EcoGreen Group of Silicon Valley

Agenda:
8:00 a.m. Open networking
8:15 a.m. Meeting will start
8:30 a.m. Presentation - recorded talks by Professor Satchin Panda
9:15 a.m. Discussion about programs for 2025

~~~~~~~~ Program ~~~~~~~~~
After learning about good habits aligned with our circadian rhythm, we shall have a discussion about programs we would like to have in the new year.

Health and Circadian Rhythm
Professor Satchin Panda, Salk Institute (recordings)

Every organ and even every cell in our body has circadian or 24 h clock. Circadian clocks turn on and off thousands of genes at the right time of the day or night. These rhythms work together to maintain healthy balance of brain chemicals, hormones, and nutrients. When our rhythms break down we are more likely to suffer from a wide range of diseases from depression to cancer. We can tune our daily habits of eating, sleeping or getting the right amount of light to sustain our circadian rhythms. Healthy rhythms nurture healthy body and healthy mind.

Dr. Satchidananda Panda, a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. Satchin’s work deals specifically with the timing of food and it’s relationship with our biological clocks governed by circadian rhythm and also the circadian rhythm in general. Professor Panda explores the genes, molecules and cells that keep the whole body on the same circadian clock. A section of the hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) lies at the center of the body’s master clock and gets input directly from light sensors in the eyes, keeping the rest of the body on schedule. Panda discovered how these light sensors work, as well as how cellular timekeepers in other parts of the body function. He also uncovered a novel blue light sensor in the retina that measures ambient light level and sets the time to go to sleep and wake up every day.

In the process of exploring how the liver’s daily cycles work, Panda found that mice which eat within a set amount of time (12 hours) resulted in slimmer, healthier mice than those who ate the same number of calories in a larger window of time, showing that when one eats may be as important as what one eats. If the benefits of this “12-hour diet” hold true in humans, it could have profound impacts on treating overeating disorders, diabetes and obesity.

The circadian clock, he found, even mediates the immune system. Mice with a crucial circadian molecule missing had higher levels of inflammation in their bodies than other mice, suggesting that genes and molecules involved in the circadian clock could be drug targets for conditions linked to inflammation, such as infections or cancer.
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EcoGreen Group is a special interest group under CSix. (https://csix.org/)
EcoGreen Group’s mission is two-fold:
1)To create professional and entrepreneurial opportunities in sustainability and clean technologies
2)To disseminate information that promotes the well-being of People and Planet.

The EcoGreen Group fulfills this mission through our
• social media,
• volunteer opportunities
• member projects,
• biweekly meetings
for raising awareness, education & networking

Would you like to volunteer to give a presentation, or suggest a recorded presentation on a sustainability topic? Would you like an attentive audience to practice your job interview presentation? Please contact: info@ecogg.org