Discovery Lectures
Get a taste of recent STEM research from UCSC professors and guest lecturers!
Photo by Celina Chen
Day 1Single Molecule Detection on a Chip with Quantum Nanopores (Prof. Holger Schmidt)
By Victor Gong and Max Zhai
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In the present day, with the COVID-19 pandemic just behind us, the need for efficient testing, outbreak control, and effective medicine has risen dramatically. Professor Schmidt starts off by emphasizing the importance of understanding a virus’ structure via several tests. For starters, the gold standard test for COVID is a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test for RNA that is highly sensitive. However, it is incredibly complex, requires cycling, and sometimes makes errors due to contamination. Other tests, such as ELISA, are less sensitive and more accurate, but still suffer from their fair share of issues. The specificity method was developed, which matches the DNA of the virus and sticks it on a bead. Fluorescent molecules then enable precise detection of the virus. Professor Schmidt explains a technique called nanowire integration, which is basically an electrical and optical analysis of nanoparticles using a small “hole,” called a nanopore. By measuring the ionic current generated by a nano particle passing through a hole, it is possible to specifically determine the genetic base responsible, since they produce slightly different current waves.
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Day 2
Understanding Bioluminescence: Ecology to Biotechnology (Dr. Burcak Artun)
By Victor Gong and Max Zhai
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In the second day of discovery lectures this week, Dr. Burcak Artun spoke about bioluminescence and applications to biotechnology. First, Dr. Artun outlined the origins of bioluminescence. The word itself translates to “living light,” describing the ability of living organisms to produce and emit light. According to Dr. Artun, nearly 75% of deep sea animals produce their own light, which is achieved through a chemical reaction. Although properties of bioluminescence were documented as early as 500 BCE by the ancient Greeks, Robert Boyle discovered the requirement of air for luminescence. After talking about the history, Dr. Artun listed marine animals that utilize bioluminescence, including killer anglerfish, dragon fish, hatchetfish, and brittle starfish. Bioluminescence can be split into two categories: intercellular, where the chemical reaction occurs inside the body, and extracellular, in which molecules are produced in the body and then expelled to react with the outside. Dr. Artun then explained the biochemical reaction that produced light, which involves the enzyme luciferase, luciferin, and oxygen. Typically, creatures use bioluminescence as a defense mechanism to intimidate or to attract bigger predators when in danger. Bioluminescence doesn’t only apply to the ocean, however. By cracking the secrets of deep sea creatures, researchers have been able to utilize bioluminescence in a variety of fields, such as the art and medical industry.
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Day 3Semiconductor Processing and Device Engineering (Dr. Mike Oye)
By Victor Gong and Max Zhai
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You’ve probably heard of a semiconductor before, but why is it actually important in chips? Semiconductors are materials that may or may not conduct electricity based on manipulable conditions. As Dr. Oye explained, changing factors such as light or heat allows for engineers to control the state of a semiconductor, making it much more versatile than a conductor or an insulator. There are two types of semiconductors: the p-type semiconductor, standing for positive charge, and the n-type semiconductor, standing for negative. Dr. Oye then went into processing, specifically the process where pure silicon is created from SiO2. He explained that there are billions of transistors in a computer chip, which contain a silicon wafer at the base as well as three terminals for electric signals. N-type semiconductors are created by doping an element with 5 valence electrons, such as arsenic, to the semiconductor, while p-type semiconductors are created by doping an element with 3 valence electrons. However, as devices grow increasingly complex and require more power, transistor architecture must be modified creatively in order to keep up. For example, the scalability of transistors is a crucial aspect that has been improved in recent years with 3D stacking technology. Dr. Oye says that the future of semiconductors will be determined by new materials and architectures that are cost-effective, practical, and scalable.
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Day 4Who glows there? Biodiversity, bioluminescence, and biotechnology of deep-sea organisms (Steve Haddock)
By Victor Gong and Max Zhai
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Although it seems like land takes up a lot of space on Earth, almost 99% of Earth’s volume is actually water, with 93% being the deep ocean. Within the deep ocean lies little-known creatures with mysterious yet fascinating properties. In this lecture, Professor Steven Haddock talked about deep-sea gelatinous organisms, particularly hydromedusae and ctenophores. Hydromedusae have an alternating life cycle, switching between reproduction and feeding. In the deep sea, there’s no convenient ocean floor for laying eggs, so many deep-sea jellyfish resort to laying their polyps on other creatures or creating their own vessel for polyps to mature on. The polyps of siphonophora, colony-type creatures, reside on long thin floating chains, where they slowly feed and mature.. The polyps of siphonophora, which includes the Portuguese Man O’ War, reside on long, thin floating strips, where they slowly feed and mature. Prof. Haddock then detailed ctenophores, another type of deep sea jellyfish. They stick to prey with extremely adhesive tentacles, pulling them to the mouth, which is located on the front unlike other jellyfish species. Almost all deep sea creatures, including the creatures mentioned above, utilize bioluminescence in some manner. Many deep sea creatures utilize the color red to camouflage themselves because there is little to no red light in deep-sea environments, and since red absorbs all other colors other than red, the creature is essentially black. To wrap up the lecture, Prof. Haddock demonstrated this phenomenon by placing a red filter behind a blue filter and showing the crowd that the overall color had indeed turned black.
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Day 5How to maintain an organ: stem cells and cancer (Dr. Zhu A. Wang)
By Victor Gong and Max Zhai
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Cancer, an insidious and relentless foe, knows no boundaries and spares no one from its grasp, leaving a profound impact on individuals and communities alike. However, as research into this devastating disease grows more and more advanced, humanity is one step closer to a cure. In the last discovery lecture of this week, Dr. Zhu A. Wang discussed what cancer is and how it forms. Dr. Wang began by highlighting how cancer emerges from an accumulation of DNA mutations in normal cells, leading to the formation of abnormal chromosome complexes. As these mutations accumulate, the tumor cells become increasingly aggressive, eventually spreading to other parts of the body. Dr. Wang emphasized the significance of the cell of origin model, which suggests that distinct cancer subtypes may arise from different types of cells. For instance, in prostate cancer, there are approximately 250,000 cases and 30,000 deaths annually. To assess the severity of prostate cancer, the Gleason Score is employed, which guides medical treatment accordingly. Next, Dr. Wang illustrated how studies on mice have been instrumental in determining effective treatments. By exploring the behavior of luminal and basal cells, crucial components of prostate cancer, researchers could gain valuable insights into cancer initiation and progression. Dr. Wang then talked about stem cells and their possible involvement in cancer development. Stem cells possess the remarkable ability to self-renew and grow into various mature cell types, including cancer cells. Through vitro assays, researchers are able to detect adult stem cells, providing valuable information for potential treatments. Dr. Wang expects stem cell research to continue to improve our understanding of cancer, hopefully leading to a cure in the near future.
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