Zeerek Ahmad
Current robotic designs have limited movement because they involve rigid bodies and links that are connected through restrictive joints. Conventional actuation of these joints is usually achieved through motor and hydraulic control. In contrast, many macroscopic biological systems have evolved to produce locomotion through the actuation of tensile links to control their rigid counterparts. This allows for lighter and better dynamic systems that are capable of safer and more efficient motion. These biological systems can be modeled with a principle known as tensegrity, a combination of tension and integrity. A […]
Apurva Govande
A virus can have two distinct life cycles: lytic, which produces new virus, and latent, in which the virus remains silently integrated into the DNA of the host. The ultimate goal of a latent virus like Kaposis sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is to get its viral genes integrated into the host genome, and eventually produce viral proteins in order to generate more virus. These viral proteins interact with the host cell organelles and proteins in order to hijack host machinery for viral use. A KSHV viral protein, ORF68, interacts with and […]
Lucine Oganesian
Music is often considered a universal language, an important component of every culture. It is a complex natural stimulus, composed of a hierarchy of basic acoustic components. However, not much is known about how the human brain represents these components. This summer I will investigate the cortical representation of low-level acoustic features, such as pitch, tonality, and spectral (frequency) components. I will analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data and map computational models of music to brain activity to understand the hierarchical organization of basic acoustic features in the human […]
Prithvi Pande
The undergraduate chemistry curricula at UC Berkeley has been undergoing a series of changes in the past years to update the experiments and increase their relevancy to students as they move on through their college careers. The main goals of this curriculum redesign are centered on creating experiments that give students an understanding and appreciation for green chemistry, and designing curricula that embodies authentic practice allowing students to experience science as it occurs outside the classroom setting and giving them insights into how research is realistically conducted. The project I […]
Varun Raj
Neutrinos present some of the greatest mysteries within the Standard Model of Particle Physics. They are nearly massless and electrically neutral, making them very difficult to detect. That said, neutrinos have been observed to oscillate over time between their three flavors. The primary target of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has been to measure the exact value of the mixing angle 13, which describes this oscillation. The Experiment, which started taking data in 2011, is based in Southeast China. The eight detectors, situated in three experimental halls, analyze antineutrinos […]
Jay Ramsay
Obese individuals have significantly greater amount of damage in their DNA compared to lean individuals, however the consumption of blueberries has been shown to decrease that damage in obese. I will be trying to figure out the mechanism by which blueberries reduce the amount of DNA damage.
David Rothblum
As our society focuses on reducing the drivers of global climate change, a primary goal is to look at the ways in which we can generate and use electricity in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner. These challenges require broad and complex solutions. However, in order to implement these, it is imperative that broad swaths of the population be well informed in the nuances and technical complexities of electrical power systems. That is where Griddle comes in. The brainchild of researcher Michael Cohen, Griddle is an educational game that […]
Courtney Sarkin
My mother once told me: I tell doctors that my partner is my sister so she can be present during my appointments and hospitalization without prejudice. My mom, who identifies as an LGBT individual, was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was a first year at UC Berkeley. Although the LGBTIQA communities are diverse and represent a wide range of identities, the discrimination and stigma surrounding these social and gendered minorities is common, including in healthcare. In the US context, discrimination and ignorance by health professionals create disparities in LGBTIQA […]
Lochan Shah
The protein Cbl is a key component of receptor tyrosine kinase transduction, acting both as an E3 ligase and as an adaptor in the ubiquitination pathway. In fact, overexpression of Cbl has been found to inhibit tumor growth; therefore, understanding Cbls specificity will be key to the development of relevant therapeutic drugs. Interestingly, Cbl is known to ubiquitylate over one dozen targets, and its specificity for tyrosine kinases is achieved by its unique activation mechanism. Recent work has found that Cbl recognizes multiple lysine residues from the same substrate and […]
Ila Shimabuku
In Situ Chemical Oxidation – A Close Look at Peroxide and Persulfate Benzene is an organic compound that causes birth defects, cancer, a decrease in red blood cells and many other health impediments upon inhalation. Benzene is just one of many toxic chemicals flowing through our groundwater. Pumping out contaminated water to treat harmful chemicals is ineffective because it is too inefficient and slow, which is why in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is necessary. ISCO degrades harmful compounds in the soil, removing both the cost of pumping and injecting groundwater […]