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UC Davis News: General Interest

Nanotechnology in Reverse Uses Cell to Calibrate Tools
Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Nanotechnology researchers at UC Davis have shown that they can use a red blood cell to calibrate a sensitive instrument, an atomic force microscope. "It turns around the rules of nanotechnology, by using biology to calibrate an instrument," said Volkmar Heinrich, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UC Davis and co-author of the paper with graduate student Chawin Ounkomol. An atomic force microscope uses a tiny lever that runs over the surface of an object. Small deflections of the tip are read and translated to produce an image of the object's surface. However, accurate calibration of the springiness of the tip is difficult. Heinrich and Ounkomol used individual red blood cells sucked onto the end of a pipette to push the lever. The lab has previously developed a model that calculates the exact forces needed to squeeze a red blood cell by a certain amount. They could therefore use the red blood cell to very accurately calibrate the springiness of the atomic force microscope cantilever. Heinrich does not see the technique as a new way to calibrate these instruments, but it does show that the red blood cell can be used as an accurate force transducer, he said, and could be used as a tool to measure forces between individual molecules and cells or between molecules. Those measurements can advance our understanding of cell biology, for example how cancers spread or how immune cells enter tissues to fight infection. The paper is published in the April 14 issue of the journal Applied Physics Letters and also was selected for the April 28 issue of the Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science and Technology, which links to original papers in other journals.
Monkey Studies Important for Brain Science
Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Studies with non-human primates have made major contributions to our understanding of the brain and will continue to be an important, if small, part of neuroscience research, according to a recent review published in the British medical journal, The Lancet. Authors John P. Capitanio, professor of psychology at UC Davis and associate director of the California National Primate Research Center, and Professor Marina E. Emborg at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center describe the importance of non-human primates in studies of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, neurological complications of AIDS and stress. "The key contribution of these studies is based on the similarities between the brains of humans and those of non-human primates," said Capitanio, who studies animal behavior. Human and monkey brains show similar organization and structure, and the animals show complex behavior that can be compared to human behavior. However, he said, several complicating factors will always limit the number of animals used, including the financial expense, ethical issues and the relative difficulty of breeding compared to other model animals such as rodents. All animal models have their strengths and limitations, Capitanio said. But just as a model building helps engineers and architects understand how a structure will work, animal models can help researchers understand body systems. For example, the drug MPTP -- first synthesized in an illegal drug laboratory -- causes symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease in both humans and monkeys, but not in rats or mice, which lack a crucial enzyme. Researchers are now studying monkeys treated with MPTP to better understand new treatments for Parkinson's disease -- the second most common neurodegenerative disease in people over 65. "A model is not the real thing, but it can help you understand the real thing," Capitanio said. The California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) is part of a network of eight national primate research centers sponsored by the National Center for Research Resources, a division of the National Institutes of Health.
Earthquake Engineering Conference
Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Experts on earthquake engineering and simulation will meet at the Sacramento Convention Center May 18-22 for the fourth decennial Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics conference, organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Conference topics will address how soils and the structures built on them behave during earthquakes, and how dams, levees, bridges, tunnels and other structures can be engineered to withstand earthquake damage. Sessions will range from basic research to specific case histories and new technologies for preventing earthquake damage. Plenary speakers include Professor Thomas O'Rourke, Cornell University, on "Earthquake Engineering for Complex Geotechnical and Lifeline Systems"; Professor Raymond Seed, UC Berkeley, on "Seismic Evaluation of Levees"; and Bruce Kutter, professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Davis, who will discuss modeling studies of the Bay Area's BART tube tunnel. There will also be demonstrations of equipment for earthquake engineering research, including ground-shaking trucks and UC Davis' large geotechnical centrifuge. The equipment show will be held on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 20, at the UC Davis Center for Geotechnical Modeling, part of the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) funded by the National Science Foundation. The meeting is organized by the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Ross Boulanger, professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Davis, is chair of the conference organizing committee. Conference registration is available online at http://www.geesd.org. News reporters interested in attending the meeting should contact Joan Buhrman at ASCE for details on press registration.

 

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