YSM Issue 90.1

in brief
NEWS
The Miller laboratory of Yale’s Department
of Chemistry recently made a discovery
in peptide catalysis that could change how
we think about enzymes. This discovery
capitalized on the laboratory’s previous
discovery of two peptide catalysts. Enzymes,
or protein catalysts, are characterized by high
specificity. Alford, the study’s first author, and
his colleagues demonstrated that two short
peptides, which are comprised of protein
building block called amino acids, can catalyze
two distinct, complementary reactions called
oxidation reactions. This remarkable capacity
is presumably due to the synthetic peptide’s
overall structure: by varying just a few key
amino acids outside of the active site where the
reaction takes place, the same active residue can
switch between catalyzing two very different
reactions. This control of catalytic activity by
Shrinking Enzymes
By Giorgio Caturegli
modifying secondary structure is a hallmark
of enzymes but has had limited application
in organic synthesis. “This finding is a really
interesting manifestation of what the [Miller]
group tries to do…using tools that nature has
to understand natural processes,” said Nadia
Abascal, a coauthor. Synthetic reactions can
be studied to gain insight into processes in
nature, which may follow a similar mechanism
to the reactions observed in this study.
Especially notable is the fact that peptides
are orders of magnitude smaller than
enzymes, and their small size and precise
control could allow for synthetic applications
in pharmaceutical and materials research.
The Miller group’s recent finding in peptide
catalysis is important to both understanding
natural biochemical processes and developing
synthetic applications.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALIA ZALIZNYAK
►Miller’s laboratory discovered two
peptides that can catalyze two different
reactions based on secondary
structure and reaction conditions.
A New Excuse for Playing Video Games?
By Jasper Feinberg
Imagine if video games were a key to
improving learning. Yale psychiatry professor
Bruce Wexler believes they are. A study found
that a video game-based learning regimen
called Activate, developed by Wexler, improved
the test performance of 583 schoolchildren
compared to those without the regimen and
those with one-on-one tutoring. The curriculum
includes computer games aimed at cognitive
improvement and a five minute warm-up
computer activity designed to prepare students
for learning.
The Activate program harnesses
neuroplasticity. The structure of the brain
is shaped after birth from environmental
stimuli that reorganize neuronal connections.
Activate stimulates areas of the brain often
underdeveloped in children who grow up in
poverty or have neurodevelopmental problems
like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). To accomplish this, Wexler used
neuroimaging studies to identify the regions
of the brain corresponding to certain cognitive
tasks. Wexler describes Activate as “a school
lunch program for the brain” customized to each
individual student.
The social implications of this educational
strategy are vast. First, Activate has the potential
to close the achievement gap by helping students
with different educational backgrounds. As a
technology-based tool, it is cheaper than many
current solutions. Wexler’s research is also an
effective treatment for depression and, in some
cases, ADHD.
Going forward, C8 Sciences, a Yale startup
dedicated to spreading Activate, hopes to
increase awareness and continue improving
the program. Activate has been translated into
multiple languages, and appears primed to
expand.
IMAGE COURTESY OF BRUCE WEXLER
►A student using Activate, a gamebased
learning program shown to
improve test performance, in her
school’s computer lab.
www.yalescientific.org
December 2016
Yale Scientific Magazine
7