Jeff Gonzales is a singer- song writer who will bring his musical talent to Sweetwood for a melodious evening performance. The following is an affirming blurb from another retirement community. Please linger after dinner to enjoy this program!!!

As a photographer for many musicians I have heard many singer songwriter/ guitarists. Jeff Gonzales is one of the finest guitar players I have ever seen. He is as good as any guitarist in this land. He is also a fine songwriter. As a performer he is the best at establishing a great rapport with his audience. His sense of humor is amazing. In short he is a great performer who has it all. I can recommend him, without reservation to anyone or any club. Once people see him they return over and over. I hope I have shouted loudly enough about this fine person and musician. Robert Neaman

Associate Professor Amy Gehring of Williams College will present a lecture on “From the Soil to your Medicine Cabinet: Understanding Streptomyces Bacteria” on Monday March 1, at 7:15pm in the Auditorium.

The majority of antibiotics in clinical use come from natural sources. In particular, the many species of Streptomyces, common soil bacteria, have been a rich source for the discovery of pharmaceutically important compounds. These microorganisms produce antibiotics as an integral part of their rather complex life cycle.

This talk will focus on the understanding of how Streptomyces grow and develop. “The more that is known about these bacteria, the more likely it is that strategies for increasing or improving antibiotic production can be realized,” said Gehring.

Gehring is an associate professor of chemistry. She studies the bacteria Streptomyces coelicolor, which is used to manufacture many types of antibiotics. Her current projects include researching the effects of various mutations on antibiotic production.

At Williams, she teaches courses on “AIDS: The Disease and Search for a Cure” and “Enzyme Kinetics and Reaction Mechanisms.”

Gehring, who was been at Williams since 2002, received her B.A. from Williams College in 1994 and her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1998.