Our December Presentation: Grazing animals host a treasure-trove of microorganisms in their gut that convert woody plant biomass (cellulose) into sugars. But, creating biofuels from cellulose at commercial scale has been a challenge. Dr. Michelle O'Malley is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at UCSB, and her research group works to isolate gut microbes from animal droppings and unlock their bio-degradation secrets. Come learn about the bacterial and fungal communities within poop, and how microbes interact with each other-becoming friends, enemies, and even "frenemies" to advance waste conversion to valuable products.

Our Speaker: Dr. Michelle O'Malley, Associate Professor, UCSB Chemical Engineering, earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2004, and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 2009. She was a USDA-NIFA postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biology at MIT prior to joining the Chemical Engineering faculty at UCSB in 2012. Prof. O'Malley's research group engineers microorganisms for sustainable chemical production, bioremediation, and drug discovery. 

Please reserve by the Monday before the meeting: A reservation allows SEC to provide the restaurant an accurate guarantee of meal amounts and results in faster service. When reserving, make a meal choice. You can pay in advance by credit card or at the door with check or cash. Remember you are always welcome as a walk-in member or guest without a reservation.

Meal Choices: All meals are the same price. Choose one when you reserve, to provide a count for the restaurant. Pay as you reserve, or walk-in and pay at the door.

• Arizona Burger with fries - lettuce, tomato, onion, jack cheese, bacon, avocado
• Oriental Chicken Salad - cabbage, cashews, wonton, pineapple vinaigrette
• Macadamia Crusted Seared Ahi - steamed rice, hoisin sauce, fresh veggies
• Veggie Gyro - garden burger on grilled flatbread; feta, Greek salad, tzatziki sauce, and fries

Bread, lemonade and iced tea are on all the tables.

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