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Neuroscience

Hear, Hear! How Music and Sound Soothes and Connects Us – Neuroscience News

Summary: Researchers explore how sounds and music have the power to soothe, energize, and connect us to one another.

Source: USC

When Ludwig van Beethoven began losing his hearing as a young man in 1798, he blamed it on a fall, though modern researchers believe illness, lead poisoning or a middle ear deformity could have been factors.

Whatever the cause, the hearing impairment did nothing to sweeten the acclaimed composers notoriously sour disposition, understandably contributing to his melancholy and ill temper.

Today, more than 200 years after the onset of Beethovens hearing problems, we know far more about the nature of sound and the causes of hearing loss. We also better understand how the brain comprehends language, and the power of music to affect brain activity.

But if we now have the means to protect against certain diseases that affect hearing, solutions to address the most common cause of hearing loss, aging, have been more challenging. The effects of aging on hearing can be slowed or partially ameliorated without biomedical devices, but they cannot be reversed yet.

New hope for the deaf

USC DornsifesCharles McKenna, professor ofchemistry, believes he, along with scientists at Harvard Medical Schools Massachusetts Eye and Ear Institute, may havediscovereda drug to repair inner ear cells that are damaged not only from aging, but from prolonged exposure to noise. This drug has the potential to treat damaged areas without being washed away by the ears natural fluid a crucial breakthrough.

McKenna explains that neural sensors turn the vibrations we perceive as sounds into electrical impulses that the brain can register and decipher. When these sensors are damaged, hearing loss and other issues occur.

A nerve can send a signal to the brain that lets the brain say, This is a Mozart composition or This is someone speaking, McKenna says.

The theory is that if you could regenerate the neural sensors, you would restore hearing to those who have lost it. Though there are drugs that appear to have the ability to induce regeneration of these neural sensors, successfully deploying those drugs has been a tremendous challenge.

First, the cochlea, the part of the inner ear where damaged cells are located, is bony, making it difficult for drugs to adhere to it. Second, even if a compound is shown to attach to the structure, the inner ears naturally occurring fluid tends to wash it away before it can work.

Based on encouraging findings from their latest study, McKenna says he and his colleagues are optimistic their compound will adhere to the cochlea long enough to be effective. With more research, they hope to prove its efficacy.

The Power of Music

While Beethoven struggled with hearing problems, his music, perhaps paradoxically, may help improve the brain functions of others.

Assal Habibi, head of theBrain & Music Labat USC DornsifesBrain and Creativity Instituteand associate professor (research) ofpsychology, explores how music and song affect brain activity using data collected through electroencephalography and neuroimaging.

She and her colleagues have found that music can have several quantifiable benefits for the human brain, particularly in children. For example, playing music can help children hone their concentration skills.

Music training helps with what is known as speech-in-noise perception for example, when youre in a noisy environment and someone is calling your name or saying something you need to hear, Habibi says. This is a crucial ability for children in a noisy classroom who need to be able to hear the teacher and tune out background noise.

Music training has also been shown to help some children reach developmental milestones faster. If ongoing research can establish the connection, music training might be able to prevent the onset of certain behavioral and learning issues and lead to new therapies for children who struggle with them.

One hypothesis is that if music can assist children in reaching developmental milestones faster, for example if they develop language skills earlier, they will be able to better express their feelings and communicate moreeffectively, Habibi says.

The Science of Language

While music therapy can help individuals sharpen their ability to discern the signal from the noise, linguistics is the discipline that deals with how we create and process the signal speech itself.

Linguists specialize in the building blocks of language, or how sounds combine to create a word that is understood by different people, despite the fact that no two people will speak a word completely identically.

Dani Byrd, professor oflinguisticsat USC Dornsife, examines how the vocal tract creates and combines these sounds in everyday speech, and how languages evolve to structure these sounds for encoding information.

As a linguist I ask, What are the rules that languages use to build their structures, to build their words and phrases? How do they differ from language to language? And I look at how and why we can understand these sounds as we do.

Byrd says our complicated and incredibly nuanced sense of hearing mirrors a corresponding complexity in how we shape our words and sounds to convey meaning.

The sensory cells of the inner ear are the most sensitive mechanoreceptor of the body. They have movements on a nanometer scale, she says. When air pressure fluctuations move your eardrum, that creates movement and an electrochemical cascade inside the inner ear.

Our sense of hearing has the power to move us in a myriad ways. It also has the power to inspire wonder at its many as yet still unsolved mysteries: Why is it that we understand a gasp as a signal of surprise, or possibly fear? Why does the key of D minor often provoke feelings of sadness in one listener but not another? And how is it that our brain can take these vibrations of air and transform them into words, emotionsor messages?

