Registration for this lecture will close at 2 p.m. the day of the event. Review the complete list of entrance requirements below.

This lecture is part of the Folding the Future: The Structural Biology Revolution

Structural cell biology — also known as cryo-electron tomography, in situ cryo-EM, and visual proteomics — has emerged as one of the most transformative approaches in modern biology. By imaging molecular machines directly within cells, the method offers something no other method can: structure in context. But what does context actually change?

In this Presidential Lecture, Alex de Marco will explore how technological advances in cryo-EM are expanding the reach of in situ structural biology, and why the resulting biological discoveries consistently challenge conclusions drawn from purified systems. Drawing on recent work conducted at the New York Structural Biology Center spanning chromatin organization, cytoskeletal self-assembly, and membrane trafficking, he will argue that the most consequential variable in modern structural cell biology is not resolution but relevance. The structure of a molecule tells us what is possible. Its cellular context tells us what actually happens.

De Marco is the director of the Simons Electron Microscopy Center (SEMC) at the New York Structural Biology Center, leading the world’s largest cryo-EM facility with 15 transmission electron microscopes, three cryo-FIB/SEM systems, and 46 staff serving nearly 1,000 active users. His research focuses on method development for cryo-electron tomography, correlative microscopy, and sample preparation, with contributions including the PIE-scope, OpenFIBSEM, Square Electron Beam illumination, and nanocrate technology to overcome air-water interface artifacts. His work has appeared in Nature, Science, and Cell. He holds adjunct appointments at Columbia University and Monash University. He also directs the NIH National Center for CryoEM Access and Training and the NIH National Center for In-Situ Tomographic Ultramicroscopy.

Registration requirements

• You must be 18+ to attend this event
• Registration will close at 2:00 p.m. the day of the event
• Please register only yourself and use your full first and last name as it appears on your photo ID when filling in the form.
• Tickets under the same name do not count as registrations for others and each ticket must be registered under an individual attendee’s name. If you have a guest you would like to bring with you to this event, please send them the link to register so they can sign up on their own.
• Please note that the Simons Foundation will never ask for credit card information or require payment for registration to our free public events.

Building entry protocol

• Provide a valid photo ID
• Present your digital or printed Eventbrite ticket confirmation; make sure it is for the correct event and that the name on it matches your ID.
• Limited seating is available for this in-person event and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
• All attendees must be pre-registered. Walk-in entry will be denied.

Please note that by entering the Simons Foundation, you are attesting that you are not experiencing COVID symptoms and are not knowingly positive for COVID.

Schedule

Doors open: 5:30 p.m. (No entrance before 5:30 p.m.)

Lecture: 6:00 p.m.—7:00 p.m. (Admittance closes at 6:20 p.m.)

The Gerald D. Fischbach Auditorium complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and offers accessible seating to visitors with special access needs.

Presidential Lectures are free public colloquia at the Simons Foundation centered on four main themes: Biology, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Neuroscience and Autism Science. These curated, high-level scientific talks feature leading scientists and mathematicians and are intended to foster discourse and drive discovery among the broader NYC-area research community. We invite anyone interested in the topic to join us for this weekly lecture series.

Free!

Registration