odor2Action,” an international project seeking to understand how animals from honeybees to mammals receive and interpret odors from their environment to guide their behavior.
The $20 million effort brings together neuroscientists, theorists, engineers, biologists, computer scientists, and physicists to tease apart this process.
Crimaldi will describe recent findings emerging from the ambitious collaboration. He will also recount how his research “went viral” on social media during the pandemic, and the unique window it provided him on the workings of science journalism.
SCHEDULE
6 – 6:45 p.m. Mixer & appetizers, with cash bar
6:45 – 7:30 p.m. Dinner
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Presentations by Aashish Manglik and John Crimaldi
8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Games and door prizes
LOCATION
STEM Kitchen and Garden is a farm-to-table restaurant with a menu inspired by Californian-Mediterranean cuisine, located at 499 Illinois St. in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco. The restaurant features an expansive outdoor patio, garden, bocce ball, fire pits, and sweeping views of the Bay.
STEM is easily accessible by public transportation via BART or Muni Metro to Powell St. station. (Clipper card works on both systems.) If coming from the East Bay, after exiting the train take the escalator/stairs up to your left. After passing through the BART fare gates, follow signs to the new Muni Metro T Line, and take the escalator down to board the southbound train (to “Sunnydale”).
Disembark at the UCSF/Chase Center Muni Metro platform, and cross 3rd Street to Chase Center. STEM is immediately south of Chase Center on the east side of Illinois St., approximately a 5-minute walk. (Use “499 Illinois St.” in your navigation app.)
For those driving, some street parking is available, and the UCSF Illinois St. garage also offers parking for $5.00/hour. (10 p.m. closing time.)
NOTE: This event is kept affordable by a generous subsidy from NCSWA.