Isnt it amazing, says Byrd, that these tiny fluctuations in air pressure can make you laugh or cry, can convey urgency, can make you fall in love?

Author: Meredith McGroartySource: USCContact: Meredith McGroarty USCImage: The image is in the public domain

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Hear, Hear! How Music and Sound Soothes and Connects Us - Neuroscience News

Neuroscience

warm nest by ark-shelter uses neuroscience to achieve comfort – Designboom

Warm nest provides a calming environment for recovery

Ark-shelter and ARCHEKTA showcase their expertise in creating calm environments with Warm Nest, a Maggie Center in Belgium. The healthcare facility is designed to provide a comfortable setting while patients receive cancer treatment and heal. Maggie Keswick Jencks conceptualized the Maggie Center after experiencing cancer diagnosis, treatment, remission and recurrence. Her insights were valuable in pioneering a new architectural approach to cancer care. In Warm Nest each room is specifically designed to reflect the level of intimacy and the emotions that occur within.

Ark-shelter and ARCHEKTA showcase their expertise in creating calm environments with Warm Nest

images by BoysPlayNice |@boysplaynice

The design practice Ark-shelter specializes in prefabricated dwelling constructions with organic materials, dark tones and heavy glazing, exuding a sense of peace. The feelings evoked in these dwellings are what AZ Zeno wished to capture in the healing center. In the design process, Ark-Shelter teamed up with ARCHEKTA, and collaborated with a neuroscientist in order to better grasp the influence of space on the human consciousness. The task was to carefully analyze the various emotional touchpoints that occur through cancer treatment and to construct brain healthy spaces.

the healthcare facility is designed to provide a comfortable setting while patients heal

The concept for Warm Nest is a welcoming, non-intrusive space that focuses on calm gatherings, time to regain strength, and the journey to recovery. A soft ramp leads to the entrance and almost every inch of the building has views to the outdoors. The light wood interiors coupled with abundant windows removes the hospital look and feel from the facility. A comfortable courtyard provides a serene slice of nature while protecting from the wind.

Maggie Centers pioneer a new architectural approach to cancer care

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warm nest by ark-shelter uses neuroscience to achieve comfort - Designboom

Neuroscience

The Social Consequences of Using AI in Conversations – Neuroscience News

Summary: When using AI-enabled chat tools, people have more effective conversations, perceive each other more positively, and use more positive language.

Source: Cornell University

Cornell University researchers have found people have more efficient conversations, use more positive language and perceive each other more positively when using an artificial intelligence-enabled chat tool.

Thestudy, published inScientific Reports, examined how the use of AI in conversations impacts the way that people express themselves and view each other.

Technology companies tend to emphasize the utility of AI tools to accomplish tasks faster and better, but they ignore the social dimension, saidMalte Jung, associate professor of information science.

We do not live and work in isolation, and the systems we use impact our interactions with others.

However, in addition to greater efficiency and positivity, the group found that when participants think their partner is using more AI-suggested responses, they perceive that partner as less cooperative, and feel less affiliation toward them.

I was surprised to find that people tend to evaluate you more negatively simply because theysuspectthat youre using AI to help you compose text, regardless of whether you actually are, saidJess Hohenstein, lead author and postdoctoral researcher. This illustrates the persistent overall suspicion that people seem to have around AI.

For their first experiment, researchers developed a smart-reply platform the group called Moshi (Japanese for hello), patterned after the now-defunct Google Allo (French for hello), the first smart-reply platform, unveiled in 2016. Smart replies are generated from LLMs (large language models) to predict plausible next responses in chat-based interactions.

Participants were asked to talk about a policy issue and assigned to one of three conditions: both participants can use smart replies; only one participant can use smart replies; or neither participant can use smart replies.

Researchers found that using smart replies increased communication efficiency, positive emotional language and positive evaluations by communication partners. On average, smart replies accounted for 14.3% of sent messages (1 in 7).

But participants who their partners suspected of responding with smart replies were evaluated more negatively than those who were thought to have typed their own responses, consistent with common assumptions about the negative implications of AI.

While AI might be able to help you write, Hohenstein said, its altering your language in ways you might not expect, especially by making you sound more positive. This suggests that by using text-generating AI, youre sacrificing some of your own personal voice.

Said Jung: What we observe in this study is the impact that AI has on social dynamics and some of the unintended consequences that could result from integrating AI in social contexts. This suggests that whoever is in control of the algorithm may have influence on peoples interactions, language and perceptions of each other.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation.

Author: Becka BowyerSource: Cornell UniversityContact: Becka Bowyer Cornell UniversityImage: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: Open access.Artificial intelligence in communication impacts language and social relationships by Malte Jung et al. Scientific Reports

Abstract

Artificial intelligence in communication impacts language and social relationships

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already widely used in daily communication, but despite concerns about AIs negative effects on society the social consequences of using it to communicate remain largely unexplored.

