University of Florida Health researchers are using cells from patients and patients’ family members to understand why an enzyme deficiency does not allow brain cells to develop and grow normally. The disorder, known as asparagine synthetase deficiency (ASD) , affects children and was only identified several years ago. Biochemistry professors, Michael S. Kilberg, Ph.D., Robert McKenna, Ph.D., and two doctoral students, Carrie Lomelino and Jacob Andring, recently published a paper about ASD’s function, structure and role in disease.