Keep Calm and Curry On.

Sophomore year, whenever the school cafeteria would serve chicken curry, I would run towards the lunch lines (the only running I ever did) while screaming like a toddler. My Indian friends would grin at each other as I engulfed my fourth helping of "buttered chicken."

“Patrick” they would say, “stop eating that trash”. Later I would learn that the school’s buttered chicken was an inferior imitation of authentic Indian buttered chicken, which is orange to yellow in color, compared to the sickly pale color of my school’s buttered chicken. Buttered chicken takes its color from turmeric, a spice native to Indian. Because of its vibrant color and tendency to stain, turmeric has been used historically as a dye. The compound Curcumin, shown below is responsible for its color.

Keto form of Curcumin

My good friend, Vivek Nair, further said that turmeric had disinfecting properties and has been used as a folk medicine in India for quite a while now. He gave an anecdote about how his grandmother would boil water, then sprinkle a dash of turmeric in it further help disinfect it. How does turmeric kill bacterial and viral infections? This remains unknown. Researchers are not certain if turmeric is even capable of disinfecting wounds. Perhaps Vivek is just a big, fat liar. Perhaps this is something worth investigating myself. It’s a shame that I’ll have to resort to self-testing as no one seems keen to me sprinkling orange power into their open wounds.

I did not discover until later while writing this blog that while turmeric may be incapable of disinfecting wounds, it has been found to inhibit the growth of V. parahaemolyticus, a bacterium found to cause gastrointestinal illness when ingested. Turmeric is also the most effective at inhibiting the growth of Helicobacter pylori, a similar bacterium that causes stomach illnesses.

While its disinfectant properties are uncertain, turmeric boasts a myriad of other medicinal properties. With its ability to reduce inflammation, treat digestive problems and hinder some cancers, I am tempted to label it as a wonder spice. However, the University of Maryland Medical center warns that some of these effects have not been tested in humans and that only cucurmin extracted from turmeric, not turmeric as a whole, has been used in these tests.  

In 2007, a group of researchers demonstrated that turmeric inhibits the growth of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis all of which are histamine-producing bacteria. (Histamine is responsible for inflammation). However, I was disappointed to find out that cinnamon and clover are more effective at inhibiting the growth of such bacteria.

What about turmeric’s ability to combat cancer? Turmeric has been shown to decrease uncontrolled cell reproduction and to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in tumor cells. Mice injected with cancer cells were then treated with turmeric (10-40 grams). Researchers found that mice treated with turmeric experienced up to 80% less tumor formation than untreated mice.

 Cinnamon Turmeric Challenge

Hold on, hold on, you may say to yourself. “Self, is this turmeric substance really as good as this Patrick fellow says it is? If it’s so good, how comes it isn’t more popular?” The University of Maryland Medical Center suggests that long-termed consumption of turmeric may cause stomach upset. Turmeric also acts as a blood thinner and may lower blood sugar count. Before rushing off to the nearest supermarket to hoard turmeric, you should be advised that the turmeric from the store may contain some impurities.

Remember, when you’re eating butter chicken, you’re not getting fatter, you’re building immunity to cancer. 

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I'm Patrick. I'm young, and I have dreams and passions.

Shoo Mosquito, You Can’t Bother Me

The newest scientific breakthrough: invisibility…well, invisibility to mosquitos at least. This new discovery in the chemistry sphere could eliminate a problem that has been, pardon the pun, bugging innocent kumbaya-singers and twilight pontoon cruisers around the globe for ages. We’ve all been there: sitting around the campfire at a summer powwow, enjoying a friendly conversation, when you are interrupted by a tingling…no…gradual itching sensation on your ankle. The worst part is that as much as you try to swat that little blood-sucker away, it always manages to find its way back. Talk about persistence.