We investigate the social consequences of one of the most pervasive AI applications, algorithmic response suggestions (smart replies), which are used to send billions of messages each day.

Two randomized experiments provide evidence that these types of algorithmic recommender systems change how people interact with and perceive one another in both pro-social and anti-social ways.

We find that using algorithmic responses changes language and social relationships. More specifically, it increases communication speed, use of positive emotional language, and conversation partners evaluate each other as closer and more cooperative.

However, consistent with common assumptions about the adverse effects of AI, people are evaluated more negatively if they are suspected to be using algorithmic responses.

Thus, even though AI can increase the speed of communication and improve interpersonal perceptions, the prevailing anti-social connotations of AI undermine these potential benefits if used overtly.

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The Social Consequences of Using AI in Conversations - Neuroscience News

Neuroscience

Learning to Love Music – Neuroscience News

Summary: Researchers report on how using music therapy can help improve social and emotional formation in children on the autism spectrum.

Source: University of Delaware

In an inviting space full of vibrant bold colors, fiber optic curtains, and a vibrating haptic chair, sounds of Row Row Row Your Boat and other popular childrens songs fill the air, and children with autism are becoming their own composers, learning to love music.

This is the scene in the Sensory Room at theRoute 9 Library and Innovation Center, where the music is theirs to alter as they see fit. When children like what they hear, they pause to listen more closely, smile, or dance. Other children focus intently as they explore the many combinations of sound available at their fingertips.

Some young listeners take delight in adding a drumbeat or fast countermelody while others seem to prefer a calmer rendition of a familiar tune. As they listen, these children learn what they like to listen to and what they dont, providing a valuable glimpse into how they respond to musical sounds.

The children are piloting a listening device developed by University of Delaware researchersDaniel Stevens, a professor ofmusic theoryin theSchool of Musicwithin theCollege of Arts and Sciences,Matthew Mauriello, assistant professor ofcomputer and information sciencesin theCollege of Engineering, and their respective students.

The professors divergent backgrounds were a complementary match for this innovative project that aims to better the lives of children with developmental disabilities.

Together, they applied for and were awarded $50,000 from the Maggie E. Neumann Health Sciences Research Fund to advance their research. The fund specifically targets interdisciplinary research and innovation that aims to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

The device is the dream of sophomore Elise Ruggiero, a double major in music performance and psychology. Her younger brother was diagnosed with autism at age 2.

I started playing violin at age 9. As I advanced in the music field and had recitals, I noticed that sitting still and listening to music was a challenge for my brother, Ruggiero said.

When wed go out to eat, if the restaurant was playing music too loudly, it would make him extremely anxious, and there wasnt much we could do about it.

In a freshman honors music theory class, Stevens tasked his students with solving a problem in the community.

I asked students: How would you like to change the world in which you live and work with your music skills? My challenge was met with stunned silence, Stevens recalled.

But students quickly got to work, reaching out to local organizations, identifying issues, and dreaming up ways to solve problems. Ruggiero used her personal experience to team up withAutism Delaware, and her idea to create an interactive music device for children with autism was ultimately selected to move forward as the class project.

It was really satisfying knowing that something I knew was a problem I wanted to tackle for so long is achievable, Ruggiero said. Seeing other people who are passionate about it too made me realize that together we can make a difference.

Music theory students in Stevens class spent hours designing various renditions of what the team has been describing as modular music thats modifiable to suit a childs listening needs and preferences.

Listeners with autism have real needs. Those with auditory sensitivities, for example, may be unable to participate in the formative experiences that children have singing songs with their parents or classmates, in part, because the music might be too fast, or it might have too much stimulation, or it might not have enough stimulation, Stevens said.

Every child with autism is different, so we need to compose music that would address various needs.

Had a device like this existed years ago, Ruggiero said it could have helped her brother.

He was turned off by the idea of making music at a young age because he was so sensitive to sound, Ruggiero said. For other kids with autism, I want them to have the option to want to make music.

Mauriello joined the project shortly after its inception to help design, build and deploy the technology in the field. Hes passionate about applying computing to challenges related to social good using his background in human-computer interaction, a blend of computer science and engineering, design, and psychology.

I enjoy opportunities to understand and empathize with users. This allows me to build technologies that meet their specific needs, Mauriello said.

With generous support from the Maggie E. Neumann Health Sciences Research Fund, the researchers transformed an idea into a prototype.

Now, a controller housed inside a white 3D-printed box with a series of presets, or light-up buttons with pictures of instruments provides a potentially infinite amount of sound combinations and aims to enhance the listening experience for children with autism.

