The Plasma Membrane: Boundary and Bridge at the Edge of Life – Prof. Keith Kozminski
The Thomistic Institute
Prof. Keith Kozminski explores the plasma membrane’s evolving scientific understanding, highlighting its role as both boundary and bridge in cellular life through detailed analysis of structure, function, and paradigm shifts in biology. This lecture was given on July 19th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies. For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events. About the Speakers: Keith Kozminski is an Associate Professor of Biology and Cell Biology at the University of Virginia, where he studies polarized cell growth, in particular the role of lipid transfer proteins in intracellular membrane trafficking and secretion. In addition, he conducts research in the field of synthetic biology, as applied to health and environmental sustainability. He leads the Mid-Atlantic Synthetic Biology Network comprised of academic, private sector, and government researchers from Georgia to Delaware, in addition to being the senior Features editor of Molecular Biology of the Cell, the research journal of the American Society of Cell Biology. He also co-founded the biotech company Ourobio in 2020. Keywords: Abbe’s Resolution Limit, Cell Biology, Compartmentalized Fluid Model, Electron Microscopy, Gordon Grendel Experiment, Lipid Bilayers, Membrane Transport, Phospholipids, Protein Structure, Singer Nicholson Model
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Founded in 2009, the Thomistic Institute is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC.