The ISBC organizes online seminars given by the most impactful scientists and focusing on innovation, perspectives and new discoveries in bioluminescence
Next seminar:
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • 9:00–10:00 AM ET/ED
Christopher H. Contag, PhD; James and Kathleen Cornelius Endowed Chair. Director, Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering (IQ). Inaugural Chair and Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering. Professor, Department of Microbiology, Genetics & Immunology, Michigan State University
Beyond Seeing: From Bioluminescent Reporters to Biological Interfaces
Speaker Bio
Dr. Contag is a pioneer in molecular imaging and biomedical engineering and serves as Director of the Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he held leadership positions at Stanford University, including Director of the Center for Innovation in In Vivo Imaging. His research focuses on developing noninvasive imaging technologies that reveal molecular processes in living subjects and advance diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Past seminars
September 30, Wednesday 9 AM US-EST
Heather Bracken-Grissom
Professor &Assistant Director, Institute of Environmental Biological Sciences
Florida International University
https://case.fiu.edu/about/directory/profiles/bracken-grissom-heather.html
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
“In Memorium Professor Yoshihiro Ohmiya, PhD (1960-2026)”
Prof. Vadim Viviani, Dr. Yoshihiro Nakajima, and Dr. Katsunori Ogoh
This special session celebrated the life, scientific legacy, and lasting impact of Professor Yoshihiro Ohmiya on the bioluminescence community
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
“Bioluminescence imaging across scales: lessons learned and future directions”
Prof. Dr. Laura Mezzanotte
This seminar explored bioluminescence imaging across biological scales, highlighting key lessons from past work and discussing emerging opportunities and future directions for the field
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
“mCherry Fluorescence lifetimes as reporters of elevated densities in cellular biocondensates”
Prof. Dr. Eitan Learner
This seminar presented how mCherry fluorescence lifetimes can serve as sensitive reporters of elevated molecular densities within cellular biocondensates, offering new insight into their physical properties and dynamics
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
“Molecular Simulations of Bioluminescent Systems: Insights into Chromophore Spectra”
Dr. Houda Moumene
This seminar examined how molecular simulations can reveal the structural and electronic factors underlying chromophore spectra in bioluminescent systems, providing deeper insight into their light-emitting behavior.
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
“Of Fireflies and Smart-Materials: Towards Bio-inspired Light-Emitting Molecules for Sensing and Electronics”
Prof. Dr. Stefan Schramm
This seminar discussed the development of bio-inspired light-emitting molecules, drawing inspiration from fireflies to advance new materials for sensing applications and electronic technologies.
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