Category Archives: Science in the News

The Link Between Calcium Channel Insertion and Changing Secretion

Posted on April 6, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Do you or someone you know suffer from diabetes? If so, you may know that this disease is a result of decreased insulin secretion from the pancreas. Decreased secretion of hormones like insulin may have detrimental effects on an individual. For this reason, researchers have conducted experiments in an attempt to understand how secretion works.

Illustration of Secretion

Dr. Christopher Groten, who is currently conducting research at the University of British Columbia, has found that the insertion of new additional calcium channels (Cav2) into the membrane of cells increases secretion of hormones. Specific to Dr. Groten’s research, the model organism Aplysia californica secretes a hormone called egg-laying hormone (ELH). This hormone is released upon activation of a particular enzyme called PKC.

https://youtu.be/SATOrk6w7-M

Credit: Brian Infanti

Aplysia californica

Often the transportation of calcium across the membrane occurs in response to a stimulation. However, the process involved is not well understood. Therefore, observing an organism with a simpler nervous system, such as Aplysia californica, allows researchers to better understand this mechanism by which calcium enters the cell. Correspondingly, Dr. Groten uses A. californica in his research because he believes that “Aplysia is a good organism to study because the behaviour is really well known, and it has a reduced nervous system”. Essentially, calcium channels are important for carrying out many vital processes in our body. Below, you’ll find a clip that might help answer a few questions about calcium channels in general.

https://soundcloud.com/brian-infanti/so-group-6-podcast

Credit: Brian Infanti

According to the podcast, there are many diseases associated with calcium channel deficiencies. Another study shows how specific areas of cells are associated with increased calcium channels and increased secretory vesicles. As a result, this leads to greater release of hormones. Perhaps a connection between calcium channel insertion and regions with lots of secretory vesicles can be made by relating this particular study to Dr. Groten’s findings in order to lead to other therapeutic strategies for various diseases.

As world population increases and diseases such as diabetes become more prevalent, further resources are required to improve research. For instance, Public Health Agency of Canada reported spending $15 million in the past 4 years on funding for the National Population Health Study of Neurological Conditions. With this type of funding in the public health sector, research like Dr. Groten’s can help lead to new discoveries that benefit the public.

– Paria Assadipour, Daniel Kim, Brian Infanti

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Outreach Project, Science Communication, Science in the News

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Polymers with the Ability to Glow

Posted on April 5, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Science has many applications to our everyday lives which go unseen. From the moment the alarm clock wakes you up, to the moment you turn off the lights to go to bed, science is directly impacting your life.

You may be surprised to find out that a chemistry study in its early stages may have great implications for the situations you experience on a daily basis.

Benjamin Rawe, a chemist  at the University of British Columbia, has been studying polymers that have phosphorus in their backbone. This study produced a polymer which can glow!

But what are polymers? In essence, polymers are repeating units made of monomers, which are individual molecules. Using these polymers, Dr. Rawe added phosphorus to the them. Phosphorus is an element with very interesting properties because it can react with many things. When this element is incorporated into the polymer backbone it fluoresces, which means that it can glow. It is easy to think of  the phosphorus like a switch for the polymer. So based on what is attached to the phosphorus, you’re either turning on or turning off the fluorescence.

The video below explains in detail what polymers are and the properties of phosphorus that make it essential to this study.

Credit: Daniela Castillo & Vanessa Sidhu

The real-life application for these polymers that contain phosphorus is the possible ability for them to be used as sensors. Sensors are objects that detect an event or change, and respond to that change. Sensors are required for many parts of our daily lives, they are used in thermometers to measure your fever, the light that turns on when you walk by, and even the metal detector used at airports. Furthermore, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and smartphones are technologies that are on the uprise. The potential application for more efficient sensors in these items could help enhance these technologies even more.

The podcast below gives examples of sensors and their importance in our growing population.

Credit: Kush Khanna & Siriwat Chhem

The research on this topic is just getting started, there is much more to study and discover. Benjamin continues to learn more about the polymer he has created and the significance it can have in our society.

– Vanessa Sidhu, Daniela Castillo, Kush Khanna and Siriwat Chhem

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Posted in Issues in Science, Science Communication, Science in the News

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Eco-friendly Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Posted on March 21, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Recently we have been hearing a lot about hydrogen fuel cells and the possible applications where they can be used, specifically in automobiles, but what exactly are they and why are they considered eco-friendly?