Every time a child presses a button, the sound or melody changes, sometimes slightly, other times dramatically; each interaction is recorded so Stevens and Mauriello can gather data about listening preferences and find new ways to display this data back to composers to help them create more suitable music.

We want to understand the way children with autism hear the world and interact with music by looking at the larger patterns that start to emerge in the data, Stevens said.

Music is such a rich artform, and yet we hear it so frequently, we take for granted melody, harmony, texture, rhythm and all these elements that work together to make every listening experience enjoyable.

When it comes to listeners with autism, every sound is up for grabs. Its been really rewarding to think about how music can serve the listener.

The needs of this particular group of listeners invite us to think creatively about how sounds can be manipulated and designed to meet their needs.

Thats an area of particular interest to Simon Brugel. The sophomore computer science major, whos on the spectrum, brings personal experience to the project. He said he is sensitive to loud noises.

I dont like squeaking or alarms, Brugel said. I can notice some subtle sounds others might not notice, and I prefer some instruments over others.

Brugel helped design and write the software for the prototype and never expected to work on a project with potential for broad impact this early in his college career.

Its satisfying to know that my creations are having an impact on the community or the advancement of research, Brugel said.

By participating in this interdisciplinary research, Mauriello wants his students to understand that computing technology can serve diverse populations.

To help broaden participation in computing, we need to demonstrate that computing can have an impact on diverse problems that are facing society, Mauriello said.

This project offers a nice opportunity for that as computer science and engineering students work with music students to build something that can have a real impact on the world.

Abby Von Ohlen, a sophomore music education major, loved playing a role in this project and watching the idea blossom.

Seeing this idea come to fruition has been such a good experience, Von Ohlen said. Ive always been able to enjoy music and not be overstimulated by it. Its interesting to see that even just changing one track or sound level can affect someone. Its fulfilling to know that others will be able to enjoy music as much as I do.

Ruggiero has observed initial trials for the device and said feedback has shown the device can be engaging and might be more attractive to children if it looked more like a toy.

A parent of one of the children suggested that he might enjoy the device more if it was shaped like a fire truck that they could wheel around while listening to music, Ruggiero said. If it was more physically appealing, it might make kids more inclined to play with it.

For older children, Ruggiero envisions an app being useful.

If a teen or adult is out in public and something bothers them, they can modify it or use their own music on their phone to calm themselves, I would love that, she said.

Through working on this project, Ruggiero got a lot more than she ever dreamed of in her first year of college. She had simply hoped to meet new friends and become well-adjusted to college life.

I was not expecting to have my idea go as far as its gone. It makes me so happy and excited, she said.

Now, shes dreaming of a career in music therapy.

This project made me interested in the research aspects of music and psychology, she said. I want to work with people on the spectrum and make music more accessible to them.

Ultimately, Mauriello and Stevens said they hope the music listening device becomes a permanent fixture in the Route 9 Librarys sensory room. They also hope to incorporate the device in music and special education classes.

The research is very clear music participation is incredibly important to a childs social and emotional formation, their motor development, and their interactions with family members, other children and their community, Stevens said.

Were inspired to make formative, engaging, participatory musical experiences accessible to every child with autism in our state and beyond over time.

For more information on the project, email[emailprotected].

Maggie E. Neumann Health Sciences Research Fund was established in 2020tosupport research designed to improve health and quality of life outcomes for children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities. While the fund resides atthe College of Health Sciences, the intent is to support interdisciplinary research across all colleges.

The research fund was created with a gift from Donald J. Puglisi and Marichu C. Valencia in honor of their granddaughter, Maggie E. Neumann. Puglisi is a member of UDs Board of Trustees and they both serve on the Presidents Leadership Council.

Author: Marina AffoSource: University of DelawareContact: Marina Affo University of DelawareImage: The image is credited to Ashley Barnas/University of Delaware

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Learning to Love Music - Neuroscience News

Neuroscience

Treating Brain Hotspots and Networks to Address Autism … – Neuroscience News

Summary: A new study identifies specific brain network hotspots linked to autism, aggression, and a range of other social behavioral problems. The findings reveal those with ASD who score lower on facial processing tests are more likely to have more severe symptoms of autism, especially social behavioral problems. The researchers report treatments such as tRMS may provide some hope for those on the autism spectrum.

Source: Childrens Hospital Boston

What if doctors could break down conditions like autism into their key symptoms, map these symptoms to hotspots in the brain, and then treat those areas directly with brain stimulation? If it bears out, such an approach could turn the care of neurologic and developmental disorders on its head, focusing on symptoms that are shared across multiple conditions.

Thats the vision of Dr. Alexander Li Cohen, a child neurologist and researcher who leads the Laboratory of Translational Neuroimaging and is part of the Autism Spectrum Center at Boston Childrens. What weve seen is that individual parts of human behavior map onto differentbrainnetworks, he says.

