Research Notes
New ‘Nuclear Battery’ Runs 10 Years
Batteries with lifespans measured in decades are under development at the
University, thanks to Rochester work on a new method to design the so-called
“nuclear batteries.” Based on a technology that has been in development
for half a century, the Rochester research indicates that the efficiency of
the batteries can be boosted by as much as 200 percent by increasing the surface
area where the current is generated. The details of the technology, licensed
to BetaBatt Inc., were published in Advanced Materials in an article
co-authored by Philippe Fauchet, professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Study: Common Chemical May Affect Male Development
A mother’s prenatal exposure to a class of chemicals commonly used in
household products, plastics, and cosmetics may affect the reproductive development
of boys, according to a small, preliminary study led by Rochester scientists.
In a study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives,
a team led by Shanna Swan, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, reported
that measures for normal genital development analyzed in 85 infant boys corresponded
to the level of their mothers’ exposure to chemicals known as phthalates.
The research is the first to support the hypothesis that exposure to phthalates
in the womb may be involved in suppressing male sexual development in humans.
Researchers Find New Clues to Target Pathogens
Scientists have taken a major step toward the goal of altering viruses, bacteria,
and tumor cells so that they demand attention from immune cells designed to
destroy them. According to a study published in the journal Immunity,
research led by Andrea Sant, a professor in the David H. Smith Center for Vaccine
Biology and Immunology, indicates that the chemical mechanisms that determine
which parts of disease-causing molecules will trigger an immune response—and
which parts will seemingly go unnoticed by the body’s defense system—can
be fine-tuned. The work may provide new clues to making the body’s disease-fighting
responses more effective.
Why Do Good Cells Go Bad in Multiple Sclerosis?
A chemical messenger allowing some white blood cells to act like renegades
in the central nervous system helps explain one of the fundamental mysteries
of multiple sclerosis, according to University researchers. In the study led
by neurologist Benjamin Segal and published in the Journal of Immunology,
the team found that the chemical messenger interleukin-12 allows some cells
in the immune system to evade regulation and run amok, causing damage to the
myelin coating that protects nerve cells.
Workplace Obesity Under Scrutiny
Finding ways to help prevent obesity by influencing the habits of people at
their workplaces is the goal of a new national study being led in part by the
Medical Center. Rochester was one of only seven institutions nationwide selected
by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a division of the National
Institutes of Health, to take part in the study, the first of its kind in upstate
New York. Any strategies or tools developed could be used as a model for future
programs. Eastman Kodak Company has agreed to serve as the site for the four-year
project.
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