Category Archives: Biochemistry

The Biochemistry of Muscle Contraction – Discovery Institute

Photo credit: Edgar Chaparro, via Unsplash.

In an article yesterday, I gave a short overview of the arrangement and structure of muscles. Here, I will describe the biochemistry of muscle contraction. Readers may find it slightly easier to follow the discussion that follows by first viewing this short animation, which describes the sliding filament model of muscle contraction.

I previously noted that muscles contain thousands of cylindrical cells called muscle fibers, or myocytes. The motor neuron terminates at the muscle fibers neuromuscular junction. The tip of the motor neuron is known as the axon terminal, and it contains sacs of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter involved in muscle contraction. The muscle fiber also has a membrane called the sarcolemma, containing acetylcholine receptor sites, in addition to an inactivator called cholinesterase. The small space between the sarcolemma and axon terminal is called the synapse, or synaptic cleft.

The muscle fiber contains thousands of individual contracting units known as sarcomeres. These are organized end-to-end in cylinders known as myofibrils. In the center of the sarcomere are thick filaments comprised predominantly of the protein myosin, and thin filaments containing actin can be found at the ends, attached to the end boundaries of the sarcomere (known as the Z discs) by the protein titin. The structure of the muscle fiber is shown in the figure below:

Muscle contraction is driven by two contractile proteins myosin and actin. Each myosin molecule consists of a long tail and a globular head. Myosin heads have ATPase activity, which allows them to hydrolyze ATP to generate energy for muscle contraction. Myosin heads also have binding sites for actin and ATP. Actin has binding sites for myosin heads. However, these binding sites are typically covered by two inhibitory proteins known as tropomyosin and troponin when the muscle is relaxed. These inhibitory proteins prevent the sliding of myosin and actin during relaxation of the muscle fiber.

The sarcomeres are surrounded by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (the muscular equivalent of the endoplasmic reticulum), which serves as a reservoir of calcium ions (Ca2+). As we shall see, Ca2+ions are required for muscle contraction.

When a muscle fiber is in a state of relaxation, the sarcolemma has a resting potential, or is said to be polarized. This refers to the difference in electrical charges between the inside and outside. When the sarcolemma is polarized, there is a positive charge outside relative to the negatively charged inside. There is a greater concentration of sodium ions (Na+) outside the cell and a greater concentration of potassium ions (K+) and negative ions inside the cell.

Because of the concentration gradient, the Na+ions tend to diffuse into the cell and the K+ions tend to diffuse outside. These are actively transported back out and in respectively by the sodium and potassium pumps, which depend upon ATP to maintain polarization and muscle relaxation until a change is stimulated by a nerve impulse.

The first step in muscle contraction is the arrival of a nerve impulse at the axon terminal, stimulating the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The acetylcholine diffuses across the synapse and binds to acetylcholine receptors on the sarcolemma. This renders the sarcolemma extremely permeable to Na+ions, which rapidly enter the cell. This reverses the charges such that there is now a positive charge on the inside of the sarcolemma relative to the outside. This charge reversal is known as depolarization.

Inward folds on the sarcolemma known as transverse tubules (or, T tubules) carry this electrical impulse (referred to as an action potential) to the interior of the muscle cell. Depolarization triggers the release of Ca2+ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. These bind to the troponin-tropomyosin complex, moving it away from the actin filaments.

With the binding sites on actin now available, actin can be bound by the myosin heads, forming cross-bridges. Once the cross-bridges are formed, the myosin heads pivot, pulling the thin filaments towards the center of the sarcomere. This action is called the power stroke and is powered by the energy released when ATP is hydrolyzed. After the power stroke, the myosin heads require ATP to detach from actin. ATP is hydrolyzed into ADP and inorganic phosphate, which energizes the myosin head for the next cycle.

