ITHACA, N.Y. -- A forum on the new life sciences that will bring together three of Cornell University's leading scientists will be held as part of Homecoming Weekend on campus Saturday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m. in the PepsiCo Auditorium (Room 305) of Ives Hall.

The forum, "The Biorevolution: Accelerating Discovery and Improving Lives," is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the university's Office of Alumni Affairs.

The forum will explore the intersection of biology with a host of other fields, including chemistry, physics, engineering and computational sciences. This melding of disciplines promises a multitude of scientific discoveries, including edible vaccines; medicines tailored for individuals; food crops that are higher in nutritional value; treatments and cures for inherited traits, such as blindness, and neuro-degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's; and biosensors for immediate identification of anthrax andE. coli.

The panel moderator will be Kraig Adler, Cornell vice provost for life sciences, and participants will include Brian Crane, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology, and Carl Batt, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Food Science and director of the Cornell University/Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Partnership. The panel will discuss research that promises to provide solutions to some of the world's most complex health, agricultural and environmental problems.