A fuel cell is a device that is able to harness the energy stored in the chemical bonds of molecules. Hydrogen fuel cells, in particular, get this energy from the bonds in Hydrogen (H2) and Oxygen (O2) gas. On one side of the cell, H2 is pumped in. On the other side of the cell O2 is pumped in. Separating these two sides are a proton permeable membrane. The function of this membrane is to allow protons to pass through while blocking the pathway of electrons, thus effectively harnessing this electrical energy.

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These cells are considered environmentally friendly because of the “waste” they produce. While most sources of power produce carbon dioxide gas (CO2) as a byproduct, hydrogen fuel cells produce water and excess O2 and H2. These products can be easily used as sources for other processes and are harmless if left in the environment. Further, the chemicals required for this process can be synthesized or collected very efficiently. O2 is readily available and attainable in the air we breathe. There are many pathways for H2 production. A very environmentally friendly way is through harnessing the H2 produced by microorganisms such as algae through biological processes. These processes of attaining fuel for energy production are very eco-friendly when compared with oil mining which is used to extract petroleum for energy on a large scale.

2014 Toyota FCV Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle

Hydrogen fuel cell concept car by Toyota via. flickrcommons

Overall, hydrogen fuel cells provide the world with a very environmentally friendly way to produce energy we use everyday. If we can begin to use this technology on a large scale to replace current methods, we can effectively decrease the amount of pollution we put into our environment everyday while still quenching our energy needs.

Author Parvin Pabla

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Issues in Science, Science in the News

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Exercise- A New Way to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.

Posted on March 19, 2016 by | 2 comments

As the global population is aging, the number of elderly suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are predicted to increase to an estimated 75.6 million in 2030 and 135.5 million in 2050. Every 67 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease. Today, it is ranked the sixth leading cause of deaths in America. Although a growing number of researchers are studying the disease, Alzheimer’s disease is still the only cause of death in the top 10 that cannot be prevented, cured or slowed.

Alzheimer’s Disease Facts. Source: Alzheimer’s Association

A recently published study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease showed that calories-burning activities are linked with greater gray matter volume in brain areas responsible for cognition and memory. Gray matter in the brain consists of most of the brain’s neurons responsible for muscle control, emotions, speech and memory. Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia have decreasing gray matter volume in the brain, thus affecting their cognition and memory. Halting the reduction in gray matter volume might be the effective way in preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Normal brain vs. Alzheimer’s brain. Source: Bioinformatics

The study conducted by scientists at UCLA and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine revealed that participants who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia who are physically more active experience less reduction in gray matter volume than those who are physically inactive. Participants who are physically active also experience less cognitive and memory declines.

Researchers gathered five years of data from 876 participants aged 65 and older. Brain scans, cognitive tests and interviews were conducted to gather accurate data about their cognitive health, physical health and physical activities over the period of five years. Participants filled questionnaires to evaluate their leisure time, physical activities and cognitive abilities.

Scientists revealed that those who exercise the most have a 5% larger gray matter volume than those who exercise the least. 5% decrease in gray matter volume corresponds to 50% lost in cognitive and memory functions. The brain scans revealed that participants who exercised the most have denser gray matter in the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, which are the areas responsible for learning, cognitive tasks and memory.

Frontal, parietal and temporal lobes of the brain and their functions. Source: My Brain Tests

Scientists are encouraging doctors to start dementia and Alzheimer’s disease prevention by encouraging regular physical exercise instead of waiting for memory loss to start. Past studies have shown that delaying the development of Alzheimer’s disease by ten years would eliminate the disease as the elderly would die of other causes first before developing the disease.

Even though scientists have no fixed number of how much exercise it takes to prevent dementia, researchers estimated that the people need about an extra 500 calories per day to be burnt. Luckily, it doesn’t matter how the extra calories are burnt, as long as they are burnt.

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science Communication, Science in the News

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Experimental Dengue Virus Vaccine found to be 100 Percent Effective

Posted on March 17, 2016 by | 1 comment

As many of us know, the dengue virus has affected billions of people since the early 19th century. The dengue virus is transmitted by mosquitos and is known to cause dengue fever. It is similar to other well-known viruses, such as the West Nile Virus, or the recent Zika Virus. Scientists were having difficulties creating a vaccine for the virus, as it appeared in four different serotypes (different strains). Creating a vaccine for a single strain could cause complications if the individual became infected with a different strain, as they would be unprotected. Also, if the vaccinated patient became infected with a different strain, they could go into dengue hemorrhagic shock, and die. Dengue hemorrhagic shock is characterized by bleeding, and severe low blood pressure. In most places where the disease is prevalent, all four strains of the virus cycle, thus it is important to create a vaccine that protected against all types of the virus.