The cycle of cross-bridge formation, power stroke, ATP hydrolysis, and detachment repeats as long as calcium ions are present and ATP is available. This results in the shortening of the sarcomere and, collectively, the entire muscle fiber. This leads to muscle contraction. The force generated by many muscle fibers contracting in unison allows for body movement. The sliding filament model is graphically summarized in the figure below:

Muscle relaxation occurs when the electrical stimulation ceases resulting in the ionic concentrations inside and outside the cell returning to their resting state. To restore the resting-membrane potential, the Na+and K+pumps actively transport sodium ions out of the cell while bringing potassium ions back into the cell. This returns the membrane potential to its polarized, negative resting state, typically around -90mV for muscle cells. Repolarization results in the myosin heads releasing their grip on actin, and calcium ions are actively transported back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum, causing muscle relaxation.

As should be apparent from the forgoing discussion, muscle contraction which we so easily take for granted is an incredibly complex and elegant process, involving incredible engineering and design. The process of muscle contraction and relaxation requires the coordinated action of actin, myosin, troponin, tropomyosin, acetyl choline, ion channels, and much more. To contend that the phenomenon of muscle contraction arose through a blind and undirected process, one tiny Darwinian step after the other, seems to me to strain credulity.

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The Biochemistry of Muscle Contraction - Discovery Institute

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology chair and … – University of Iowa Health Care

The fourth semifinalist candidate for the position of chair and department executive officer of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will deliver a seminar this week to present their qualifications, share their vision for the department, and answer employee questions.

Peter Kaiser, PhD, chair and professor of biological chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, will present his seminar titled, Exploring Ubiquitin/Metabolite Signaling and Attempts to Restore Tumor Suppression in Cancer, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Urmila Sahai Auditorium in MERF. A reception will immediately follow in the skywalk in PBDB.

UI Health Care employees are welcome and encouraged to join the candidate seminar in person. You may forward any questions in advance for the candidate Q&A sessions to sasha-alexander@uiowa.edu.

The fourth semifinalist candidate for the position of chair and department executive officer of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will deliver a seminar this week to present their qualifications, share their vision for the department, and answer employee questions.

Peter Kaiser, PhD, chair and professor of biological chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, will present his seminar titled, Exploring Ubiquitin/Metabolite Signaling and Attempts to Restore Tumor Suppression in Cancer, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Urmila Sahai Auditorium in MERF. A reception will immediately follow in the skywalk in PBDB.

UI Health Care employees are welcome and encouraged to join the candidate seminar in person. You may forward any questions in advance for the candidate Q&A sessions to sasha-alexander@uiowa.edu.

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Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology chair and ... - University of Iowa Health Care

Research Assistant / Associate (Department of Biochemistry) job … – Times Higher Education

Job Description

The National University of Singapore invites applications forResearch Assistant/Research Associate for Industrializing non-viral precision engineered mesenchymal stem cell biofactoriesin the Department ofDepartment of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Appointments will be made on a1 yearcontract basis in the first instance, with the possibility of extension.

Purpose of the post

Our laboratory has developed a non-viral based gene delivery platform (Nucleic Acids Res. 2017 Apr 7; 45(6): e38). The Research Assistant/Research Associate (RA) will be responsible to, and work closely with, the Principal Investigator and study team members to develop gene based applications R&D and clinical application. Our team in the midst of preparation for a phase I clinical trial for recurrent Glioblastoma patients.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The Research Assistant will work with the project lead (current Post doc) to carry out research in the area of gene modification of mammalian cells, including designing and running experiments, recording, analyzing and writing up the results (as part of a research team).

The RA will be able to:

Qualifications

The requirements are:

Application

Remuneration will be commensurate with the candidates qualifications and experience. Informal enquiries are welcome and should be made toHo Yoon Khei, at bchhyk@nus.edu.sg.

Formal application: Please submit your application, indicating current/expected salary, supported by a detailed CV (including personal particulars, academic and employment history, complete list of publications/oral presentations and full contacts of three (3) referees to this job portal.

