(with partner Blake Gordon Zwerling)
Psoralens are photosensitive chemicals that help certain plants ward off fungus. Blake and Michael hypothesized that psoralens could also kill yeast—a proxy for other types of fungus, including those that cause health problems.
Many fruits and vegetables, such as limes and celery, produce psoralens. Blake and Michael grew and observed yeast grown in the presence of psoralens. They prepared 15 beakers with water, sugar, and yeast. Five housed untreated yeast, five housed yeast mixed with lime juice, and five housed yeast mixed with celery juice. The treated yeast colonies expanded much more quickly, but the individual cells soon became grossly misshapen. The treated cell's nuclei also darkened and expanded. They concluded that psoralen caused several mutations in yeast cells, as well as slowed colony growth. They suggested psoralens could be developed into useful treatments for psoriasis and other fungal illnesses.
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