Biology Lab on a Microchip
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UM biomedical engineering researchers have developed a technology that may one day eliminate much of the anxiety, uncertainty, and expense involved in current medical diagnostic and genetic testing procedures. With just a small blood sample, your doctor may be able to scan your DNA using the UM device to get immediate answers to questions as serious as "will my baby be born healthy?" or as simple as "will an antibiotic help my sore throat?" Currently, DNA analysis is a time-consuming process that requires a complete molecular biology laboratory and at least 10 individual procedures performed by highly skilled technicians, says David Burke, assistant professor of human genetics. "Our goal is to automate the process by, in essence, shrinking the lab to fit on one silicon microchip."

In the May 28, 1996 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Burke and his colleagues report initial test results on five microfabricated components and their preliminary integration into a DNA-analyzing chip just three centimeters (about one inch) long and one-half-centimeter wide. The device relies on a thermocapillary pump to mix drops of pure DNA with an enzyme solution and drive the DNA through five different components on the microchip, explains Mark Burns, associate professor of chemical engineering.

Because the device is fabricated with conventional techniques, it should be inexpensive and easy to produce in large quantities, says Carlos Mastrangelo, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science. Significant technical problems related to handling such small amounts of liquid, and interactions between liquids and materials in the chip remain to be solved, he cautions.

Cutting the cost, time, and technical skill required for DNA analysis could open up the technology to wider applications in population-based genetic studies, self-testing kits, forensics testing, water analysis, agriculture, and biology, Burke adds.

The DNA-analyzing microchip research program is supported by the National Institutes of Health. Initial funding was provided by the UM's Office of the Vice President for Research, College of Engineering, Medical School, and Genome Center.

Science, Technology, and Architecture in 17th Century England
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During the 17th century in England, revolutionary new scientific methods developed for the investigation of natural phenomena were also used to scrutinize almost most every aspect of contemporary culture, including architecture. These new methods were based on Francis Bacon's utilitarianism, which called for advancements in science that would benefit human life, and his empirical method, which called for observation and data collection as the basis for induction.

Exactly how architecture was influenced by what was known as the "New Science" is the focus of research by UM architecture professor Lydia Soo. Using rare books and archives, Soo is looking at the impact of the scientific method on architectural technology. Soo has found that experiments were performed to assess the strength of various kinds of wood, the making of brick, the properties of stone masonry, and new forms of timber framing.

Soo is also looking at the role of technology in the conception and creation of designs in the classical style as well as building construction. This classical architecture had been used in ancient Rome, and more recently in France and Italy, but had never before been attempted in England. By designing monuments in the classical style, England could align with the progressive and powerful nations that had revived the style, she points out.

Soo says that because these buildings were often of a size and complexity that had not been attempted for centuries, technology was a critical issue. For example, architects began to design buildings with large domed spaces, the most prominent being Christopher Wren's St. Paul's Cathedral.

Soo's one-year project is funded by a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Knowledge, Motivation, and Beliefs in Inquiry-Based Science Classrooms

To improve science education in primary grades, many science educators have turned to hands-on, inquiry-based classrooms. The aim is to use higher-level thinking skills, create a supportive risk-free environment, and show students that science is a creative, constructed endeavor, rather than an objective reality waiting to be discovered. There is an assumption that "doing" science will lead to positive attitudes and increased interest and motivation for continued science learning.

Despite the increased popularity of inquiry-based science programs, few studies have documented the impact of these efforts. Gail Baxter, assistant professor of education and Paul Pintrich, associate professor of education, are leading one of the first studies to look at the effects inquiry-based classrooms have on motivation of students, their beliefs about science, and their understanding of science.

Baxter and Pintrich are comparing inquiry-based classrooms with more traditional classrooms, as well as different implementations of inquiry-based classrooms with each other, including differences among inquiry-based classrooms within a district and across grade levels and science units. Their aim is to develop an understanding of how the nature of student/teacher interactions affect student knowledge, beliefs about science, and motivation for and interest in science and science-related activities.

Baxter and Pintrich intend to provide detailed descriptions of classroom contexts in which the goals of "science literacy" are met to a greater or lesser degree. Their study is funded by a $398,076 grant from the National Science Foundation.

UM Medical Center Conducts the State's First Living Donor Liver Transplant
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Twenty-two-month-old Brayden Bennet of Taylor, Michigan became the recipient of the state's first living-donor liver transplant on October 1, 1996 at the University of Michigan. His liver was replaced with a small portion of liver donated by his mother's fiance. The donor, James Stone, 23, provided about 20 percent of his liver, a piece of tissue roughly the size of a large apple. "Without a transplant, the boy likely would have died within six months to a year, says Jeffrey Punch, assistant professor of surgery, who performed the operation with Jonathan Bromberg, associate professor of surgery and microbiology and immunology.

The surgeons expect the child's replacement organ to grow along with him as he gets older. The missing portion of donor's liver will grow back within months, Punch says.

About 200 such operations are performed annually in the world, half of which occur in Japan where transplants from cadavers are a cultural taboo.