We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

More Information

Location: Kent Ridge Campus Organization: Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine Department: Biochemistry Employee Referral Eligible: No Job requisition ID: 18422

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Research Assistant / Associate (Department of Biochemistry) job ... - Times Higher Education

Two decorated Brandeis faculty awarded National Medal of Science … – Brandeis University

By Lawrence Goodman October 24, 2023

Pioneering neuroscientist Eve Marder69 and Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry Emeritus Gregory Petsko have each received the National Medal of Science, the highest recognition the nation bestows on scientists and engineers.

The awards were announced by President Biden at a ceremony at the White House on October 24.

Both of these remarkable individuals have conducted significant scientific research that has had a major impact on repairing the world, and both have trained generations of Brandeisians to go out and do the same, said Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz, who was at the White House to attend the awards ceremony. Eve and Greg have dedicated much of their careers to our university, and for that, I am deeply grateful.

Marder, the Victor and Gwendolyn Beinfield Professor of Neuroscience and a University Professor, was honored for her visionary application of theoretical and experimental approaches to understanding neural circuits; and her inspirational advocacy of basic science, according to a press release from National Science and Technology Medals Foundation (NSTMF).

Currently at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, Petsko, who is a member of Brandeis Board of Trustees, was recognized for advancing our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, Alzheimers, and Parkinsons, the NSTMF press release said.

His role in founding structural enzymology, along with his commitment to educating the public about brain health, have empowered people around the world and raised the ambitions of our nation regarding aging with dignity, the release added.

Marder joined the Brandeis faculty as an assistant professor in 1978 and remained on thefaculty ever since.

She has revolutionized scientists understanding of neuronal circuit operation, including how neuromodulators, chemicals that alter the activity of neurons, affect an organisms behavior. She studies a small network of 30 neurons in the nervous system of lobsters and crabs, which she realized early in her career could serve as a model for understanding the basic properties common to all brains.

She has received numerous prestigious prizes, including the Gruber Prize, the Kavli Prize, and the National Academy of Sciences Award. She served as president of the Society for Neuroscience as well as on the working group for President Obamas BRAIN Initiative. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine.

Last month, she received the 2023 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize, which recognizes outstanding women scientists.

Petskos research concerns the three-dimensional structures of proteins and their biochemical functions. His public lectures on the aging of the population and its implications for human health have attracted a wide audience, including a TED Talk that has been viewed over 900,000 times.

He has collaborated extensively with Professor of Biochemistry and Chemistry EmeritaDagmar Ringe.

His awards include the Sidhu Award and the Martin J. Buerger Award, both from the American Crystallographic Association, the Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry from the American Chemical Society, the Lynen Medal, and the Max Planck Research Award.

He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.

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Two decorated Brandeis faculty awarded National Medal of Science ... - Brandeis University

ASBMB weighs in on policy changes for dual-use research – ASBMB Today

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology sent feedback on Oct. 16 to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy about its proposed changes to policy frameworks for dual-use research of concern and potential pandemic pathogen care.

The ASBMB recommended that OSTP:

Create tools to aid scientists in determining which research requires additional scrutiny,

create measurable outcomes for redefining potential pandemic pathogens, and

solicit feedback from the scientific community.

Ann West is the associate vice president for research and development and a professor at the University of Oklahoma. She leads the ASBMB Public Affairs Advisory Committee. We are advocating for more unified and clear guidance from the various federal agencies and a multilayer approach to understanding the research communitys concerns prior to implementation, West said.

Various types of life sciences research are classified as dual-use because they can be used to help or harm humanity. Federal and institutional dual-use policies and potential pandemic pathogen care policies cover 15 agents with potential biosafety and biosecurity risks.

The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, a federal advisory committee, released recommendations in March to address biosecurity and dual-use research concerns. Following the boards recommendations and proposed policy changes, OSTP released a request for information in September with three broad goals:

Assess the merger of existing policies into one harmonized policy,

expand the scope of pathogens and toxins with the potential to impact humans, and

determine ways to strengthen the implementation of oversight throughout the research cycle.

