We all know how a bad night’s sleep can affect how we feel. In fact, the disruption of our sleep has been implicated at many levels of human disease, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and disorders associated with aging.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students will have the opportunity to meet with and learn from forensic scientists and other professionals from the New York State Police (NYSP) Crime Laboratory System at 2 p.m. on March 26 at the Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Heparin, the world’s most widely used blood thinner, is used during procedures ranging from kidney dialysis to open heart surgery. Currently, heparin is derived from pig intestines, but scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered how to make it in the lab. They have also developed a path to a biomanufacturing process that could potentially revolutionize how the world gets its supply of this crucial medicine.