Smelling Parkinson's, Glassy Gels and is that desperate need for a Morning Coffee Genetic

June 27

This week we meet a Scottish lady who has the capability of smelling Parkinson’s Disease on people who are yet to be diagnosed. This may open the way for early diagnosis. We discover Glassy Gels, a new class of materials with unique properties that may lead to a range of new applications. We investigate a new jumping robot that is breaking all records for how high a robot can jump and finally we find out if that desperate need for a coffee in the morning is driven by your genetics.

Smelling Parkinson’s Disease

Joy Milne, a Scottish woman from Perth in Scotland has a condition called hereditary hyperosmia. A condition that gives her hypersensitivity to smell. Many years ago (around 1985) she identified a musky odor coming from her husband. About a decade later, her husband Les was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 45. Les died in 2015 at 65.

In 2012 Joy met with researchers at the University of Edinburgh to discuss her identification of the musky smell. Initially they were skeptical however success with dogs sniffing out cancer caused them to test her claims. The team put her skills of being able to smell Parkinson’s Disease to the test. She smelt 12 t-shirts, 6 from people with Parkinson’s and 6 non affected individuals. She correctly identified the 6 individuals with Parkinson’s and 1 additional individual who had not been diagnosed. However less than 1 year later that individual was found to have the disease.

This result caused the team to use a mass spectrometer to examine sebum (an oily substance found on the surface of the skin) from people diagnosed with Parkinson’s. They found molecular changes suggesting alterations in the metabolism of lipids (fatty acids) in the body. Further research found that a number of compounds particularly hippuric acid, eicosane and octadecanal were found in higher concentrations on the skin of Parkinson’s patients.

A team at the University of Manchester later designed experiments using a mass spectrometer to mimic what Joy could do, i.e. smell the disease. The goal is to develop a simple test to identify the volatile biomarkers and enable early detection. A simple swab of the patients neck is likely to suffice.

Early detection will allow early intervention and hopefully identification of ways to stop the disease from spreading. In the same way that many countries mail out a stool sampling kit for bowel cancer when people turn 50, a neck swab sampling kit for Parkinson’s could be developed and easily implemented. Early identification is the key to early intervention.

Glassy Gels

A team from North Carolina State University have created a new class of materials that they have called “Glassy Gels”. Gels and glassy polymers are classes of materials that are considered to be different. Glassy polymers are hard, stiff and often brittle. Things like airplane windows are made from glassy polymers. Gels contain liquid and are soft and squishy, making them ideal for soft contact lenses.

This new class of materials are as hard as glassy polymers but if you apply enough force they can stretch up to 5 times their original length rather than breaking. Applying heat will return the material to its’ original shape. The surface of the material is very adhesive which is unusual for a hard material.

Glassy gels are more than 50% liquid which allows them to be more efficient conductors of electricity than plastics with similar physical characteristics. They are formed by combining a glassy polymer with an ionic liquid. The combined liquid is poured into a mold and exposed to ultraviolet light which cures the material. The solvent pushes the molecular chains in the polymer apart which allows it to become stretchable like a gel.

A range of different polymers could be used to create the glassy gels (but not all). The glassy gels do not dry out despite being 50 to 60% liquid. The team does not know what makes them so sticky. Given their unique properties and ease of manufacture the team is optimistic that new uses can be identified.

Record Breaking Jumping Robot

At team at the University of Manchester have designed a robot capable of jumping 120 meters high. The current record is 33 meters or 110 times the height of the robot. The new robot can jump higher than Elizabeth Tower (which houses Big Ben).

Robots are usually designed to move by rolling on wheels or using legs to walk. This is not useful in some environments such as caves, forests or on the surface of other planets. Current jumping robots are not capable of overcoming large obstacles. These robots waste energy by moving side to side or rotating rather than focus on moving straight up.

The new design removes these unnecessary movements whilst maintaining the required structural strength and stiffness. The design redistributes the robot’s mass towards the top and tapers the structure towards the bottom. Lighter legs in the shape of a prism and using springs that only stretch improve performance and efficiently of the jump.

The next step is to control the direction of the jump and to harness the kinetic energy from the landing to improve the number of jumps that the robot can complete in a single charge. The team is working on more compact designs for space missions . The robot can already jump 200 meters in height on the moon. We may see it in use in future space exploration.

Is the need for a Morning Coffee Genetic?

Why do some people crave a morning coffee whereas others can take it or leave it? Coffee is one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages. Do we learn this craving for a morning coffee or is it genetic?

A team from University of California San Diego used genetic data and self reported coffee consumption to create a genome wide association study (GWAS). Researchers use these types of studies to identify gene variants, genes and biology that is associated with particular diseases or health traits.

Using records from 23andMe in the US and the UK Biobank the team identified regions on the genome associated with consuming coffee. The results showed a genetic influence on coffee consumption. Particular gene variants inherited from parents influence how much coffee you are likely to consume. It is not your fault that you crave a morning coffee, it is genetic. Go ahead and enjoy that coffee, it is in your genes.

Unfortunately (yes I am a coffee drinker) the study also revealed a positive genetic association between coffee and other harmful health outcomes such as obesity and substance use. That doesn’t mean causality, a person who drinks coffee won’t necessarily become obese (I am normal weight) or develop a substance abuse problem (not guilty again) however the genetic predisposition for drinking coffee is related to these traits.

In relation to psychiatric conditions there is also a positive correlation between coffee intake and anxiety, bipolar disorders and depression in the US however there is a negative correlation in the UK. The most likely explanation is that the Poms may just drink tea instead.

If our need for a morning coffee is genetically driven, surely we should be able to claim the cost against some sort of health insurance. I will have to look into that.

Paying it Forward

If you have a start-up or know of a start-up that has a product ready for market please let me know. I would be happy to have a look and feature the startup in this newsletter. Also if any startups need introductions please get in touch and I will help where I can.

If you have any questions or comments please comment below.

I would also appreciate it if you could forward this newsletter to anyone that you think might be interested.

Till next week.