The NSABB proposes merging existing dual-use and potential pathogen policies into one. This would significantly reduce the high administrative burden placed on researchers and academic institutions conducting this type of research. According to the National Science Foundation, principal investigators of federally sponsored projects spend 42% of their time on administrative tasks.

The ASBMB encouraged OSTP to solicit feedback from the scientific community to prevent an increase in administrative burden on scientists and their institutional biosafety committees and to prepare the scientific community for the changes.

The NSABB proposes revising the scope of pathogens and toxins requiring review to (1) expand beyond the current 15 select agents and pathogens, (2) redefine potentially pandemic pathogens to include moderately or highly transmissible and/or virulent and (3) remove blanket exclusions for select agents and toxins.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy isrevising oversight policies for infectious disease-related research.

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ASBMB Public Affairs Advisory Committee member Matthew Koci is a professor of immunology, virology and hostpathogen interactions at North Carolina State University. The challenge with these kinds of policies is they tend to exist in black-and-white lists, but Mother Nature works exclusively in shades of gray, he said.

Members of the scientific community have raised concerns that OSTP is overreaching. The authors of an editorial in the Journal of Virology in February warned that abundant unnecessary review could significantly slow down science.

The United States Government Accountability Office has expressed concerns about the vague standards in defining pandemic pathogens in current policies, saying that vaccine and surveillance research could be impeded by removing blanket exemptions for agents and toxins.

The ASBMB recommended OSTP:

Create tools to aid scientists in determining which agent, toxin or pathogen requires additional scrutiny and the biosafety level required,

create clearer definitions and measurable thresholds for defining potentially pandemic pathogens, and

involve the scientific community in revising the blanket exclusions with careful consideration of annual updates for seasonal influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

The NSABB also recommends the inclusion of in silico (computer-generated) models into the harmonized policy to guard against the use of computers to design new or dangerous pathogens. The ASBMB recommended OSTP engage with community stakeholders and in silico research model experts to determine if this research poses a risk and to determine the best course of action.

The proposed revision to the definition of potentially pandemic pathogens states that scientists must determine if their research is likely to pose a severe threat to public health, the capacity of public health systems, or national security. Scientists do not have the appropriate information or expertise to make this type of determination. The ASBMB urged OSTP to create an external panel or board that defines and determines threats to national security. This will also give scientists some protection from undue public scrutiny.

The ASBMB acknowledged heightened concern about biosafety and biosecurity. However, the society urged OSTP to continue engaging the scientific community to minimize negative consequences relating to vaccine and surveillance research.

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ASBMB weighs in on policy changes for dual-use research - ASBMB Today

In the Locker Room with Katie Austin, Mia Brito, and Alaina Di Dio … – The Oberlin Review

Austin, Brito, and Di Dio pose for media day.

Katie Austin, Mia Brito, and Alaina Di Dio are fourth-years on the softball team in addition to being captains and housemates. Austin is a Chemistry and Biochemistry major from San Diego, Brito is a History major from Covina, CA, and Di Dio is a Psychology major from Whitmore Lake, MI.

Since softball is a spring sport, they do not participate in games in the fall except for Fall Ball, one day when the team can play up to three games. On Oct. 7, the team hosted Ursuline College, an NCAA Division II school, and lost 64.

We played a DII [team], but we were definitely able to hold our own, which was great, Brito said. We lost a few players from last year, so its taken us a while to see where all the pieces are going to be for this year. Especially after play day, we have a much clearer idea of how our defense is going to shape up, and its looking really good.

Throughout the fall the team is allotted a set number of practices, which start in early September. After these, the team then transitions to captains practices for the rest of the fall, led by Austin, Brito, and Di Dio. In addition, they lift two to three times a week.

The three housemates have all played softball for many years. Austin has been playing since elementary school.

