Annapolis Science Cafe @ 49 West: “Serendipity in Science: Investigating Malaria Transmission from the Perspective of a Green Alga”, by William Snell, Ph.D., Cell Biologist, University of Maryland College Park. Malaria kills ~600,000 people (mostly children) each year. Although research focused directly on malaria is central to global efforts to eradicate the disease, the National Institutes of Health also recognizes the importance of basic, non-targeted research and serendipity in solving major biomedical challenges. Please join us to hear Dr. Snell describe how his long-term, NIH-funded studies on a simple green alga have led to the discovery of an ancient family of proteins essential for sexual reproduction in unicellular and multicellular plants and animals, and uncovered a new target for a transmission-blocking malaria vaccine. We hope you will come in person, but zoom info is available too; if interested in zoom or other questions, email [email protected] . You may reserve seatse for the event (free) at 49 West by calling 410-626-9796.