In 2023, one in 20 studies produced in the Philippines came from the UP Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS). With a total of 368 studies across all scientific disciplines, UPD-CS studies accounted for more than half of the total publications produced by UP Diliman. This number comes as no surprise since the College is home to 211 PhD faculty members. But beyond the numbers, UPD-CS has published groundbreaking research in many prestigious research journals.
Here are the Top 10 studies published by UPD-CS scientists in journals with high Impact Factors (IFs), which measure the average number of times research papers are cited.
1. “Shedding Light on Mysterious Superconductors” (IF: 41.2)
Superconductors allow electricity to pass through with no resistance. Previously, it was believed that when excessive electrons are removed from a superconductor, known as “overdoping,” the material would behave in accordance with the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory. However, Dr. Miguel Sulangi of the National Institute of Physics and collaborators from the Netherlands, Japan, China, and the United States showed that this is not the case for a mysterious type of superconductor called cuprate superconductors, challenging the long-held belief that BCS theory governs overdoped superconductors. Cuprate superconductors were discovered in 1986 but physicists have yet to uncover all its secrets.
Read the release here: https://science.upd.edu.ph/upd-cs-nip-physicist-co-authors-groundbreaking-research-on-mysterious-superconductors/
2. “Applying Einstein’s Concepts of Relativity to Exotic Particles” (IF: 16.6)
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity claims that two events can only influence one another if they are inside each other’s spacetime area called the light cone. Borrowing this concept, Dr. Gennevieve Macam of the National Institute of Physics worked with an international team of researchers to explain how two exotic particles called Weyl fermions interact. Their study is the first to describe Weyl fermions in terms of spacetime concepts, demonstrating how two physics disciplines—condensed matter physics and high-energy physics—are fundamentally connected.
Read the release here: https://science.upd.edu.ph/beyond-einstein-pinay-physicist-investigates-exotic-subtonic-particles/
3. “History of Single-celled Predators” (IF: 15.9)
Single-celled organisms, like the protists Acanthamoeba and Dictyostelium, use metals to kill bacterial prey. Exactly how these organisms evolved is the focus of the study by Dr. Windell Rivera and collaborators from China. They provided a timeline for the evolution of metal-poisoning protists, from the moment protists were created to the time they adapted to the environment and acquired the ability to use metals in killing their prey.
4. “Identifying First Bacteria Colonizers on Plastics” (IF: 13.6)
Many types of bacteria live on plastics left in the environment. But for diverse colonies to thrive, a group of bacteria, called primo-colonizers, must first prime the plastics to make them habitable for other types of bacteria. Justine Marey Bitalac, Norchel Corcia Gomez, and Dr. Deo Florence Onda of the Marine Science Institute, together with Dr. Nacita Lantican of UP Los Baños, identified these primo-colonizers and described how they change the structure of plastics. Their study helps elucidate how plastics degrade in the environment and opens possibilities on how to solve the growing plastic pollution problem.
5. “Simulating the Spread of Monkeypox” (IF: 12.7)
Drs. Victoria May Mendoza and Renier Mendoza of the Institute of Mathematics proved the importance of self-reporting and contract tracing in preventing epidemics. Together with South Korean scientists, they simulated how self-reporting and contract tracing affect the spread of monkeypox in non-endemic regions. They found out that an unreported case can infect about five to 10 times more people than a self-reported case, while a delayed contract tracing can increase the infected people by up to 40%.
6. “Classifying Seaweeds in the Philippines” (IF: 11.5)
Seaweeds such as the milyon-milyon, tambalang, and kab-kab are abundant in the Philippines, making the country one of the leading seaweed farming industries in the world. Despite this, Philippine seaweeds are undocumented. Bea Crisostomo, Zae-Zae Aguinaldo, Lourie Ann Hinaloc, and Dr. Michael Roleda of the Marine Science Institute established the taxonomy and distribution of different seaweeds in the Philippines using knowledge from local farmers. Their study provides a database of seaweeds that can be used for conservation efforts.
7. “Tropical Cyclones and its Threat to Food Security, Health, and Biodiversity” (IF: 11.1)
Damages brought by tropical cyclones produce a cascading effect on food security, health, and biodiversity. In a perspective paper by Dr. Rene Abesamis of the Marine Science Institute and collaborators from Chile, Japan, Switzerland, and Norway, they explained that tropical cyclones can damage roads, agricultural infrastructure, and grazing lands, which affects food production. The destruction of tropical ecosystems also affects food security, which in turn produces health problems such as micronutrient deficiency. The authors urge researchers to develop tools that can aid in policy-making and governments to coordinate closely in a collaborative effort to curb the effects of tropical cyclones.
8. “Tracking Human Settlers in the Holocene Period Using Genetics” (IF: 11.1)
By analyzing almost two decades’ worth of genomic data, Jae Joseph Russell Rodriguez of the Natural Sciences Research Institute and international researchers traced how humans migrated around the world and how they facilitated the spread of language and agriculture about 10,000 years ago. In Southeast Asia, their study suggests that human settlers in the region, referred to as Austronesians, first migrated from China to Taiwan, then moved southward to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Using sophisticated boating technology, Austronesians were then able to reach islands as far as Madagascar and Hawaii.
9. “Water-purifying Nanoparticles” (IF: 9.9)
As water pollution becomes an ever-more pressing issue, we are in dire need of technologies that can purify water. Dr. Michelle Regulacio of the Institute of Chemistry collaborated with scientists from China to create a nanocomposite that can get rid of water contaminants with the help of light. The nanocomposites, made up of zinc oxide and carbon, can easily cling to organic dyes and bacteria and, using energy from light, decompose or kill them. The nanocomposites are cheap and simple to manufacture, offering a cost-effective wastewater treatment system.
10. “Marine Pollution and Its Effects on Southeast Asian Biodiversity” (IF: 9.8)
Southeast Asia is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world while also contributing significantly to marine pollution. Yet the region is underrepresented in studies that focus on the effects of marine pollution on biodiversity. In their review paper, Dr. Lemnuel Aragones of the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology and partners in Southeast Asia investigated why this is the case. They found out that these sorts of studies are complicated by language barriers, sociocultural limitations, and difficulties in examining species.
In addition, here are the top studies published by UPD-CS-affiliated authors in high IF journals:
“Using Algorithms to Model Social Behaviors” (IF: 11.25)
Algorithms such as machine learning (ML) are better at classifying social responses than conventional statistical tools. That’s what Dr. Armando Apan of the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM) and collaborators from Nepal concluded in their research that looked upon the perspective of Nepalese people on energy consumption. ML models of public perceptions can aid in policy-making, planning, and implementation.
“Examining Ecosystem Services in the Himalayas” (IF: 11.1)
Services from nature like water supply, crop production, and habitat quality are called ecosystem services. Ecosystem services have unique relationships with one another. For example, when farmers convert forests into farms to increase crop production, the habitat quality will decrease. These unique relationships are the research focus of Dr. Armando Apan of the IESM and his partners in Nepal. They looked into how each ecosystem service changes with respect to one another and examined how this affects the ways of living in the Himalayas.
“Why Renewable Energy Sources are Failing in Nepal” (IF: 9)
The threat of climate change urges countries to transition to renewable energy sources, but developing countries such as Nepal struggle to do so. Dr. Armando Apan of the IESM and collaborators from Nepal examined the reasons and learned that solar and wind technologies shut down because of poor planning and fund discontinuation. Apan and collaborators emphasized the need to tackle the issue using “bottom-up” approaches that consider local contexts rather than “top-down” approaches that only look at the issue as mere technological transfers. (Story courtesy of Harvey Sapigao/UPD-CS Science Communications)