It was the first sport I ever played and I just stuck with it because I like pitching so much, Austin said. [I] essentially [have] control on the mound and we just get to be outside with our friends. Its a good environment and it teaches you a lot. Ive learned so much about dedication and teamwork from travel ball and then playing in college, and it builds a really strong community.

Brito has been playing softball since she was four years old. She hasnt stopped playing because her mom never got the opportunity to continue playing after high school.

I really like it, but I mostly play because my mom didnt get to, Brito said. She had my brother when she was 17, [so] she had to quit. So, I keep playing for her.

Di Dio credits softball as her break from school, which motivated her to keep playing at Oberlin.

In high school and now, its a time to get away from academics and responsibilities, Di Dio said. Its like structured hanging-out time with your friends; its your favorite people and you get to see them every day. Our team is so close-knit.

In their house, the fourth-years have a cherished cone, a softball tradition. Each year, the softball fourth-years pass on a giant megaphone cone to the next group of fourth-years, with each graduating class signing the interior. Maria Roussos, OC 18, came back during homecoming and noticed the megaphone cone sitting in their living room.

She goes, I cannot believe you guys still have this cone, Di Dio said. And were like, What? Shes like, I started this when I was in school, when I was a [first-year]. One of her [fourth-years] gave it to her. When youre a [fourth-year], you sign the cone under the cone, theres a list of names from all these years past. She came and saw it in our house and shes like, I am so glad someone still has it. I thought itd be thrown away right now. But I like that you guys are keeping the tradition forward. You have to give it to the next house.

Outside of softball, the three are constantly busy with other extracurricular activities, which the team is incredibly supportive of. Over the summer, Brito had the opportunity to study in Japan through the Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment Grant as an East Asian Studies minor. When she did her LIASE presentation at the beginning of the school year, the team came and watched her present. When Di Dio presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium last year, she received similar support from her teammates and coaches who came to her presentation.

Since her second year at Oberlin, Brito has worked at the Multicultural Resource Center and as a manager at the Dionysus Disco. Over the last year and a half, she has been working with 15 different minority student groups on an archive for minority student groups on campus. She has gotten the school to approve a digital database, which will be uploaded to the Oberlin College Library server, and a physical archive, which will be in Wilder Hall. After Oberlin, she plans to take a gap year on campus to continue working on this project. Later, she plans to go into information science and archiving with a focus on social justice, library science, and information access.

Theres not many schools that are doing that, Brito said. Im very excited.

Di Dio is a peer tutor for Psychology and Statistics classes as well as a PRSM trainer on campus. She has been in multiple labs and assisted Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics Adam J. Howat in formulating a study investigating political identity and affective polarization. She currently does research at the Michigan State University Twin Registry, where shes mainly focused on studying the etiology and development of externalizing behavior, specifically antisocial behavior. She presented her research in Spain at the annual meeting of the Behavior Genetics Association. Shes currently applying to Ph.D. programs in clinical science and psychology, where she hopes to continue her work or go into the field of behavioral genetics.

Austin does research in the Ryno Lab in the Biochemistry department, looking at changes in the transcriptome of arabinose-treated E. coli. This summer, she participated in a nuclear and radiochemistry summer school program at San Jose State University, where she learned about the basics of nuclear chemistry and visited the Livermore National Laboratory and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Now, shes looking at graduate schools for radiochemistry or biochemistry.

When asked about advice she would give to her first-year self, Austin was nostalgic about her time here.

Just enjoy the things that Oberlin has to offer, because its going by so quickly, Austin said. Its over already, and we have to cherish these last moments, like going to Long Island Night.

Di Dio believes that ones first-year and fourth-year selves are very different.

A lot changes between first year and fourth year, Di Dio said. You think you might have it figured out, but you dont roll with the changes.

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In the Locker Room with Katie Austin, Mia Brito, and Alaina Di Dio ... - The Oberlin Review

Dr. Tara Schwetz named NIH Deputy Director for Program … – National Institutes of Health (.gov)

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tara A. Schwetz, Ph.D., as NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives and the Director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) in the NIH Office of the Director. She will remain in her current role as Acting NIH Principal Deputy Director, a position she has held since December 2021, until a new NIH Director is confirmed by the U.S. Senate and a transition occurs.

