Nigel Unwin, the molecular biologist whose pioneering work has revealed much about how nerve cells communicate with muscle cells, will give a public lecture at the University of California, Davis, 4:10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, in 180 Medical Sciences Building C. His talk is titled "How Ion Channels Open and Close." The lecture is part of the "Major Issues in Modern Biology" series. Unwin has developed new high-resolution techniques for imaging static "snapshots" of ion channels at work and at rest. These images have revealed details about the structure and the dynamic communication process between a nerve cell and a muscle cell. The regulated "holes" in the cell membrane that control the electrical activity of nerve cells, ion channels are believed to be a fundamental unit of nerve cell communication. Unwin heads the neurobiology division of the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, where the spiral double-helix structure of DNA was first discovered. The MRC lab is renowned for its long and distinguished history of biological research and has been honored by a number of Nobel prizes. Established in 1987, the Major Issues lecture series brings eminent biologists from other institutions to discuss cutting-edge research in evolving areas of biology. The series is sponsored by the Storer Lectureship Committee of the Division of Biological Sciences.