Making humans invisible to mosquitos may seem like a daunting idea. To understand it better, it helps to be familiar with how the critters find their way to our elbows and ankles in the first place. Mosquitos follow carbon dioxide trails that waft away from all living organisms and can use these gaseous paths to sense a host up to 100 feet away. At a closer range, mosquitos use body heat to find and latch onto humans. This description might have you thinking that all they want is a warm hug, but don’t be fooled. Researchers have determined that hungry mosquitos use cpA neurons, olfactory cells located near their antennae, to track down hosts from distances exponentially larger than the little buggers themselves. Aside from the mosquito’s biology, secretion from your skin also helps the blood-feeders find their next meal. To determine which secreted chemicals mosquitos use to pinpoint hosts, scientists conducted an experiment where they sprayed different bodily substances in a cage chock full of the insects and inserted their own hands as bug bait. However unpleasant the process sounds, the results were worthwhile. In addition to other enticing chemicals, experts found that human sweat, mainly comprised of lactic acid, attracted almost 90% of the mosquitos. Sounds appetizing, right?

But, in all seriousness, the question still remains: how does one go about making themselves invisible to this seemingly inescapable summer pest? Dr. Ulrich Bernier, a chemist in the Mosquito and Fly Research Unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is close to an answer. He has identified over 200 naturally occurring chemicals called attraction inhibitors on human skin that actually, if in a large enough concentration, prevent mosquitos from successfully locating a host. If they could be harnessed in substantial amounts, Dr. Bernier would have an amazingly effective bug spray on his hands, giving OFF!® a run for their money.

As close as research appears to improving the lives of campers, boaters and outdoorspeople everywhere, as of now solutions are still in the laboratory experimentation phase. With any luck, we can expect to be superheroes, invisible to those irksome mosquitos, in the near future. Until then, we’ll be itching with anticipation.

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My name is Leanna. I’m a horse rider, volleyball player and chemistry student!

Colors and Critters

Like many of my classmates, I feel the pressure of a second-generation teenager trying to fulfill my parents’ aspirations. I have to admit I’m pretty “white-washed,” but my Indian culture—from the spicy satisfaction of a crispy, golden samosa to seeing my groom ride in on a horse—holds a place dear to my heart. As a dancer, I love the colorful outfits most of all. 

I know that my grandmother’s neighbor’s sister’s gardener set us up with these silk dresses, but where did they really come from? To put it bluntly, they came from bugs. Silkworms. I refuse to share a room with a spider, but thank goodness for these little guys. Silkworms are just about three inches long and—fun fact—shed their skin five times as larvae. For over 5,000 years, they have been spinning cocoons for silk production. But these fibers are creamy white, and most of us want something more interesting. The energy consuming practice of dying silk externally creates so much toxin-filled wastewater that scientists have turned to a new method: feeding caterpillars dyed leaves. The silkworms are fed just before they start spinning and can then spin colored, rather than white cocoons. Pretty cool, right? Researchers in Pune and Mysore dipped mulberry leaves (their food) in azo dyes and found that three out of seven types of dyes transferred into the caterpillars’ silk and fortunately did not affect their growth.

Why did some dyes work, and others not? Basically, certain dyes dissolve better in water than others. If you want to get technical, it has to do with the hydrophobicity of the dye as it goes from the feed to silk fiber. Scientists look at how the coloring dissolves in a hydrophobic solvent like octanol (it has a phobia of water) to how well it dissolves in water itself. The more hydrophobic, oily molecules tend to show up in the silk because they aren’t easily cleared from the silkworm’s body. Hydrophilic (water loving) coloring molecules, on the other hand, are often dissolved out when the cocoons are dipped in water. Using the right dye can produce vibrant yellows, pinks, and greens without the dangers of external dying.

The bottom line here is that these ideas are pretty great—a greener way to make beautiful clothing. If research goes well, there will definitely be perks. When I get dolled up for an Indian wedding or shindig, I won’t have to feel guilty for killing some innocent fish. (Three dead pet goldfish are all a girl can take).

But wait, it gets even better. The super silk has healing powers too. Researchers in Singapore found that the feeding process may be used to create thread with antibacterial properties. Antimicrobial drugs can be transferred into the silk just like the dye, and slowly released through an implant. To be honest, I’m up for any way to avoid choking on another white pill during flu season. The possibilities are endless, really. The same researchers are now monitoring cancer cells by feeding silkworms cancer-fighting drugs.

New methods for cultivating colored silk certainly look promising. I have a new found appreciation for the stranger who makes my grandmother’s outfits—who will help make my dream wedding dress a reality. If you’re curious, look here.
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N^2: DCDS, 2014.  I will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall. I like music, travelling, and chemistry.