The McGoogan Library of Medicine will host “From DNA to Beer: Harnessing Nature in Medicine and Industry,” on the sixth floor of Wittson Hall from Nov. 12 to Dec. 14.
The traveling exhibit, created by the National Library of Medicine in cooperation with the National Museum of American History, explores some of the processes, problems and potentials inherent in technologies that use living organisms.
Microbes — tiny organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye — have altered human history. Life forms such as bacteria, yeasts and molds can cause sickness or restore health, and also can help produce foods and beverages for our consumption.
Scientists, in partnership with industry, have developed techniques to harness the powers of these microbes. In recent years, headline-grabbing technologies have used genetically modified bacteria to manufacture new medicines. Drawing from the collections of the National Museum of American History and the National Library of Medicine, “From DNA to Beer” will help to promote public understanding of the dynamic relationship between microbes, technology, science and medicine.