Murray State University researchers are opening their labs for us on Friday afternoon after the poster session.  This is a SELF GUIDED event, with the exception of the Agriculture campus tour which will be going as as a group. Minors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or chaperone during the Lab Crawl.

Visit and tour some labs for a couple hours before you return to the Curris Center for dinner with your fellow scientists and then evening events.

The ZeRuth Lab in Logan Hall, Room BG 2118. investigates the mechanisms by whichtranscription factor networks determine cell fates during development, and how mutations within these pathways disrupt normal cellular function to cause disease.  Using the zebrafish as a model organism alongside mammalian tissue culture, our lab uses molecular and genetic techniques to characterize developmental pathways and to gain a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms that drive cell fate specification decisions.  It is hoped that our research will help identify therapeutic targets for the treatment or prevention of metabolic disease and ultimately allow for the development of tissues that can be grown in vitro for transplantation therapy.

Annual Meeting Links 

The Kentucky Academy of Science Annual Meeting is an interdisciplinary professional environment that cultivates scientific discovery and understanding. Thank you for contributing to our advancement of science by behaving professionally, respectfully and collegially at all times.

Murray State Research Farm & Drone Demo
Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the Hutson College of Agriculture's West Farm Complex, where classroom science meets working agriculture. The tour will be hosted by Dean of the Hutson College of Agriculture Dr. Brian Parr and Dr. Blake Kennedy, Assistant Professor and UAS Coordinator. The complex houses the beef operation, the Carman Animal Technology Pavilion, the Rudolph Equine Education Center, the Cherry Agricultural Exposition Center, and agronomy plots.

The tour will conclude with a live unmanned aerial systems (UAS) demonstration led by Dr. Blake Kennedy. Participants will hear how agricultural drones are used for remote sensing, aerial data collection, precision spray applications, and how these technologies are reshaping crop and land management across Kentucky

Super-resolution microscopy imaging lab  

Department of Biological Sciences, Logan Hall Room 1121

The lab will feature demonstrations of the state-of-the-art Zeiss LSM 980 Laser Scanning Microscope with the Airyscan 2 super-resolution microscopy system and its applications in cell biology and biomedical research. The laboratory activity will be conducted in four 30-minute sessions, each accommodating approximately 10 participants. Sessions will begin at 4:00 PM, 4:30 PM, 5:00 PM, and 5:30 PM.

The Polymer and Materials Characterization Laboratory  is located on the second floor of Jones Hall (Chemistry Bldg 2219) in a ~900 ft2 space and houses a number of instruments which are critical in supporting the teaching and research efforts of faculty and students in the Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology. The state-of-the-art instrumentation, which has been made possible through the support of Dr. Jesse D. Jones, the National Science Foundation, the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, and the Department of Chemistry, allows for characterization of a wide range of materials, ranging from small molecules and metal complexes to polymers and composites. Instrumentation includes standard thermal and mechanical characterization equipment as well as a rheometer, a gel permeation chromatography system, various viscometers, and support for 3D printing and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. While the instrumentation primarily supports research efforts of students and faculty, a stand-alone polymer and materials science laboratory course is also taught in the center as part of our “industry-ready” Polymer and Materials Science chemistry degree track.

The Thermofluid Energy Devices Lab in the Engineering and Physics Building, Room 2343, supports teaching and research on fluid flow, heat transfer, and energy conversion. Building on earlier fluidized-bed and filtration experiments, the lab is expanding toward biomass gasification research, which studies how wood and other plant materials can be converted into useful fuel gases. Planned work combines laboratory measurements, three-dimensional X-ray imaging, and computer simulations to investigate how the internal structure of wood char affects gas flow and reactions. Through hands-on experimentation and modeling, undergraduate researchers will help advance our understanding of these processes and inform the design of more efficient biomass energy systems.