Seeing Molecules: How We Came to Visualize the Atoms of Our World

We know molecules make the world around us, but what are they? What do they look like? How does their shape affect function? How can molecules store information? Humanity’s collective pondering of these questions has led to an unprecedented rise in our understanding of a molecular view of matter, where knowing the structures and properties of molecules can help us better understand our universe. Despite the ubiquity of molecules, it is only relatively recently that we have been able to visualize them using techniques such as X-ray crystallography. In this talk Andrew will lead an introductory exploration of how we came to learn what molecules “look like”. Additionally, he will share examples in which the structures of molecules helped answer key research questions about the world we live in.

Andrew received an honours bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from the University of the Fraser Valley. His BSc thesis received the Dr Richard Playle Award for Outstanding BSc Thesis in Aquatic Toxicology for work on how bacteria can be used to clean up toxic chemical spills. He is currently pursuing a PhD in biochemistry at UBC. His PhD thesis focuses on gaining a molecular understanding of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) antibiotic resistance mechanisms. He has received a number of awards and currently holds the Vanier Scholarship, Killam Scholarship and Four-Year Fellowship. In his free time, he likes to read widely and get outside to hike, sail, bicycle, and ski.