Dr. Schwetz will lead DPCPSI in meeting its mission to identify emerging scientific opportunities, rising public health challenges, or scientific knowledge gaps that merit further research; developing and applying analytic tools and methodologies in support of portfolio analyses and priority setting; and coordinating strategic planning, performance monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. DPCPSI also coordinates or supports research related to AIDS, behavioral and social sciences, women's health, disease prevention, dietary supplements, research infrastructure, sexual and gender minorities, tribal health, data science, and nutrition, and includes the office that manages the NIH Common Fund.

Dr. Schwetz has been serving as the Acting NIH Principal Deputy Director since December 2021 and the NIH Alternate Deputy Ethics Counselor since 2019. For much of 2021, Dr. Schwetz was on detail to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as the Assistant Director for Biomedical Science Initiatives. In this role, she led the effort to stand up the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The Biden Administration created ARPA-H to tackle some of the biggest health challenges facing Americans by driving medical innovation more rapidly.

Prior to 2021, Dr. Schwetz served as the NIH Associate Deputy Director. Throughout her more than 10-year tenure at NIH, Dr. Schwetz has held multiple positions within the NIH Office of the Director and across several NIH institutes. She has served as the Acting Director and Acting Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), Chief of the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Branch at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Senior Advisor to the Principal Deputy Director of NIH, Interim Associate Program Director for the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program, and a Health Science Policy Analyst at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Dr. Schwetz started her career at NIH as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at NINR.

Dr. Schwetz has led or co-led several high-profile, NIH-wide efforts including two Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) programs (RADx Underserved Populations and RADx Radical) and Implementing a Maternal health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative. She also has spearheaded several strategic planning efforts, such as the first NIH-Wide Strategic Plan, NIH-Wide COVID-19 Strategic Plan, NIAID Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Research, NIH Office of the Director Strategic Engagement Agenda, and played a significant role in the development of the National Pain Strategy. She received a B.S. in biochemistry with honors from Florida State University and a Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of South Florida, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Schwetz on her new role.

I want to express my appreciation and thanks to Robert W. Eisinger, Ph.D., for his service as Acting Director of DPCPSI, a position he has held since July 2022. He will continue in that role until Dr. Schwetz moves to DPCPSI following the NIH Director transition.

Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D. Acting Director, National Institutes of Health

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Dr. Tara Schwetz named NIH Deputy Director for Program ... - National Institutes of Health (.gov)

Armstrong Welcomes Burning Swamp The George-Anne Media … – The George-Anne

Eight students faced the fire at Armstrongs first annual burning swamp open mic on Oct 20.

Its all about building community, said host Benjamin Drevlow. Its always magic at Burning Swamp.

Despite rainfall students and faculty brought energy to the international gardens. Each presenter opened up to the crowd adding a layer of intimacy.

Pieces performed ranged from chicken wings to war.

I have a unique point of view because I am older and a combat veteran so I write a lot about that to work through it, said senior biochemistry and English double major Alex Reese.

Another burning swamp event is anticipated to be held in the spring semester.

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Armstrong Welcomes Burning Swamp The George-Anne Media ... - The George-Anne

Summer Research Projects Grow Depth of Knowledge – Taylor University

Most classes may have been out for the summer, but faculty-mentored research projects were in full swing across campus.

Studies show that undergraduate students who participate in research projects have better grades, are more prepared for study or career after graduation, and have more clarity in their future goals. Here are just a few snapshots of some of the research work students and faculty were exploring over the summer at Taylor University.

Taylors growing Engineering program was bustling over the summer with students working on several research projects.

Water filtration project: Senior David Mitchell continued to design and make improvements to a water filtration system for a hospital in Bangladesh. He spent the summer improving filtration quality and system reliability as well as reducing system manufacturing costs.

