Broad Institute Events Calendar Calendarhttps://events.broadinstitute.org/calendarBroad Institute Events Calendar CalendarSun, 09 Aug 2026 12:20:48 -0400120en-usLocalistAug 18, 2026: Chemical Biology Supergroup: Debasis Das at Zoom WebinarSpeaker: Debasis Das (Indian Institute of Science)
Talk Title: Harnessing Enzymatic Power for Bioenergy and Therapeutics

Description: Enzymes are nature's most efficient catalysts, capable of driving complex chemical transformations with remarkable speed and selectivity. Understanding how these biological catalysts function not only deepens our knowledge of fundamental biochemistry but also enables innovative solutions for challenges in sustainable manufacturing and human health. In this seminar, I will present our efforts to discover and engineer microbial enzymes for two distinct yet impactful applications: renewable hydrocarbon production and the treatment of biofilm-associated infections.

The first part focuses on UndB, a membrane-bound enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of fatty acids into terminal 1-alkenes─valuable platform chemicals widely used in the production of polymers, lubricants, and detergents. Although UndB was discovered nearly a decade ago, its catalytic mechanism has remained largely elusive. Our studies establish that UndB is a diiron enzyme with a conserved histidine-coordinated active site and demonstrate that catalysis requires molecular oxygen together with electron-transfer partners. These mechanistic insights have guided the engineering of an efficient whole-cell biocatalyst capable of converting naturally abundant free fatty acids into medium-chain 1-alkenes with conversion efficiencies of up to 95%.

The second part highlights the discovery of microbial enzymes that target the extracellular matrix of bacterial biofilms, offering a promising strategy to combat antimicrobial-resistant infections. We identified an orphan enzyme from the cow rumen microbiome that rapidly disperses mature biofilms formed by clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae at low micromolar concentrations, thereby enhancing antibiotic susceptibility and promoting immune-mediated clearance in a murine wound infection model. We further discovered CRhAB, a biofilm-matrix-degrading enzyme that selectively targets Acinetobacter baumannii. Immobilization of CRhAB onto clinical-grade gauze generated a bioactive wound dressing that effectively prevented bacterial colonization and significantly accelerated wound healing in vivo.

Together, these studies demonstrate how mechanistic understanding and engineering of microbial enzymes can drive transformative advances in both sustainable biocatalysis and next-generation antimicrobial therapies.

#science #talks

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_53613330172446Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:30:00 -04002026-08-18T15:30:00-04:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/chemical-biology-supergroup-debasis-das-5992Aug 18, 2026: Chemical Biology Supergroup: Debasis DasSpeaker: Debasis Das (Indian Institute of Science)
Talk Title: Harnessing Enzymatic Power for Bioenergy and Therapeutics

Description: Enzymes are nature's most efficient catalysts, capable of driving complex chemical transformations with remarkable speed and selectivity. Understanding how these biological catalysts function not only deepens our knowledge of fundamental biochemistry but also enables innovative solutions for challenges in sustainable manufacturing and human health. In this seminar, I will present our efforts to discover and engineer microbial enzymes for two distinct yet impactful applications: renewable hydrocarbon production and the treatment of biofilm-associated infections.

The first part focuses on UndB, a membrane-bound enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of fatty acids into terminal 1-alkenes─valuable platform chemicals widely used in the production of polymers, lubricants, and detergents. Although UndB was discovered nearly a decade ago, its catalytic mechanism has remained largely elusive. Our studies establish that UndB is a diiron enzyme with a conserved histidine-coordinated active site and demonstrate that catalysis requires molecular oxygen together with electron-transfer partners. These mechanistic insights have guided the engineering of an efficient whole-cell biocatalyst capable of converting naturally abundant free fatty acids into medium-chain 1-alkenes with conversion efficiencies of up to 95%.

The second part highlights the discovery of microbial enzymes that target the extracellular matrix of bacterial biofilms, offering a promising strategy to combat antimicrobial-resistant infections. We identified an orphan enzyme from the cow rumen microbiome that rapidly disperses mature biofilms formed by clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae at low micromolar concentrations, thereby enhancing antibiotic susceptibility and promoting immune-mediated clearance in a murine wound infection model. We further discovered CRhAB, a biofilm-matrix-degrading enzyme that selectively targets Acinetobacter baumannii. Immobilization of CRhAB onto clinical-grade gauze generated a bioactive wound dressing that effectively prevented bacterial colonization and significantly accelerated wound healing in vivo.

