This two-day conference will consider the qualities of water from a scientific perspective as well as will delve into the role of water as a key component to life. It will focus on the challenges that exist and those that lie ahead if we do not properly address the water crisis that the planet currently faces. Water is critically joined in life on the planet. Without water, life cannot be sustained. We will consider the importance of water, maintaining our water resources, understanding the role of water in biological systems, and then looking at novel approaches to the global water crisis including shaping water behavior in water harvesting.

Lectures and panel discussions, in chronological order:

Probing Complex Aqueous Interfaces | 

Richard J. Saykally, University of California, Berkeley, United States

The role of water in biological systems | 

Arieh Warshel, 2013 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, University of Southern California

Water Microdroplet Chemistry | 

Richard Zare, Stanford University, United States

Panel discussion with Richard J Saykally, Arieh Warshel and Richard Zare | 

Co-moderators: Lorie Karnath, Peidong Yang

Protein folding in water is basis of life and death | 

Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

Enzymes do it in water | 

Frances H. Arnold, 2018 Nobel laureate in Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, United States

Dynamics of unstructured Parkinson's and COVID proteins in water | 

Harry Gray, California Institute of Technology, United States

Panel discussion with Pernilla Wittung Stafshede, Frances Arnold and Harry Gray | 

Co-moderators: Lorie Karnath, Douglas Clark

The role of water for Life | 

Bengt Nordén, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

Investigating biological diversity at the smallest scale | (Video not available)

Andrew Fire, 2006 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Standford University, United States

Hydrogen bonds and microbial swimming - and sperm too | 

Peter G. Brewer, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, United States

Adventures in Water Decontamination | 

David Sedlak, University of California, Berkeley, United States

Panel discussion with Bengt Nordén, Andrew Fire, Peter G Brewer and David Sedlak | 

Co-moderators: Lorie Karnath, Omar Yaghi

Surface Water From Space: Mapping Changing Water Levels Using New Radar Satellites | 

Jessica Fayne, University of Michigan, United States

Wello: A Novel Approach to the Global Water Crisis | 

Cynthia Koenig, Wello Water, United States

Shaping water behavior in water harvesting from air | 

Omar Yaghi, University of California, Berkeley, United States

Panel discussion with Jessica Fayne, Cynthia Koenig and Omar Yaghi | 

Co-moderators: Lorie Karnath, Bengt Nordén

 

SYMPOSIUM CHAIRS

Prof. Omar Yaghi, James and Neeltje Tretter Professor of Chemistry, UC Berkeley
Prof. Bengt Norden, Molecular Frontiers Foundation, chair, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Prof. Douglas Clark, Dean of the College of Chemistry, UC Berkeley
Prof. Peidong Yang, Prof. of Chemistry at the College of Chemistry, UC Berkeley
Dr. Lorie Karnath. Molecular Frontiers Foundation, Next Breath, President

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