D ISCOVER R ESE ARCH R EP O RT 2018
The Next Frontier The University of Utah’s Nobel Laureate, Mario Capecchi, Distinguished Professor of Biology and Human Genetics, will present a Frontiers of Science lecture on Tuesday, November 13 on campus. The presentation, “The Role of Microglia in OCD Spectrum Disorders,” will begin at 6 o’clock in the Aline Wilmot Skaggs Biology building, located near the University Bookstore. The event is free and open to the public. In his talk, Capecchi will discuss modeling of a neuropsychiatric disorder – obsessive compulsive (OCD) spectrum disorder – in the mouse. His analysis provides the unexpected conclusion that microglia – immune cells in the brain – normally control specific brain circuits, and that defective microglia results in aberrant behavior very similar to the human OCD spectrum disorder known as
Nobel Laureate to Present Frontiers Lecture
trichotillomania. “We are using gene targeting to model human diseases in the mouse,” says Capecchi. “The models can be used to analyze the pathology of the disease at a level not feasible in humans and as a platform for the development of new therapeutic protocols.” Gene targeting allows the designed modification of any gene in the mouse genome. Since genes impact all biological functions, the methodology can be used to study any biological phenomena common to mammals. “Frontiers of Science offers an exceptional opportunity for the public to share in the most important scientific questions and problems of our time,” says Henry S. White, Dean of the College of Science. “Please join us on Nov. 13, or visit our website to view the lecture online.”
The Nobel Prize The 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognized Capecchi’s pioneering
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