Together, these studies demonstrate how mechanistic understanding and engineering of microbial enzymes can drive transformative advances in both sustainable biocatalysis and next-generation antimicrobial therapies.

Please click the link below to register for the webinar:
http://broad.io/ChemBioSupergroup

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_53613244601328Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:30:00 -04002026-08-18T15:30:00-04:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/chemical-biology-supergroup-debasis-dasTalksAug 25, 2026: René Salazar Speaker Series at 75A-8-KalahariJoin LatinX@Broad for the latest installment of the René Salazar Speaker Series, where we will hear from Axel Vera Sánchez, PhD, who traded stage magic for lab magic. From a childhood fascination with magic tricks to developing the first cell-permeable anti-CRISPR proteins in graduate school, Axel's journey blends chemistry, genome editing, and a little bit of showmanship. Now known as Dr. Anti-CRISPR, he's on a mission to cure a disease in his lifetime while using magic to bring science to the public. Come hear how a magician became a scientist and how he's using both crafts to make discovery come alive.

This event will be held in-person however a Zoom option will also be made available.

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_53436720505593Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:00:00 -04002026-08-25T14:00:00-04:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/rene-salazar-speaker-series-6381TalksSep 7, 2026: Labor Day

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_52282217906183Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 -04002026-09-07T00:00:00-04:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/labor-day-8775Oct 12, 2026: Indigenous People's Day

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_52600686773863Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:00:00 -04002026-10-12T00:00:00-04:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/indigenous-peoples-day-297Nov 11, 2026: Veterans' Day

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_52857091345084Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-11-11T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/veterans-day-2066Nov 26, 2026: Thanksgiving Day

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_52989812708553Thu, 26 Nov 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-11-26T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/thanksgiving-day-5215Nov 27, 2026: Day After Thanksgiving

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_52998673827017Fri, 27 Nov 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-11-27T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/day-after-thanksgiving-297Dec 24, 2026: Broad holiday closure

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_51472269729715Thu, 24 Dec 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-12-24T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-holiday-closure-4381Dec 25, 2026: Broad holiday closure

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_51472269746103Fri, 25 Dec 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-12-25T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-holiday-closure-4381Dec 26, 2026: Broad holiday closure

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_51472269778872Sat, 26 Dec 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-12-26T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-holiday-closure-4381Dec 27, 2026: Broad holiday closure

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_51472269791161Sun, 27 Dec 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-12-27T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-holiday-closure-4381Dec 28, 2026: Broad holiday closure

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_51472269808570Mon, 28 Dec 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-12-28T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-holiday-closure-4381Dec 29, 2026: Broad holiday closure

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_51472269824955Tue, 29 Dec 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-12-29T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-holiday-closure-4381Dec 30, 2026: Broad holiday closure

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_51472269844412Wed, 30 Dec 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-12-30T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-holiday-closure-4381Dec 31, 2026: Broad holiday closure

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_51472269857725Thu, 31 Dec 2026 00:00:00 -05002026-12-31T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-holiday-closure-4381Jan 1, 2027: Broad holiday closure

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_51472269872062Fri, 01 Jan 2027 00:00:00 -05002027-01-01T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-holiday-closure-4381Jan 1, 2027: New Year's Day

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_53308328996752Fri, 01 Jan 2027 00:00:00 -05002027-01-01T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/new-years-day-49Jan 18, 2027: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_53458759193993Mon, 18 Jan 2027 00:00:00 -05002027-01-18T00:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/martin-luther-king-jrs-birthday-2892Jan 24, 2027: refrigerator cleanoutAll items left in the refrigerators will be trashed so the refrigerators can be cleaned.

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_53520821046925Sun, 24 Jan 2027 17:00:00 -05002027-01-24T17:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/refrigerator-cleanout-4039Feb 22, 2027: Broad-MIT Seminars in Chemical Biology: Matt Disney at HYBRID || Broad Institute Auditorium & LivestreamSpeaker: Professor Matt Disney, Scripps Research Institute
Host: Xiao Wang, Broad Institute
When: 4:00pm
Where: Broad Institute Auditorium
Livestream: https://broad.io/broadmitseminarseries

Talk title: TBD

Description: TBD

#science #talks

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]]>tag:localist.com,2008:EventInstance_53560246096828Mon, 22 Feb 2027 16:00:00 -05002027-02-22T16:00:00-05:00https://events.broadinstitute.org/event/broad-mit-seminars-in-chemical-biology-matt-disney