[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/andrews1.jpg” caption=”David Andrews, professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences and Canada Research Chair in Membrane Biogenesis, will deliver tonight’s Science in the City lecture. “]What do the world's oldest alcoholic beverage and the world's oldest prepared food have in common? The answer is yeast — that lowly organism used for thousands of years to make beer ferment and bread rise.

Now for a tougher question: what do yeast and human stem cells have in common?

The answer will be explored in tonight's (Tuesday, Nov. 13) Science in the City public lecture From yeast to human stem cells — learning about life one gene at a time, when biochemist David Andrews discusses how yeast — one of science's most studied micro-organisms — will help his research team unlock the mysteries of the human stem cell.

The human stem cell is comprised of 30,000 genes while humble yeast cells have only 6,000 genes. Using an approach known euphemistically as “wreck and check,” scientists have examined every single gene in baker's yeast by changing the components of the cell (wreck) and then examined the cell to see what effect the change had on the biology of the cell (check).

Andrews, professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences and Canada Research Chair in Membrane Biogenesis, plans to use the “wreck and check” methodology to determine just what each and every gene does in the human embryonic stem cell.

Why do some develop as a breast cell, a brain neuron or an epithelial cell in our skin? What happens if you take something out? What's missing and how does the process work? Why do some stem cells become tumours? How does disease happen?

Andrews's team will be seeking answers to these questions employing his state-of-the-art lab outfitted with high performance equipment such as a microscope that can read across the head of a pin 10,000 times, capable of producing 100,000 pictures in one day.

The enormous task of decoding the human embryonic stem cell will require as many as 10 million tests and generate 30 terabytes (one trillion bytes) of data.

“This wouldn't work unless everything was all in one place — the equipment, the people, the results. We're developing one set of standards, one uniform set of artifacts,” Andrews explains.

This Science in the City lecture will provide the audience with a special window to research that is a world first. Andrews has a wonderful way of describing some very complex science and if you attend the lecture you'll never think of the game Battleship the same way ever again — but you will understand how McMaster is learning about life, one gene at a time.

This is a free public lecture and all are welcome. The talk takes place in The Hamilton Spectator auditorium at 44 Frid Street in Hamilton. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7 p.m.

To reserve a seat, please e-mail sciencecity@mcmaster.ca or call 905-525-9140, ext. 24934.