UC Science Today

The carbon-based "miracle" material graphene has unique molecular qualities that make it useful for microscopic tasks like water filtration. But the nanomaterial’s fragility can limit its effectiveness. Recent research lead by Baoxia Mi at the University of California, Berkeley found ways to strengthen the bonds between thin layers of graphene and improve the material’s durability as a water filter.

"We found that we have to glue these layers of graphene oxide together, which means that we have to create some forces between them, and that's how we overcome this challenge. We just use some chemical approaches to bond the layers of graphene oxide."

Mi has used two methods to bond the material. There’s a more complicated technique, which involves reacting the graphene with chemicals, and a simpler approach.

"We just sandwich some positive charged materials between the graphene oxide. The graphene oxide themselves are negatively charged. So by this sandwiching approach, we can make the membrane filter very stable."

What can the development of bat wings tell us about the structure of own limbs? According to researcher Nadav Ahituv of the University of California, San Francisco, the genetic expression behind bat wing formation may help explain limb development that has gone awry in mammals like ourselves.

"What we do see is that a lot of…the same genes and the same pathways are used. There are no humans with wings or so forth, but there are a lot of humans that have longer fingers and also webbing. And so by understanding how this happens in bats, we can go back to the human patients and try to understand how that happens in the human patients."

To observe this process of wing formation, Ahituv looked at gene expression during three stages of embryonic development in the Natal long-fingered bat.

"We figured out all the genes that are expressed in the forelimb, and all the genes that are expressed in the hind limb, at these three different stages, and then basically compared them to see what was different in terms of the genes."

What can the development of bat wings tell us about the structure of own limbs? According to researcher Nadav Ahituv of the University of California, San Francisco, the genetic expression behind bat wing formation may help explain limb development that has gone awry in mammals like ourselves.

"What we do see is that a lot of…the same genes and the same pathways are used. There are no humans with wings or so forth, but there are a lot of humans that have longer fingers and also webbing. And so by understanding how this happens in bats, we can go back to the human patients and try to understand how that happens in the human patients."

To observe this process of wing formation, Ahituv looked at gene expression during three stages of embryonic development in the Natal long-fingered bat.

"We figured out all the genes that are expressed in the forelimb, and all the genes that are expressed in the hind limb, at these three different stages, and then basically compared them to see what was different in terms of the genes."

What can the development of bat wings tell us about the structure of own limbs? According to researcher Nadav Ahituv of the University of California, San Francisco, the genetic expression behind bat wing formation may help explain limb development that has gone awry in mammals like ourselves.

"What we do see is that a lot of…the same genes and the same pathways are used. There are no humans with wings or so forth, but there are a lot of humans that have longer fingers and also webbing. And so by understanding how this happens in bats, we can go back to the human patients and try to understand how that happens in the human patients."

To observe this process of wing formation, Ahituv looked at gene expression during three stages of embryonic development in the Natal long-fingered bat.

"We figured out all the genes that are expressed in the forelimb, and all the genes that are expressed in the hind limb, at these three different stages, and then basically compared them to see what was different in terms of the genes."

Risperidone, a drug used to reduce irritability in people with autism, was not as effective as estrogens in correcting autism-like behavior in a study on zebrafish. Matthew State of the University of California, San Francisco and a team of international scientists introduced a gene known to cause autism in humans into these fish. They found that estrogens completely stopped their nighttime hyperactivity, which is a symptom of autism. Risperidone also prevented this behavior, but it made the fish less active during the day.

"It doesn't explain why risperidone works. What it did do, was say, that of the medications that we know are FDA-approved for autism, they also will correct some of the abnormalities that are a consequence of these mutations in zebrafish. What we’re hoping for is that if we find a point of biological convergence, that will help narrow in on really the critical aspect of biology that is potentially, a target for therapeutics."