Dr. Cohen began by studying a common problem inautism:face blindness, or the inability to recognize faceseven faces of loved ones. Studying people withautism spectrum disorder, he had found that those who scored poorly on tests of face processinghad more severe symptoms, especially social impairments. Could understanding face blindness provide a way to understand autism?

To answer this question,he first studiedpeople who developed face blindness after a stroke. Analyzing their brain MRIs, he found that many had damage in a location known as the fusiform face area. Others had no direct damage there, but did have damage to parts of the brain that connect to that area, as shown by a technique called lesion network mapping.

It may take a whole brain network to cause a symptom, Dr. Cohen explains.

To begin to connect the dots to autism, he next studied patients withtuberous sclerosis. In thisrare genetic condition, abnormal growths called tubers form in the brain and other organs. Forty percent of affected children go on to develop autism.

I was curious to understand whether the pattern of tubers in the brain influences the chance of developing autism, Dr. Cohen says.

Indeed it did. In an analysis of 115young childrenwith tuberous sclerosis, he found that those with tubers at or near the fusiform face area were 3.7 times more likely to develop autism. The study is published in the journalAnnals of Neurology.

Dr. Cohen now wants to see whether children with autism who dont have tuberous sclerosis have abnormalities in this area or in brain networks connected to it. To that end, he and his colleagues have begunrecruiting teens age 15 to 18 for a studycomparing brain MRIs from those with and without autism. The team is assessing each participant for face processing ability, social impairment, and autism symptom severity to see how these correlate with brain imaging findings.

Could differences in face processing cause autism, or do they result from autism? Thats another question Dr. Cohen hopes to answer. He suspects that people with autism may rely too much on a particular brain network to process faces, perhaps one focused on small details rather than faces as a whole.

That is something that kids with autism can have a lot of difficulty with, he says.

If face blindness could be treated in children with autism, would it also improve their social functioning? Now that weve started looking at autism directly, well see what we can figure out.

Dr. Cohen envisions noninvasive treatments liketranscranial magnetic stimulation(TMS), in which a small electromagnet induces currents on the surface of the brain, in targeted locations. TMS has been found safe and is approved for treating depression and obsessive compulsive disorder in adults. Boston Childrens researchers are currently testing it in some children with epilepsy who cannot be effectively treated with drugs or surgery.

Ultimately, Dr. Cohen wants to identify brain hotspots and networks that drive a variety of autism symptoms and behaviors, not just face processing. At the top of his list are aggression and agitation, which can create difficult situations for children with autism and their families. Today, they are often treated with medications originally meant for psychosis, which have significant side effects and dont always work.

Dr. Cohen hopes a new study will help change this. He and his colleagues are tapping brain mapping data from a variety of groups who are at risk for developing aggressive behaviors, including people with autism, people who have had a stroke, and people with other forms of brain injury, looking for aggression hotspots. To date, they have gathered data from more than 1,200 children and adults.

You can sort people by the most versus the least aggression and ask, What in the brain is different?' Dr. Cohen explains.

We can try to find what those with aggression have in common and see if theres something we could turn into a treatment target. If we can nip some of these symptoms in the bud early on, we might be able to help the brain move onto a different path.

Author: Nancy FlieslerSource: Childrens Hospital BostonContact: Nancy Fliesler Childrens Hospital BostonImage: The image is credited to Annals of Neurology/ The Researchers

Original Research: Open access.Tubers Affecting the Fusiform Face Area Are Associated with Autism Diagnosis by Alexander Li Cohen et al. Annals of Neurology

Abstract

Tubers Affecting the Fusiform Face Area Are Associated with Autism Diagnosis

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is associated with focal brain tubers and a high incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The location of brain tubers associated with autism may provide insight into the neuroanatomical substrate of ASD symptoms.

We delineated tuber locations for 115 TSC participants with ASD (n=31) and without ASD (n=84) from the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Autism Center of Excellence Research Network. We tested for associations between ASD diagnosis and tuber burden within the whole brain, specific lobes, and at 8 regions of interest derived from the ASD neuroimaging literature, including the anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal and posterior parietal cortices, inferior frontal and fusiform gyri, superior temporal sulcus, amygdala, and supplemental motor area. Next, we performed an unbiased data-driven voxelwise lesion symptom mapping (VLSM) analysis. Finally, we calculated the risk of ASD associated with positive findings from the above analyses.

There were no significant ASD-related differences in tuber burden across the whole brain, within specific lobes, or within a priori regions derived from the ASD literature. However, using VLSM analysis, we found that tubers involving the right fusiform face area (FFA) were associated with a 3.7-fold increased risk of developing ASD.

