Kirk Duran

Superconductors are materials that exhibit the phenomenon of zero electrical resistance below a certain temperature. Some pure metals are superconductors, but only at very low temperatures. But over the last few decades some interesting materials have been discovered that super-conduct at high temperatures, up to about 200C. This is still far below room temperature, but if we can understand these materials it may be possible to engineer even room-temperature superconductors. However, many aspects of hightemperature superconductors are still unknown, including how the other properties of these materials are related to […]

Leo Steinmetz

Cosmic inflation is a theory that expands on the Big Bang model of the early universe to explain some confusing astrophysical observations. A major next step for physical cosmology is to find direct evidence of inflation. Theoretical cosmologists predict that inflation left patterns in the oldest light in the universe, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), so the CMB measurement community is attempting to detect and characterize these patterns with a new generation of CMB telescopes such as LiteBIRD and CMB-S4. In order to detect this pattern we need to develop […]

Charles Li

Flame retardants are a diverse group of chemicals designed to slow down or prevent the spread of fire. Exposure to these compounds, however, is associated with adverseand often irreversibledevelopmental, reproductive and carcinogenic consequences. Despite the prevalence of flame retardants in the furniture, electronics, and clothing industries, little is known about their mechanisms of action at the cellular and molecular level. This project serves to define the chemical effects of flame retardants in classic human cell culture models. The first part of this endeavor will evaluate the toxicity of major categories […]

Logan Rudd

The LUX-ZEPLIN dark matter experiment is currently investigating the use of PTFE (Polytetraflouroethylene) best known as Teflon, for the internal walls of its liquid xenon detector, due to its high reflectivity for 175 nm light. In order to streamline research and development of the PTFE to be used in the detector, a new apparatus is currently being developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to quickly measure the relative reflectivity of multiple samples of PTFE against 175 nm light in liquid xenon. My goals for the summer are to aid in […]

Grant Schroeder

Despite a deep understanding of many of the molecular components involved in organ development, recreating complex tissues from undifferentiated cells has proven difficult in the field of regenerative biology. For instance, current skin culturing techniques in clinical settings fail in yielding operational hair follicles and sweat glands, creating problems for patients needing large skin grafts. A major reason for this is that cell differentiation in vivo is influenced not only by classically studied molecular signals, but also by tissue-level force interactions. This research aims to investigate the critical interface between […]

Chase Garcia

Caloric restriction (CR), defined as under-nutrition without malnutrition, has been shown in a variety of organisms to increase maximal lifespan upwards of 70%. CR also been shown to have other health benefits not limited to reduced carcinogenesis, increased insulin sensitivity, and reduced cardiovascular disease risk. There are several theories as to how this works, but we still lack a fundamental, mechanistic understand of this phenomenon. Based on research that suggests hepatic proteome replacement rates may be a critical, predictive link between caloric restriction and increased life expectancy, I hypothesize that […]

Maryia Barnett

Misregulation of cell differentiation often leads to pathological cell fate and frequently employs mechanisms that alter gene expression. There are multiple levels of transcriptional regulation. The focus of my research is one of the subunits of the Mediator complex, MED12 and its paralogue MED12L. The Mediator is known as a general transcription factor, and so it is not expected to specialize. Meanwhile, Dr. Darzacqs lab observed that upon specific knockdown of the MED12L gene (and not MED12), Human primary fibroblasts transdifferentiate into neuron-like cells, suggesting a unique function for this […]

Andrew Kelleghan

In 2012 alone, 14.1 million cases of cancer were reported worldwide and the disease claimed 8.2 million lives. The magnitude of these figures speaks to the complexity of the causes and mechanisms of cancers and the need to develop new strategies to better combat the disease state. Existing treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can prove effective but are notoriously limited by a lack of selectivity which results in widespread damage to cancer patients’ healthy cells. Thus, there remains a large demand for effective therapies capable of ridding the body […]

Claudia Chan

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for nearly 80% of the cases. Adenocarcinomas are the most prevalent type of NSCLC among which Kras is the most commonly found mutation that correlates with poor patient prognosis. In our mouse model carrying this oncogenic Kras mutation allele and the inducible loss-of-p53 allele, tumor progression, histopathology, and molecular characteristics are similar to those of the human disease, allowing us to understand basic lung tumor biology and identify markers for early diagnosis. In this […]

Mei Lan Li

Obesity, as a result of excess triacylglycerol accumulated in white adipose tissues, is an established risk factor for many metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. Studying the lipolytic effects of proteins contributes to the development of anti-obesity and anti-diabetic agents that can potentially control adiposity and improve insulin sensitivity. Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTLs) are a family of members that are highly involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis. The exact physiological and metabolic functions of ANGPTL5 in humans remain unknown since no ANGPTL5 orthologous gene has been […]