REPU MAGAZINE N 3
2017 REPU Research Projects
2017
Oscar Sevillano - Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Biochemie I - Rezeptorbiochemie, Germany
In a chemical synapse, one neuron will release neurotransmitters, which
will bind to receptors in another neuron, thus communicating. Glutamate
is one important neurotransmitter, involved in muscle movement, thought
process, and memory. AMPARs are the type of glutamate receptor that
mediate fast synaptic transmission, and are helped by a family of proteins
known as TARPs. For their similarities in sequence and structure to
TARPs, the claudin protein family may have AMPAR modulatory activity.
Proteins that regulate the activity of glutamate receptors are very
important, since glutamate deregulation is associated with several
neurological diseases and disabilities. Oscar Gabriel participated in a
research project which aimed at the characterization of AMPAR
heteromers activity when co-expressed with claudins. Here, he cloned
and fused AMPAR subunits with different claudins expressed in mice
brain, and used the Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system to measure
their activity.
REPU - Chemistry
Gustavo Cano - Yale University
Plata Laboratory, USA
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a novel nanomaterial that, are entirely
made of carbon atoms. These atoms bond in such a special way that they
form a cylindrical nanostructure which confers CNTs outstanding
properties which include high tensile strength, low density, high thermal
conductivity and stability, and large current capacity. However, in spite of
nearly 25 years of focused investigation, none of the most promising CNT-
enabled applications have been realized. This is due to a limited ability to
manufacture CNTs at scale, economically, and with great precision, which
is a consequence of a lack of knowledge in the formation mechanisms. In
fact, their fabrication is a very inefficient industrial process as only 1
carbon atom in 100 - or sometimes 1 in 1,000,000 - forms useful product.
As a result, the environmental impacts of the material fabrication can
outweigh the lifetime benefits of the intended noble applications.
The Plata lab is currently assessing these limitations through an improved
mechanistic understanding of CNT formation. This past summer, Gustavo's work focused on studying the
synthesis of carbon nanotubes by using alkynes as gas precursors, which are thought to be growth enhancers
and can possibly incorporate directly to the nanostructure. He also worked in the improvement of the synthetic
efficiency of CNT by designing a recycling system to reuse a fraction of the gaseous effluent.
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