Although TSC is a rare cause of ASD, there is a strong association between tuber involvement of the right FFA and ASD diagnosis. This highlights a potentially causative mechanism for developing autism in TSC that may guide research into ASD symptoms more generally. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:577590

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Biochemistry

Shobade selected for inaugural innovation in agriculture award – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Samuel Shobade, graduate student in biochemistry, has been researching the expression and detection of chitinases in the rhizosphere of plants the area of soil surrounding plant roots. The goal of his work is to reduce the amount of damage done to crops due to microorganism attacks.

By Amber Friedrichsen

Samuel Shobade, graduate student in biochemistry, is the recipient of the inaugural 2023 Dhamu and Kanchana Thamodaran Innovation in Agriculture Student Award.

This award was established to support undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who have innovative scientific, technological or business ideas for solving grand challenges in agriculture. The $3,000 scholarship is intended to be used to advance research methods, develop technology, and fund tuition and travel. Funding for the award comes from CALS alumnus Dhamu Thamodaran, who earned his doctoral degree in economics in 1983, as well as his wife, Kanchana.

Shobade is pursuing a doctorate in biochemistry. He earned a bachelors in biochemistry from Lagos State University in Nigeria, and a masters in biochemistry from the University of Lagos College of Medicine.

His research at Iowa State involves the expression and detection of chitinases in the rhizosphere the area of soil surrounding plant roots. Chitinase is an enzyme that breaks down the chitin in the cell walls of fungi and arthropods. Plant roots can detect the presence of these pathogens in the soil and produce protective molecules, like chitinases, to defend themselves.

If the plant is producing more chitinases than usual, we know something is wrong in the soil environment, Shobade said. My goal is to reduce the damage done to crops each year from microorganism attacks.

Shobade spent several months characterizing plant chitinases with his principal investigator, Marit Nilsen-Hamilton, professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology. He then used a method called Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) to identify aptamers short sequences of nucleic acids that would bind to the chitinases. After binding, these chitinases can then be detected in soil samples using a biosensor that is functionalized with the selected aptamer.

For example, people who have diabetes use glucose strips to test their blood and determine if their blood glucose level is higher than normal, Shobade said. When we test a sample of soil close to the roots with a biosensor, we can determine if the production of chitinases is higher than normal.

Shobades work is a part of a larger project in the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology called the 4-D Analysis of Molecules by Aptamers in Soil, or 4-D MAPS. It is the first time root chitinases have been characterized and the first time aptamers that bind to them have been classified, and Shobade wanted to pursue this reserach because fungal pathogens can significantly affect food production and the economy, causing up to 10-20% of crop losses worldwide. After studying the structure and function of chitinases, he believes there are opportunities to use protein engineering to create biological fungicides that contain chitinases to reduce crop loss from disease.

Carmen Bain, associate dean for academic innovation, said the selection committee for the award agreed Shobades research was innovative and cutting-edge in its approach to enhance crop growth, crop yields and food quality.

His work exemplifies our colleges belief that identifying and developing solutions to complex problems in agriculture requires interdisciplinary thinking and practice, Bain said.

Shobade will use his award earnings to continue testing how well different aptamers bind to chitinases, and build a biosensor specifically designed to detect these aptamers, which he is currently designing with a team of engineers. He will also use the funds to attend professional conferences like the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Symposium at Iowa State to share his research with others.

In addition to the awards financial support, Shobade appreciates being recognized for his accomplishments. I feel a sense of encouragement that I am making a substantial contribution to something that people are going to benefit from, he said.

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Shobade selected for inaugural innovation in agriculture award - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Biochemistry

Three juniors selected as Goldwater Scholars – The Source … – Washington University in St. Louis

Three juniors at Washington University in St. Louis John Georgiades, Shelei Pan and Kaung Ken Soe have received the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a prestigious award that honors students who conduct research in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

John Georgiades, a chemistry major with a concentration in biochemistry in Arts & Sciences, plans to use organic synthesis, biochemistry and structure-based drug design to develop new drug candidates. Georgiades is a research assistant in the lab of Timothy Wencewicz, associate professor of chemistry. In addition, Georgiades is co-director of the Washington University STEM Education Association, vice president of the Washington University Cancer Research Club, an organic chemistry learning assistant and a violinist with the Washington University Symphony Orchestra.

Shelei Pan, who is majoring in biology,on the neuroscience track,and Spanishin Arts & Sciences, plans to research cerebrospinal fluid handling in the developing brain to better understand and develop treatments for pediatric hydrocephalus. Pan is a research assistant in the lab of Jennifer Strahle, MD, an associate professorof neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery and pediatricsat the School of Medicine. Pan publishedresearchthatcharacterized cerebrospinal fluid circulation to specific functional areas of the neonatal brain and spinal cord.Pan alsolaunchedMade to Model, whichdesignsclothes for children with disabilities.

