Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of the upper and lower motor neurons leading to death from respiratory failure. About 50% of patients die within 3 years of first symptoms, and 80% within 5 years. The disease typically affects individuals in middle and late life, with a peak age of onset being around 56 years, and it shows a slight male predominance. Although ALS affects one in every 300 people, its dreadful prognosis means that it appears to be a rare disease. To develop effective therapies, it is essential to understand what causes ALS. While a genetic contribution is known to play a role, growing evidence also points to the involvement of inflammation, cholesterol metabolism, and DNA and transcriptome damage. In my talk, I will explain how a combination of genetics, transcriptomics, epigenetics and epidemiology provides a clearer picture of the causes and modifiers of ALS, which helps us develop new approaches to treatment.
Design of functional metal-organic frameworks through computational crystal structure prediction
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly versatile materials with diverse functional applications in gas storage and separation, catalysis, water purification and sensing, to name a few. The design of new MOFs is a challenging task, heavily reliant on experimental...
