Tonight, PNM’er Matthew Zmudka interviewed two grad students on campus, Andrew Reidenbach and Danielle Lohman from the UW-Madison Biochemistry Department.  They study mitochondria in Associate Professor David Pagliarini’s lab, which has many separate research projects. Mitochondria are organisms found in most cells in the body, and are in simple terms responsible for converting “food” into energy. Andrew and Danielle specifically study coenzyme Q, a chemical in mitochondria, to determine its purpose in the energy-producing process. Many may be familiar with coenzyme Q as a vitamin supplement. Also, there may be a relationship between coenzyme Q and disease.

During the show, Matthew also presents several science news stories that have been in the media lately. It’s a reminder of our Science News Roundup segment from shows long ago.