Kaung Ken Soe, a chemistry major, with a concentration in biochemistry, in Arts & Sciences, plans to research the mechanics of protein condensation and to identify better therapeutic targets to prevent neurodegeneration. Soe is a researcher in the lab of Meredith Jackrel, an assistant professor of chemistry. Soe has published and presented his research at multiple national and regional conferences. In addition, Soe is also a MARC uSTARfellow, a general chemistry peer tutor and avolunteer at theSitemanCancer Center.

In all, 413 students were selected from a field of some 5,000 candidates. The award was established by Congress in 1986 to honor the legacy of U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater.

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Three juniors selected as Goldwater Scholars - The Source ... - Washington University in St. Louis

Biochemistry

Gregory Bowman: Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor … – University of Pennsylvania

Gregory Bowman: Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor

Gregory R. Bowman, a pioneer of biophysics and data science, has been named a Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Bowman holds the Louis Heyman University Professorship, with joint appointments in the department of biochemistry and biophysics in the Perelman School of Medicine and the department of bioengineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

His research aims to combat global health threats like COVID-19 and Alzheimers disease by better understanding how proteins function and malfunction, especially through new computational and experimental methods that map protein structures. This understanding of protein dynamics can lead to effective new treatments for even the most seemingly resistant diseases.

Delivering the right treatment to the right person at the right time is vital to sustainingand savinglives, Penn President Liz Magill said. Greg Bowmans novel work holds enormous promise and potential to advance new forms of personalized medicine, an area of considerable strength for Penn. A gifted researcher and consummate collaborator, we are delighted to count him among our distinguished PIK University Professors.

Dr. Bowman comes to Penn from the Washington University School of Medicines department of biochemistry and molecular biophysics, where he has served on the faculty since 2014. He previously completed a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Bowmans research uses high-performance supercomputers for simulations that can better explain how mutations and disease change a proteins functions. These simulations are enabled in part through the innovative Folding@home project, which Dr. Bowman directs. Folding@home empowers anyone with a computer to run simulations alongside a consortium of universities, with more than 200,000 participants worldwide.

Greg Bowmans highly innovative work exemplifies the power of our interdisciplinary mission at Penn, Interim Provost Beth A. Winkelstein said. He brings together supercomputers, biophysics, and biochemistry to make a vital impact on public health. This brilliant fusion of methodsin the service of improving peoples lives around the worldwill be a tremendous model for the research of our faculty, students, and postdocs in the years ahead.

The Penn Integrates Knowledge program is a University-wide initiative to recruit exceptional faculty members whose research and teaching exemplify the integration of knowledge across disciplines. Penn Integrates Knowledge professors are appointed in at least two schools at Penn.

The Louis Heyman University Professorship is a gift of Stephen J. Heyman, a 1959 graduate of the Wharton School, and his wife, Barbara Heyman, in honor of Stephen Heymans uncle. Stephen Heyman is a University Emeritus Trustee and member of the School of Nursing Board of Advisors. He is a managing partner at Nadel and Gussman LLC in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Gregory Bowman: Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor ... - University of Pennsylvania

Biochemistry

CI MED Students Win Top Honors At Startup Showcase at … – Carle Illinois College of Medicine

A team from Carle Illinois College of Medicines (CI MED) biomedical pre-incubation program AxisMED earned top honors at The Grainger College of Engineerings Startup Showcase at Engineering Open House.

The Startup Showcase, sponsored by iVenture Accelerator, celebrates student entrepreneurs. The event includes a pitch competition, where the more than 20 teams pitched ideas theyve been working on in a rapid-fire session.

First place went to Neuronetix, an AxisMED team working on a device to quantify a concussion diagnosis. The team includes CI MED first-year students Neddie Byron and Alexa Lauinger and undergraduate student Adrianna Ramos, a junior in biochemistry.

The problem right now is that most of concussion diagnosis involves self-reporting symptoms so right in that moment how are you feeling and this is a particular problem for athletes because they want to get back into the game, said Byron. They dont want to have to sit out for a certain amount of time, so they tend to downplay their symptoms.

A common protocol for concussion treatment and diagnosis is a system called the ImPACT test, a baseline cognitive exam. Athletes take a baseline test at the beginning of a season and if they suffer a head injury, they take the test again to see whether there is cognitive impairment.

The number of people weve talked to that have said that yeah I know people that purposely did poorly on the baseline, so that if they had a head injury, theyd look fine, is astounding. We are looking to overcome that issue with this quantifiable test,Byron said.

Neuronetixs solution is to create a metric using a blood test to determine fast and accurately whether a concussion has occurred. We are going to be using a tool similar to a blood glucose monitor for diabetics in which you will take a simple finger prick, put it in the meter and it will read your blood for protein levels and determine whether you have a concussion or not, said Ramos. The opportunities of this solution are huge because this can go from the recreational level all the way up to pro sports levels.

