Sometimes it pays to look in unlikely places to uncover the secrets of biology.

Researchers Bonnie Bassler and Baldomero Olivera know from experience that nature holds clues to medical science, and this winter they'll be sharing their insights in HHMI's 2009 Holiday Lectures on Science. Available live by Webcast on December 3 and 4, the four-part lecture series “Exploring Biodiversity: The Search for New Medicines” will introduce viewers to the intriguing research of these two biologists.

Bassler, an HHMI investigator at Princeton University, studies glow-in-the-dark marine bacteria to learn how they communicate with each other. Understanding how they coordinate their actions could help improve treatment of bacterial infections in humans.

Olivera, an HHMI professor, focuses his University of Utah research lab on the venomous cone snail, which can produce up to 100 different toxins. He is sorting through the molecules that make up these toxins in search of compounds to treat human disease.

Both researchers' work illustrates the value in studying the diversity of organisms found off the beaten path. For more information on the 2009 Holiday Lectures, visit www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/hl.

	PAGE 1 OF 1