Risperidone, a drug used to reduce irritability in people with autism, was not as effective as estrogens in correcting autism-like behavior in a study on zebrafish. Matthew State of the University of California, San Francisco and a team of international scientists introduced a gene known to cause autism in humans into these fish. They found that estrogens completely stopped their nighttime hyperactivity, which is a symptom of autism. Risperidone also prevented this behavior, but it made the fish less active during the day.

"It doesn't explain why risperidone works. What it did do, was say, that of the medications that we know are FDA-approved for autism, they also will correct some of the abnormalities that are a consequence of these mutations in zebrafish. What we’re hoping for is that if we find a point of biological convergence, that will help narrow in on really the critical aspect of biology that is potentially, a target for therapeutics."

Risperidone, a drug used to reduce irritability in people with autism, was not as effective as estrogens in correcting autism-like behavior in a study on zebrafish. Matthew State of the University of California, San Francisco and a team of international scientists introduced a gene known to cause autism in humans into these fish. They found that estrogens completely stopped their nighttime hyperactivity, which is a symptom of autism. Risperidone also prevented this behavior, but it made the fish less active during the day.

"It doesn't explain why risperidone works. What it did do, was say, that of the medications that we know are FDA-approved for autism, they also will correct some of the abnormalities that are a consequence of these mutations in zebrafish. What we’re hoping for is that if we find a point of biological convergence, that will help narrow in on really the critical aspect of biology that is potentially, a target for therapeutics."

Breakthroughs and discoveries in the field of Alzheimer’s disease are advancing all of the time. The only limiting factor has been funding.

"The cost to the country and to individuals and to the world is so enormous. People are beginning to realize that."

That’s Karen Gylys, a researcher at the UCLA School of Nursing, who adds that between Congressional bi-partisan support and even a University of California Alzheimer’s disease initiative, she’s hopeful that funding will improve and more discoveries will be made.

"When we pumped money into understanding heart disease, look at the changes that were able to be made in terms of death rates from heart attack and hypertension rates. Look at what’s happened with HIV, which was formerly a death sentence and now is completely controlled by drugs, because of a massive injection of research funding that was put into those diseases. I mean, that’s what needs to happen for Alzheimer’s disease and hopefully, it will continue. It’s been shown to work for other diseases and it will work for Alzheimer’s disease as well."

Breakthroughs and discoveries in the field of Alzheimer’s disease are advancing all of the time. The only limiting factor has been funding.

"The cost to the country and to individuals and to the world is so enormous. People are beginning to realize that."

That’s Karen Gylys, a researcher at the UCLA School of Nursing, who adds that between Congressional bi-partisan support and even a University of California Alzheimer’s disease initiative, she’s hopeful that funding will improve and more discoveries will be made.

"When we pumped money into understanding heart disease, look at the changes that were able to be made in terms of death rates from heart attack and hypertension rates. Look at what’s happened with HIV, which was formerly a death sentence and now is completely controlled by drugs, because of a massive injection of research funding that was put into those diseases. I mean, that’s what needs to happen for Alzheimer’s disease and hopefully, it will continue. It’s been shown to work for other diseases and it will work for Alzheimer’s disease as well."

Breakthroughs and discoveries in the field of Alzheimer’s disease are advancing all of the time. The only limiting factor has been funding.

"The cost to the country and to individuals and to the world is so enormous. People are beginning to realize that."

That’s Karen Gylys, a researcher at the UCLA School of Nursing, who adds that between Congressional bi-partisan support and even a University of California Alzheimer’s disease initiative, she’s hopeful that funding will improve and more discoveries will be made.

"When we pumped money into understanding heart disease, look at the changes that were able to be made in terms of death rates from heart attack and hypertension rates. Look at what’s happened with HIV, which was formerly a death sentence and now is completely controlled by drugs, because of a massive injection of research funding that was put into those diseases. I mean, that’s what needs to happen for Alzheimer’s disease and hopefully, it will continue. It’s been shown to work for other diseases and it will work for Alzheimer’s disease as well."