Byron stressed that the risks of a concussion going undiagnosed and then an athlete to sustain a second hit are life-threatening. You have worse symptoms, longer recovery, it truly is a huge impact on your life and your recovery, Byron added. We want to remove the opportunity for that to happen.

Along with the first-place trophy, the team also received a $750 cash prize, which will go to funding rent for a lab space and starting their much-anticipated prototyping.

The positive feedback we received from the judges, our peers, and the community also gave us encouragement to continue moving forward with the project, said Byron.

AxisMEDs VOCA Health, also participated in the competition with its objective measurement platform designed to help users track and manage voice health over time regularly or upon onset of newly diagnosed voice disorder. The team is led by second-year med students Shreya Rangarajan and Michael Chen, former engineering team leader Bhargav Chandaka, and UIUC undergraduate engineering student Deepak Nair.

VOCA is set to advance vocal assessment techniques, based on an objective measure of voice quality that can be captured from virtually anywhere, without requiring an invasive procedure. Current assessment for patients with suspected voice disorders is based on subjective evaluations that often require several steps. It starts with a self-assessment but then can advance to medical assessment including a laryngoscopy. This invasive procedure can be painful and must be done in a doctors office.

Essentially the main problem that we identified was that a lot of the vocal metrics are actually very subjective, said Rangarajan. Usually, you would go to your health care professional, usually an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) physician or a speech and language pathologist; theyll give you a sheet of paper saying okay, how would you identify your voice today, so very subjective. Were looking at shifting the gears a little bit and looking at objective data as opposed to subjective. Were hoping to standardize how vocal health is treated over time.

Along with shifting gears from subjective to objective measurement,Rangarajan hopes VOCA will have impacts in reducing the barrier between the patient and the clinician, especially those in rural health areas.

This could also benefit many, many people, so not only singers, but teachers, newscasters, pretty much anyone who uses their voice for a living. If youre using your voice over time a lot, this can be a way to track [your voice health].

To read more about VOCA Health, click HERE.

AxisMED is a biomedical pre-incubation program intended to fill the gaps between a universitys academic resources and entrepreneurial accelerator programs by connecting students through interdisciplinary teams and the tools necessary to navigate early-stage medical ventures. AxisMEDs program strengthens the University of Illinois existing entrepreneurship ecosystem by establishing a new, accessible entry point for students to gain experience in medical entrepreneurship and innovation before pursuing further acceleration.

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CI MED Students Win Top Honors At Startup Showcase at ... - Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Biochemistry

Senior Awarded Fulbright to Germany Susquehanna University – Susquehanna University

April 07, 2023

Grace Tepes 23, a biochemistry and German studies double major, has been awarded the prestigious Fulbright U.S. English Teaching Assistant award from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Tepes, of Northampton, Pennsylvania, will spend 10 months in Germany teaching English to students there.

I have enjoyed learning German since eighth grade, and it has led to so many wonderful experiences and opportunities, Tepes said. I wanted to apply to be an English teaching assistant in Germany to try to give German students the same passion for learning a foreign language.

Tepes upcoming Fulbright experience in Germany will be her third time studying in the country. She traveled to Germany as a high school student and returned to spend a semester in Freiburg, a city in the countrys Black Forest, through Susquehannas Global Opportunities study-abroad program.

During my semester abroad, I took courses in German history, literature, film and grammar, as well as in environmental policies and green business, Tepes said. Studying in Freiburg was a wonderful experience. The beauty of the landscape appeals to me and I enjoy being able to use my knowledge of the German language. I also have ancestral roots in Germany and Austria.

After completing her Fulbright experience, Tepes plans to pursue a career in laboratory work to capitalize on her biochemistry major.

There are many German chemical and medical companies that have locations in the United States. I hope that with the Fulbright, I will learn more about the work culture in Germany, which would be beneficial if I would work at a company with ties to Germany, Tepes said. I also may decide to work in a lab in Germany eventually.

The English Teaching Assistant Programs place Fulbright recipients in classrooms abroad to assist local English teachers. ETAs help teach English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for the United States. The age and academic level of the students vary by country, ranging from kindergarten to university level. Applicants for ETA Programs can apply to only one country.

Susquehanna has a program dedicated to assisting students in applying for prestigious scholarship programs like the Fulbright. That program is led by Karol Weaver, professor of history. Tepes was also assisted by Martina Kolb, associate professor of German studies and Winifred and Gustave Weber Professor in the Humanities; Michael Parra, assistant professor of chemistry; and Bob Jordan, head tennis coach.

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Senior Awarded Fulbright to Germany Susquehanna University - Susquehanna University