UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Fall/Winter 2012
Researchers Succeed in Reprogramming Skin Cells as Heart Cells
In this issue...
Researchers Succeed in Reprogramming Skin Cells as Heart Cells
Researchers at University of Houston (UH) and Texas Heart Institute (THI) successfully reprogrammed skin cells to function as early heart muscle cells. The results, published in the August 7 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may lead to techniques to repair damage caused by heart attacks. more
UH Biology Ph.D. Student Receives NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant
Biology Ph.D. Student Receives NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant
A two-year, $15,000 National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (DDIG) to William "Drew" Russey supports his research on fruit flies and their ability to adapt to new environments. Russey is a Ph.D. student in biology at University of Houston. more

Baldelli Receives $1 Million Keck Foundation Grant to Build Super Resolution Microscope
Baldelli Receives $1 Million Keck Foundation Grant to Build Super Resolution Microscope
A new microscope, combining laser optics and high-resolution imaging, will give scientists a better way to study the chemical properties of surfaces, ranging from plastic and metal to cells and water. more

Total Donates High-Speed Computer Cluster to University of Houston
Total Donates High-Speed Computer Cluster
The University of Houston's computer science department is expanding its high-speed computing capabilities thanks to a computer hardware donation from Total, a leading multinational energy company. The donation includes 128 interconnected nodes that occupy four racks of space. more

Jonathan Snow to Lead International Drilling Expedition
Jonathan Snow Leads International Drilling Expedition
From finding the first deep-water hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Mexico to locating the meteorite impact that doomed the dinosaurs, scientific ocean drilling has unlocked some major mysteries. A University of Houston geologist hopes to uncover more such secrets as co-chief scientist on a major international expedition to recover the first-ever drill core from the lower crust of the Pacific Ocean. more

Fulbright Scholar, Eric Bittner, Tackles Black Holes
Fulbright Scholar, Eric Bittner, Tackles Black Holes
As a Fulbright Scholar, Eric Bittner is hoping to accomplish something no one has done before. Among other things on his wish list is to prepare a two-dimensional optical analog of a black hole on a laser table and study some of its properties without actually having to go to outer space to find a real one. more