CalStuff News Round-up: Science Edition
There will be more information soon on other Berkeley related news stories, as well as some CalStuff commentary, but for now I just wanted to provide some links to some science stories that have been getting some attention. If any of these articles interest you, be sure to click through the link to read the whole article.
1. Adult Stem Cells Triggered to Multiply More Quickly

Now, a UC Berkeley bioengineer has devised a way to enhance the utility of adult stem cells that could steal some of the spotlight away from embryonic stem cells and eventually lead to treatments or cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

David Schaffer and a team of scientists from the University of California at Berkeley and the Salk Institute in San Diego discovered that a certain protein can trigger adult stem cells in the brain to multiply at three times the normal rate.

2. 'Blind' Cells See the Light; Maybe Someday Humans Will, Too

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have given "blind" nerve cells the ability to detect light, paving the way for an innovative therapy that could restore sight to those who have lost it through disease.

[The scientists] inserted a light-activated switch into brain cells normally insensitive to light, enabling the researchers to turn the cells on with green light and turn them off with ultraviolet light.

3. UC’s Toxics Decision Impacts Campus Bay Site

As negotiations continue between two state agencies over the cleanup and supervision of Richmond’s heavily polluted Campus Bay, new questions have arisen about an adjoining UC Berkeley-owned site.

The Daily Planet has learned UC Berkeley officials rejected a 1995 proposal from the state’s strictest toxics regulator to join in a voluntary cleanup of the Richmond Field Station, then turned for a deal to the weaker regulator—the same one now in the process of surrendering its lead role at Campus Bay.

4. Energy Secretary Gets Mixed Reviews at Los Alamos

Los Alamos employees like the University of California's benefits, its academic reputation and the chance to send their children to UC at in-state prices. Many were strongly against Spencer Abraham's decision to put the contract up for bid, but they acknowledge that changes were necessary.

This article is a good summary of where things stand with the UC-run lab situation for those who have been following that story.
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