Monday, May 9, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom 3 * URC studies impact of dangerous toxins Sava to open market downtown in 411 Lofts New research examines effects of environment on Michigan residents By ZACH BERGSON Daily Staff Reporter With the help of more than $750,000 in seed funding from the University Research Corri- dor, researchers are beginning to investigate the effects of envi- ronmental exposures on Michi- gan residents through two major research initiatives. The URC - a research col- laborative developed in 2006 between the University, Michi- gan State and Wayne State Uni- versity - will use the money to fund both The Michigan Bloodspot Environmental Epidemiology Project, which examines newborn blood for exposures to natural and artifi- cial compounds, and also a study involving the effects of air pollu- tion on Dearborn's Arab-Ameri- can population. Dr. Howard Hu, co-principle investigator of the Michigan Bloodspot Environmental Epi- demiology Project and professor of environmental health sci- ences at the University, said the funding has allowed the project to develop a multidisciplinary team of researchers from all three institutions. Hu said his team of chemists, physicians, molecular biolo- gists and computational experts will be investigating the role that environmental exposures in early life play in the develop- ment of diseases and disorders like autism, Alzheimer's and asthma. "There is mounting evidence that the environmental expo- sures that matter are those that occur very early in life, for some of these conditions, and I mean during development in the womb," he said. Hu added that it is almost impossible to study the effects that early life environmental exposures have on the develop- ment of these diseases and disor- dcers later in life. Instead, Hen said the tata will use prenatal data collected by Michigan hospitals to investigate these effects. "We will take advantage of the reality that every baby in the state from 1984 onwards had five spots of blood archived on the day they were born as well as emerging techniques for analyz- ing those bloodspots to estimate what the prenatal exposures were," Hu said. Hu said he believes the inter- action between exposure to pol- lutants and a newly-discovered chemical structure called the epigenome - which surrounds DNA and is responsible for turn- ing our genes on and off - may be the culprit in the develop- ment of many of these diseases. "We can study the epigenome from bloodspots giving us now another tool for trying to fig- ure out how early life chemical exposures may impact on adult disease by affecting the epig- enome by turning genes on and off," Hu said. Many of these exposures include common metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmi- um, manganese, as well as arti- ficial chemicals like pesticides, Hu said. "These are chemicals that come out of plastic-like com- pounds that have been widely used in baby bottles, soup cans, cosmetics and even medical See RESEARCH, Page 12 Nev cor B3 Stud Sava's1 incenti Washi owner w Shop to provide a new market under the Sterling 411 Lofts apartment building. aven lent options The market will include abakery, deli, cafe and wine bar and will also for students sell fresh produce, house wares and toiletries, among other groceries. y ANNA ROZENBERG Additionally, the restaurant will Daily StaffReporter feature a large, outdoor seating area as well as a European-style long cents who enjoy dining at table inside the 3,800 square-foot State Street Caf6 may find an market, Lelcaj said. ve in taking a trip down East Lelcaj said she hopes the mar- ngton Street this fall, where ket will help to further develop the Sava Lelcaj will be opening Washington Street area and be of assistance to students who don't live within walking distance of a grocery store. "I want to help provide the con- venience of shopping here for stu- dents without having to get on a bus and go to Meijer," Lelcaj said. The market will also provide a breakfast-in-bed option on Sundays for Sterling 411 Lofts tenants, in which residents can order anything off the menu and have it brought to their doors, Lelcaj said. See SAVA'S, Page 7 .. _ , , i ! tid; _r ...sue cHRIS DZOMBAK/Daily Green awnings lay on the floor in the 3800 square foot space on the grend floor of 411 Lofts where Sava Lelcaj, owner of Sava's State Street Cafe, plans to open a high-end market shop this fall. (Chris Dzombak/Daily) DOSCOLI BRBERS Supporting the UofM Community SINCE 1939 1 1 1 3 Free Bagels1 No Purchase Necessary Limit One offer per customer with coupon. Not valid with any other offers. Valid at the Ann Arbor Location ONLY. 1 1 Barry Bagels 1 Westgate Shopping Center 1 2515 Jackson Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 1 (734) 662-2435 1 1 www.barrybagels.com 1 Expires: May 16, 2011 "" " ""'" " " " " " " " " " " " "" '" " " "