Michigan Findings and Facts for June 2024

In our June 2024 issue, we shared some of the most interesting recent findings from Michigan researchers. Here, check out some of those findings, and get some fun facts that pertain to our state.

Study Breaks

Intriguing findings from researchers across Michigan.

A Treat(ment) for the Eyes

Infection with Zika virus during pregnancy is well known to cause
fetal neurological disorders — but also ocular abnormalities such as retinal lesions, hemorrhagic retinopathy, and optic neuritis. Despite this, no vaccines or antiviral treatments are currently available. However, researchers at Wayne State University have discovered avenues for treatment of the eye-related effects of the virus.

The team analyzed Zika virus-infected retinal pigment epithelial cells and discovered there were significant changes in the cholesterol pathway. They studied two important regulators of cholesterol metabolism, which revealed that increased activity of one, called ABCG1, and inhibition of the other, SREBP-2, reduced viral replication.

When tested in mice, treatments based on these findings mitigated ocular complications. The mechanisms discovered could potentially be applied to other viruses, including West Nile virus.

New Cleaner-Energy Way to Make Oil Byproducts

As our society transitions from petroleum to cleaner energy, we’ll need to find new ways to manufacture the useful byproducts of gasoline production. One of those byproducts is propylene, a highly versatile chemical used in plastics, household cleaners, adhesives, and many other materials.

University of Michigan researchers have now developed an efficient way to create propylene through natural gas instead. Natural gas extracted from shale is replete with propane, which can be converted to propylene, but current conversion methods are inefficient and expensive.

U-M’s new reactor system improves this process by dividing propane into propylene and hydrogen gas. Just the hydrogen gas escapes to an outer chamber of the reactor, where it is burned away safely and easily. The researchers estimate that a plant producing 500,000 metric tons of propylene from natural gas could save up to $23.5 million with this method.

Crop Diseases Infect Wild Plants

Nonnative crop viruses can — and do — make native plants sick, contrary to previous belief, according to a new study from scientists at Michigan State University and the University of California, Riverside .

Ecologists had assumed that wild plants were immune to the invasive viruses that harm crops, but when the study’s authors examined the genetics of viruses in wild squash species in southern California, they found up to 88% infection rates of certain crop viruses, which impacted the plants’ growth and root health. The findings make clear that conservation efforts must include protecting native plants.

“These wild plants are crucial components of desert ecosystems, providing food and habitat for other species,” says MSU’s Carolyn Malmstrom, co-leader of the study. “Their decline from crop virus infections could have cascading effects on entire ecological communities.”

Detroit Digits

Fun Michigan stats and facts for June 2024.

1

Detroit’s ranking on SmartAsset’s list of the top 10 U.S. cities with the most single people . According to the the financial technology company’s report, 58.5% of Detroiters over the age of 15 have never been married. We are also No. 7 on the list of the top 10 cities with the most single women compared to men. Birmingham, Alabama, takes the top spot on this list.

9.2

Cedar Pointe Shores’ score out of 10 according to SwimOutlet , making Cedar Point America’s top water park. The scores are based on customer ratings, rides, facilities, ticket prices, and national search volume. Just so you’re aware, the worst water park in the nation is Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix, scoring a 1.7.

65,000

About how many people attended Motor City Pride, Michigan’s largest Pride celebration. The festival’s roots trace back to 1972, when just a few hundred participants marched in downtown Detroit to protest homophobic laws.

This story originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on June 6.

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