Building in Space: Juniors Koby Rodgers and Harrison Schmitt worked on the SkyForge project. This project, funded by the Indiana Space Grant Consortium, is developing a first-generation lab version of a robot designed to build expansive space structures in Earths orbit. Over the summer, the students did preliminary research on the space environment, developed a test architecture meant to improve the robots ability to withstand space radiation, and designed a small form factor arm joint for operating in the vacuum and cold of space. This research will continue in the spring of 2024.

Other projects: Addison Johnson 23, who is now attending the robotics graduate program at Oregon State University, worked on refining and controlling the Next Generation Sulfur Concrete Print Head. The print head is a prototype for 3D printing structures on Mars.

The Womens Giving Circle made it possible for John Pugsley 22, who now works for Near Space Launch in Upland, to continue to work on the New Worlds virtual reality walking interface. John is making improvements to allow further testing of the system that had been his senior project.

We are thankful for the funding weve received that is allowing us to push forward with these projects, said Dr. Peter Staritz, Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering. Our students are working with cutting-edge ideas, doing incredible work, and making real contributions to the engineering world.

Professor of Biology Lauren Woodward Hartzler led a plant genetics research effort to learn more about how regulation of mRNA stability helps plants respond to heat stress and heavy metal pollution in their environment.

All organisms and plants are able to respond to their environment by changing gene expression. One way that gene expression can be changed is by tinkering with the stability of mRNA molecules, said Woodward.

If we can identify the genes or biological pathways that are regulated during these responses, there is a potential to harness that information to generate plants that are more resilient to surviving in climates and conditions that other plants would likely perish in. There is even the potential that such plants could be used to remediate disturbed or polluted areas.

Hartzler and student Rebekah Ong made significant progress toward making a genetically modified plant that will be less capable of degrading some mRNAs. This project was primarily funded by the Womens Giving Circle.

Dr. Reed Spencer, professor of Music, and Musical Theatre major Steven Day have been working collaboratively on lyrics, music, recording, and notation for a musical theatre composition project that addresses Generation Zs experiences with social media.

We took on this project with the goal of approaching this with a desire to acknowledge social medias important place in our society, while exploring the complex problems and emotions that accompany its use, said Spencer.

Over the course of the summer, Spencer and Day wrote eleven songs, recorded them, and began the process of notation. They plan to workshop the music, eventually produce a production of their work with more Taylor students, with the hope to submit it to competitions and find external performances.

Professor of Chemistry Dr. Michael Bowman and student Kirsten Stinson used methods in computational chemistry to understand how certain gene mutations can lead to cancer. They have been studying O6-methylated guanine and thioguanine complexes, which are molecules of a mutated form of guanine, one of the fundamental building blocks of DNA known as nucleobases.

Previous studies have demonstrated a connection between these mutated nucleobases and certain types of cancers, which is surprising given the relatively minor change to the natural guanine structure, said Bowman. By examining the interactions between O6-methylguanine or thioguanine with other nucleobases, we hope to help others understand how such mutations lead to cancer.

They made significant progress in yielding results that affirm their hypothesis, and they plan to do additional research using computational methods with a higher level of accuracy as well as other forms of analysis to provide a more comprehensive picture of these systems.

Dr. Daniel Kaluka, professor of Biochemistry, led four students on two different projects.

Malaria parasite: Malaria is an infectious and deadly disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium Falciparum. Although drugs have been developed to fight against this disease, reports of increased drug resistance call for the need to design new intervention strategies. Kaluka has been researching how hemeproteins within the parasites genome can lead to identification of new therapeutic targets in the mosquito stage of the parasite. Anna Draviam and Gabriel Swinney worked on furthering his research over the summer.

Malaria remains a public health problem, especially in the developing world. For children under age 5, its reported especially high mortality rates, said Kaluka. Understanding the malaria parasite biochemistry is a step towards developing new intervention strategies. Our goal is to use our understandingof protein structure-function relationship to unveil the parasite's vulnerabilities and thus stop the transmission of malaria.

