UP scientists lead high-impact S&T research of national relevance

First of 2 parts

SCIENCE and technology (S&T) play a vital role in Philippine development, providing innovative solutions to societal challenges faced by Filipinos.

In that regard, the University of the Philippines Diliman-College of Science (UPD-CS) has been at the forefront of advancing S&T in the Philippines for decades, producing basic and applied scientific research of high standards and national relevance.

Year after year, research spearheaded by UPD-CS scientists is published in various journals with high-impact factors. The impact factor is a variable measuring a journal’s importance based on the average number of citations of its articles.

UPD-CS scientists continued the college’s long streak of quality research in 2023, with several studies they led becoming internationally recognized and included in some of the world’s most notable, high-impact journals.

From examining Philippine tropical cyclones to the risk factors of breast cancer, some of UPD-CS’ recent scientific breakthroughs contribute to the country’s socioeconomic development.

Analyzing the effects of pioneer colonizing bacteria on plastic breakdown in oceans.

Once released into the environment, plastics become places where bacteria can attach and grow. The bacteria on plastic interact with each other and work differently than those in the surrounding environment, which can affect how plastics break down. However, little is known about the specific types of bacteria that are the first to attach to and interact with plastics.

Justine Marey Bitalac, Norchel Corcia Gomez and Dr. Deo Florence Onda of the Marine Science Institute (MSI) studied bacteria from Manila Bay that attach to plastics. Their group identified 10 types of bacteria, and the scientists tested their ability to grow on plastic over 60 days. The plastic showed signs of physical deterioration, and chemical analysis revealed that different species of bacteria potentially create varying changes in the plastic’s structure.

Bitalac and Onda’s research was published in the “Journal of Hazardous Materials,” a publication featuring articles in the areas of Environmental Science and Engineering. The “Journal of Hazardous Materials” has an impact factor of 13.6.

Detecting harmful dye pollutants using gold nanomaterials.

Because of the abundant hot spots in their structure, branch-shaped gold nanomaterials are getting recognized as suitable enhancers for surfaceenhanced Raman scattering (SERS), a technique typically used to detect toxic dye pollutants. However, making these nanomaterials usually involves time-consuming experiments that use hazardous and expensive chemicals.

Rufus Mart Ceasar Ramos of the Natural Sciences Research Institute (NSRI) and Dr. Michelle Regulacio of the Institute of Chemistry (IC) created gold nanomaterials using eco-friendly and low-cost organic acids in plants, such as ascorbic acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid.

Their approach is also convenient, direct, inexpensive and rapid, taking less than an hour to complete. The resulting branched gold nanomaterials, called nanocorals, also have numerous hot spots similar to the gold nanomaterials.

Ramos and Regulacio’s research was published in “ACS

Applied Nano Materials,” a publication featuring research covering all aspects of engineering, chemistry, physics and biology relevant to applications of nanomaterials. “ACS Applied Nano Materials” has an impact factor of 5.9.

Discovering the link between stress, altered light-dark cycles, and breast cancer.

Disruption of the body’s 24-hour pattern of biological activity, known as the circadian cycle, is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Shift work and constant jet lag, in particular, have been associated with this risk.

In their study, Weand Ybañez and Dr. Pia Bagamasbad of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (NIMBB) found out that a gene that suppresses tumor growth called the Krüppel-like factor 9 (KLF9) is downregulated in breast tumors compared to normal breast tissue. This gene’s activity is influenced by stress hormones and oscillates with the 12-hour light-dark cycle.

Ybañez and Bagamasbad’s study was published in “Cancer Cell International,” a publication featuring studies on cancer cell biology originating from work using laboratory experiments. “Cancer Cell International” has an impact factor of 5.8.

Investigating quantum spin Hall and Rashba effects in flat ilmenite oxides.

Inspired by the discovery of an excellent conductor of electricity called graphene, scientists became interested in other two-dimensional (2D) materials that can be used for technological applications. One of these 2D materials is ilmenite oxides.

A group of physicists, including Dr. Genevieve Macam of the National Institute of Physics (NIP), studied the properties of 2D ilmenite oxides with different metal combinations in their original and Janus forms, which are nanoparticles with two distinct surfaces. Their research showed that the different combinations with 2D ilmenite oxides could have applications in spin transport electronics, a branch of electronics that relies on the intrinsic spin of electrons for information storage and processing.

Macam’s research was published in the “Chinese Journal of Physics,” a publication featuring research in various branches of physics. The “Chinese Journal of Physics” has an impact factor of 5.

Exploring the potential of Cu 2 O semiconductors paired with plasmonic metals.

Metal-semiconductor nanocomposites, especially semiconductors combined with plasmonic metals like gold (Au) and silver (Ag), can be used for various applications across different fields.

These combinations have unique optical properties that arise from their interactions with light and the movement of charge carriers within their structure.

Enrico Daniel Legaspi from the Materials Science and Engineering Program (MSEP) and Dr. Michelle Regulacio of the Institute of Chemistry (IC) examined the pairing of the copper (I) oxide (Cu 2 O) with Au and Ag.

In the review, the scientists detailed the methods and adjustments used to pair the components. The review also explored how these combinations affect the optical and electronic properties of the nanocomposites in the context of photocatalysis, a process where light energy is used to drive a chemical reaction.

Legaspi and Regulacio’s review was published in “Nanoscale Advances,” a publication featuring research on nanoscience and nanotechnology. “Nanoscale Advances” has an impact factor of 4.7.