Research by neuroscientists at the University of Virginia Health System shows that oxygen free radicals are damaging proteins in mitochondria, the tiny cellular ‘batteries’ of brain cells. This damage may be one main cause of Parkinson’s Disease (PD), the chronic movement disorder that affects at least one million Americans. UVa scientists believe the damage is taking place in a large protein structure called complex I, the first stop in the electron transport chain, which produces an electrical charge inside mitochondria. Mitochondria then use this electrical charge to make energy. Full story.

U.Va. Health System

Architecture faculty members Craig Barton (left) and John Quale (right) each underscore a fundamental truth about their field. Architecture is not simply about the buildings. It is about the values and aspirations that buildings represent. Barton consults with communities in Virginia to restore old African-American schools to the inventory of civic places. In order to connect the current generation to a time in American history when many African-American communities pinned their hopes for a better life on these small, under-funded structures. Quale stirves to create new buildings that embody values he thinks are important to society: buildings that are affordable, environmentally responsive and prefabricated Full Story.

Explorations / Photo Tom Cogill