Responding to the challenge of bioterrorism

The High Tech Business Council BioCluster, a non-profit organization that seeks to drive economic development in the biosciences, will host a program and talk titled, "Responding to the Challenge of Bioterrorism: Chemically Programmable Immunity."

Dr. Kary Mullis, recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, will be the featured speaker. PCR, which Dr. Mullis conceptualized in 1983, has been hailed as one of the monumental scientific techniques of the 20th century. A method of amplifying DNA, PCR multiplies a single, microscopic strand of the genetic material billions of times within hours. The process has multiple applications in medicine, genetics, biotechnology and forensics.

Dr. Mullis is currently a distinguished researcher at Children's Hospital and Research Institute in Oakland, California.

The HTBC BioCluster event with Dr. Mullis is scheduled to begin with cocktails at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 26, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 70 State Street, in downtown Rochester. The talk is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. The event is open to the public and those interested in attending can register at www.htbc.org. Cost is $35 per person, or $10 per student.

"Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, most of our country's antiterrorism efforts have focused on airline security, but we must not forget that bioterrorism in the broader community represents one of the foremost challenges we face today," said Dr. Stephen Curry, chairman of the HTBC BioCluster. "In his talk, Dr. Mullis will discuss this challenge in-depth and offer insights into how we, as a nation, can and should respond."

For information, call HTBC at 327-7922 or e-mail Maureen.Howard@htbc.org.