Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Decision Making Frameworks: Streetscape Cooling Interventions

This project analyzes various decision-making frameworks for climate adaptations within the context of streetscape cooling interventions. By focusing on the streetscape, the project brings together the complex issues facing governance, climate science, and community to analyze a specific hazard within an important component of the urban environment. Our goal was to find the contributing factors of the streetscape to the UHI and understand non-carbon impacts of the UHI and how to address those impacts. We determined three primary contributors to the UHI at the streetscape: impervious surfaces; vegetation (or lack thereof); and anthropogenic heat generation. With these in mind, we discuss three major cooling interventions for streetscape: cool pavement; transit shelters; and, tree canopy. Focusing on reducing the contributing factors to UHI (impervious surfaces, vegetation, and anthropogenic heat), we may be able to avoid the single metric of success thinking that has slowed cool pavement and other innovative cooling strategies. We suggest decreasing reliance on carbon based decision making frameworks, encouraging widespread bus shelters, implementing cool pavement on parking lots, and pursing a holistic approach to streetscape cooling

Noble Metal Composite Porous Silk Fibroin Aerogel Fibers

Nobel metal composite aerogel fibers made from flexible and porous biopolymers offer a wide range of applications, such as in catalysis and sensing, by functionalizing the nanostructure. However, producing these composite aerogels in a defined shape is challenging for many protein-based biopolymers, especially ones that are not fibrous proteins. Here, we present the synthesis of silk fibroin composite aerogel fibers up to 2 cm in length and a diameter of ~300 μm decorated with noble metal nanoparticles. Lyophilized silk fibroin dissolved in hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) was cast in silicon tubes and physically crosslinked with ethanol to produce porous silk gels. Composite silk aerogel fibers with noble metals were created by equilibrating the gels in noble metal salt solutions reduced with sodium borohydride, followed by supercritical drying. These porous aerogel fibers provide a platform for incorporating noble metals into silk fibroin materials, while also providing a new method to produce porous silk fibers. Noble metal silk aerogel fibers can be used for biological sensing and energy storage applications