Year: 2009

Sunlight to electricity

Cyanobacteria transform solar energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. Once modified by plasmid transformation, they will be able to use this chemical energy to establish electric potentials across their membranes. This project aims to design a plate, based off the extracellular organization of Electrophorus electricus, that will be able to harness this stored energy.

Engineering Health-Conscious E coli: Probiotics That Reduce Saturated Fats

Intake of saturated fats has been linked to heart diseases such as atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Engineering probiotic bacteria that can turn saturated fats into unsaturated fatty acids, generally deemed healthful, could help reduce saturated fat intake and lessen the chance of developing a saturated fat linked disease.

Examining levels of estriol and seroprevalence of Hepatitis E virus during pregnancy in India

In Northern India, nearly 60% of viral hepatitis in pregnant women is attributed to hepatitis E infection (HEV). Given the growing rates of HEV in South Asia and the hypothesis that levels of hormones may affect disease severity in pregnant women with HEV, this study proposes a cross-sectional approach to examine estriol levels and seroprevalence of anti-HEV (IgG and IgM) in village dwellers in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Long-term impacts of early childhood de-worming

Parasitic worms infect over 1 billion people in the developing world today, yet the treatments are inexpensive. For people infected with worms, taking these medications can improve school attendance and performance, but little is known about the long-term gain from de-worming treatment early in life. In my study this summer, I aim to collect data to answer exactly that question, in the context of de-worming interventions that took place in East Africa from 1998-2001.

Development of a simple prognostic test for rheumatic heart disease

We aim to develop a simple prognostic tool for rheumatic heart disease. In the first phase of the project we aim to identify a set of
peptides that induce a pro-inflammatory cytokine response from T cells isolated from rheumatic heart disease patients in Salvador, Brazil. The development of a prognostic tool which is inexpensive, simple and portable will help neglected populations get the appropriate treatment and care necessary to prevent severe outcomes from this preventable and neglected disease.

Cal Science Corps

The Cal Science Corps (CSC) will place teams of scientists and engineers from UC Berkeley research programs at universities and research institutes in developing countries to share expertise and collaborate with local partners. Modeled after the Global Science Corps proposed in 2001 by Dr. Harold Varmus,1 the six- to nine-month CSC program will offer UC Berkeley students and researchers a unique opportunity to participate in scientific research in a middle-income country while helping develop the scientific capacity of the developing world. By assuming temporary roles in science education and research, CSC Fellows will
offer a valuable service to fledgling science programs in poorer nations, gain an exceptional experience in applying their scientific understanding in the developing world context, and provide a service to UC Berkeley and the United States by developing goodwill between two distant countries.

The Economics and Business Perspectives of Philanthropy

This is an interdisciplinary undergraduate course that aims to give students a better understanding of philanthropy. There are insufficient resources available to fund all charitable causes, so funds should be prioritized to the projects that yield the highest returns in social benefit on dollars invested. Students will be challenged to prioritize causes with this framework, and will explore needs, roles, and strategies from the perspective of both donors and charitable organizations. By the end of the course, students should be better prepared to make educated decisions as future nonprofit leaders, policy makers, and philanthropists.