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CORVALLIS - Lee Hood, one of the world's leading scientists in molecular biotechnology and genomics, will speak at Oregon State University on March 7. Hood's lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the Austin Auditorium of LaSells Stewart Center on the OSU campus. It is free and open to the public.

Hood is the founder and director of the Institute for System Biology, a spin-off from his labs at the University of Washington. He is one of the leading researchers and thinkers in the genetic engineering and biotechnology revolution. Hood was one of the first advocates and is a key player in the Human Genome Project - the quest to decipher the sequence of human DNA.

Hood's lecture, "Revolutionary New Science," will discuss bioinformatics - the use of information technology to store and analyze genetic information. Bioinformatic researchers develop and apply computing tools to extract the secrets of the life and death of organisms from the genetic blueprints and molecular structure stored in digital collections. Bioinformatics is expected to help scientists discover the genetic basis of many diseases and accelerate the development of more effective pharmaceutics to combat them.

The OSU Alumni Association and Research Office are sponsoring the event.