Investigating the Sequence-Structure-Function Relationship of beta-glucosidase B (enzyme): Kaluka and students Annika Bennett and Carter Ahlstedtwere part of a design-to-data network of scholars initiated by Professor Steven Seigel of University of California Davis. Seigels lab provided most of the research materials needed.

Bennett and Ahlstedt used computational tools to design mutants of b-glucosidase B and perform functional studies on their novel enzymes using biochemistry techniques, which are employed routinely in the biotechnology world. This student-generated data will be utilized in training protein modeling algorithms, such as the Rosetta Commons, which presently have less than optimal predictive capabilities due to a small number of data sets.

Understanding and manipulating protein structure and function is important in protein engineering(for example, enzyme designed to metabolize plastic waste) and human health research (for example, drug design), said Kaluka. The biggest challenge in protein engineering is designing proteins that are both thermally stable and catalytically efficient. Thats why computational design of such proteins is a welcome advancement.

Research projects dont have to wait until grad school or beyond. At Taylor, students have access to undertaking major projects in a broad range of interest areas and faculty who are willing to mentor and guide the process. Want to learn more? Request more information about Taylor University today.

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Summer Research Projects Grow Depth of Knowledge - Taylor University

Brookings Register | Speakout: Decarbonize industry with nuclear … – Brookings Register

(Metro photo)

By: Robert McTaggert

Updated: 8 hours ago / Posted Oct 27, 2023

Editor's note: This Speakout was submitted by Robert McTaggert, assistant department head, chemistry, biochemistry and physics atSouth Dakota State University.

Despite the growth of renewable energy, industries still rely upon fossil fuels for the energy intensity they require for manufacturing. This emits almost as much carbon as transportation does. The good news is that several new nuclear reactors can work with renewables to remove carbon emissions from industry.

Recently, the Dow corporation partnered with X-energy to plan the use of helium-cooled, graphite moderated pebble bed reactors (the Xe-100) by the end of the decade to avoid emitting carbon in some of its manufacturing processes.

The fuel and any resulting waste are trapped within ceramic pebbles that do not melt. Heat removal occurs passively, so there is no need to power emergency pumps with diesel generators. The safety measures are so robust that instead of the usual 10-mile radius for emergency planning, the safety perimeter has a radius of less than 400 meters.

The helium does not become radioactive in the reactor, and it is chemically inert. It allows for higher temperatures, greater efficiencies, and the generation of process heat for industrial use. It also offers flexibility to utilities by being able to reduce power from 100% to 40% in 12 minutes and follow electrical loads.

Nucor, the leading steel manufacturer in the USA, is partnering with NuScale to use their water-cooled small reactor to make steel without emitting carbon.

NuScale improves current reactor technology to deliver similar passive heat removal as well as the flexibility to work with renewables in a small physical footprint. The design is resilient to tornadoes and attack by electromagnetic pulse.

Another reactor of interest is the Natrium reactor by TerraPower that is supported by Bill Gates. Like the other reactors, it is suitable for replacing coal plants.

The reactor is sodium-cooled and paired with a molten salt energy storage system that can also store excess energy from renewables without batteries.

Microsoft is considering small nuclear reactors to help power its data centers and computational needs for artificial intelligence. Estimates are that the power demands of artificial intelligence will grow five-fold by 2028. Nuclear energy can help meet that demand with carbon-free electricity.

While there is much interest in using hydrogen to complement renewables like natural gas does, hydrogen has other uses. For instance, it can be combined with carbon dioxide to produce new drop-in biofuels. We can all but eliminate carbon emissions from hydrogen production if the electrolysis of water were powered by nuclear and renewable energy.

Renewables need help to eliminate carbon from industry. Lets build the new nuclear reactors that are cheaper to build, last a long time, significantly reduce waste, leave more land for agriculture, and are completely walk-away safe.

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