The Aedes mosquito, responsible for transmitting viruses such as dengue. Via Wikimedia Commons.

The Aedes mosquito, responsible for transmitting viruses such as dengue. Via Wikimedia Commons.

The vaccine was tested in a small, double-blind trial with 41 volunteers. A double-blind trial is when neither the administrators of the vaccine nor the recipients know what they are receiving. Twenty of the recipients received a placebo (a fake shot, without the vaccine), and the remaining individuals were given the experimental vaccine. All participants in the trial were infected with a mild form of the virus six months later. The twenty individuals that were given a placebo showed symptoms of the virus, such as a rash, a low white-blood-cell count (cells of the immune system, that fight off viruses and infections), and other symptoms of the disease. The individuals given the experimental vaccine did not become sick, showed no symptoms of the virus, and did not have evidence of infection in their blood. The vaccine was developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the results were posted in Science Translational Medicine. Beth Kirkpatrick, a participant in the trial and a professor of medicine at the University of Vermont, called the experimental vaccine “100 percent efficacious” in an interview.

Stained monocytes, a type of white blood cell. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Stained monocytes, a type of white blood cell. Via Wikimedia Commons.

The results were so promising that the NIH rushed the study to large-scale Phase 3 testing in Brazil, a country where the virus is prevalent. Phase 3 is the last phase of clinical trials, where the drug or vaccine is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness and monitor side effects. They plan on enrolling 17,000 adults, children, and babies and finishing Phase 3 by 2018. These results also have important implications on a vaccine for the Zika virus. As Zika and dengue are similar viruses, scientists believe what they have learned from the dengue virus can be used to cut back the timeline for developing a Zika virus vaccine.

Kush Khanna

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science, Science in the News

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Is Anybody Out There..?

Posted on March 14, 2016 by | 3 comments

While it is easy to get caught up in our day-to-day activities, it’s always nice to step back and get some perspective about our place in the Universe. One question that may come up, is whether we are alone in the Universe, or if there is intelligent extraterrestrial life out there somewhere. However, despite what some people may believe, there has been no confirmed evidence of intelligent life existing outside of Earth. However, considering the vast size of the observable universe, this is actually quite surprising from a statistical viewpoint. The Milky Way alone, on the low end, is estimated to have over 100 billion stars like our sun. Furthermore, the Milky Way is just one galaxy, and there are known to be over 100 billion galaxies in the Universe. This means that there are approximately 1 billion trillion stars in the Universe, or 10,000 times as many stars in the Universe as there are grains of sand on Earth. Each one of these stars has its own planets, and data from the Kepler spacecraft has shown that on average, each star would have at least one planet in its habitable zone.

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The Milky Way above the Paranal Observatory. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

The point is, given this astoundingly large amount of stars and their associated planets in the Universe, even if the chances of intelligent life evolving were incredibly low, given the age of the Universe, we would expect there to be billions of examples of intelligent life. However, if intelligent life is so common, we should have seen at least some piece of evidence of its existence by now. Yet, astronomers, and efforts such as the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) have yet to detect any evidence of intelligent life.

NASA-HS201427a-HubbleUltraDeepField2014-20140603

The Hubble Ultra-Deep Field. Each shape is a distinct galaxy. Source: Wikipedia Commons.

This apparent disconnect between the high probability of intelligent life, and the utter lack of evidence for its existence is known as Fermi’s Paradox. There are a number of different proposed solutions to Fermi’s Paradox that argue for, or against, the existence of intelligent life. One of the most widely accepted explanations would be the existence of some sort of Great Filter, that makes the emergence of advanced civilizations exceedingly rare. While this filter may already be behind humanity, we may also have yet to face it. Human triggered activities such as climate change or the possibility of nuclear war, show that humanity may not survive to be a species that ever leaves our Solar System. While this may seem pessimistic, humanity should realize that the Universe does not seem to be friendly to long lasting, advanced civilizations.

The fact is that at this point we only have one example of intelligent life arising, which would be ourselves. Therefore, given this sample size of one, we cannot know how common intelligent life is in the Universe is, unless we find another example of it. Whether the solution is something like the Zoo hypothesis, the Rare Earth hypothesis, or the fact that we just have not been looking for long enough, humanity should try to take better care of our own planet for now.

The YouTube video below is a great summary of Fermi’s Paradox.

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Credit: Kurzgesagt on Youtube.

By: Gulaab Sara

 

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Posted in Issues in Science, Science in the News, Uncategorized

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