In our June 2024 issue, we shared some of the most interesting recent findings from Michigan researchers. Here, check out some of those findings, and get some fun facts that pertain to our state.
Study Breaks
Intriguing findings from researchers across Michigan.
A Treat(ment) for the Eyes
Infection with Zika virus during pregnancy is well known to cause
fetal neurological disorders β but also ocular abnormalities such as retinal lesions, hemorrhagic retinopathy, and optic neuritis. Despite this, no vaccines or antiviral treatments are currently available. However, of the eye-related effects of the virus.
The team analyzed Zika virus-infected retinal pigment epithelial cells and discovered there were significant changes in the cholesterol pathway. They studied two important regulators of cholesterol metabolism, which revealed that increased activity of one, called ABCG1, and inhibition of the other, SREBP-2, reduced viral replication.
When tested in mice, treatments based on these findings mitigated ocular complications. The mechanisms discovered could potentially be applied to other viruses, including West Nile virus.
New Cleaner-Energy Way to Make Oil Byproducts
As our society transitions from petroleum to cleaner energy, weβll need to find new ways to manufacture the useful byproducts of gasoline production. One of those byproducts is propylene, a highly versatile chemical used in plastics, household cleaners, adhesives, and many other materials.
through natural gas instead. Natural gas extracted from shale is replete with propane, which can be converted to propylene, but current conversion methods are inefficient and expensive.
U-Mβs new reactor system improves this process by dividing propane into propylene and hydrogen gas. Just the hydrogen gas escapes to an outer chamber of the reactor, where it is burned away safely and easily. The researchers estimate that a plant producing 500,000 metric tons of propylene from natural gas could save up to $23.5 million with this method.
Crop Diseases Infect Wild Plants
Nonnative crop viruses can β and do β make native plants sick, contrary to previous belief, according to .
Ecologists had assumed that wild plants were immune to the invasive viruses that harm crops, but when the studyβs authors examined the genetics of viruses in wild squash species in southern California, they found up to 88% infection rates of certain crop viruses, which impacted the plantsβ growth and root health. The findings make clear that conservation efforts must include protecting native plants.
βThese wild plants are crucial components of desert ecosystems, providing food and habitat for other species,β says MSUβs Carolyn Malmstrom, co-leader of the study. βTheir decline from crop virus infections could have cascading effects on entire ecological communities.β
Detroit Digits
Fun Michigan stats and facts for June 2024.
1
Detroitβs ranking on . According to the the financial technology companyβs report, 58.5% of Detroiters over the age of 15 have never been married. We are also No. 7 on the list of the top 10 cities with the most single women compared to men. Birmingham, Alabama, takes the top spot on this list.
9.2
, making Cedar Point Americaβs top water park. The scores are based on customer ratings, rides, facilities, ticket prices, and national search volume. Just so youβre aware, the worst water park in the nation is Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix, scoring a 1.7.
65,000
About how many people attended Motor City Pride, Michiganβs largest Pride celebration. The festivalβs roots trace back to 1972, when just a few hundred participants marched in downtown Detroit to protest homophobic laws.
This story originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of ΒιΆΉ·¬ΊΕ Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of ΒιΆΉ·¬ΊΕ Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on June 6.
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