Spotlight on Faculty – Elson, Elliot
Stepping into Elliot Elson’s lab is like falling into the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. There are movable amplifiers perched precariously on a sled of steel runners, lasers in black boxes, pieces of salvaged equipment, cords and cables spewing like spaghetti from another machine, and a huge black tent that looks like it was inspired by Darth Vader. This is a workshop for scientific invention. The tunnel burrows deeper into the natural world’s mysteries. The elusive White Rabbit entices us to follow and to probe the enigmas of life. Elliot Elson seeks to understand and characterize cells and tissues as physical entities. His “white rabbit” has led him to adventures and discoveries that have yielded new insights into the inner workings of life itself—in several different key fields. (more…)