diff --git a/app/controllers/main_controller.rb b/app/controllers/main_controller.rb
index 931f869d..3ea6cb77 100644
--- a/app/controllers/main_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/main_controller.rb
@@ -62,17 +62,29 @@ class MainController < ApplicationController
       end
       
       if filterByMetacode
-      	# !connor : Shouldn't this be checked for all cases, not just metacodes?
         if term == ""
           @topics = []
         else
-          # !connor add % to the frontof this one too? why not?
           search = term.downcase + '%'
           
           if !user
             @topics = Topic.where('LOWER("name") like ?', search).where('metacode_id = ?',  filterByMetacode.id).order('"name"')
+            @topics2 = Topic.where('LOWER("name") like ?', '%' + search).where('metacode_id = ?',  filterByMetacode.id).order('"name"')
+            @topics3 = Topic.where('LOWER("desc") like ?', '%' + search).where('metacode_id = ?',  filterByMetacode.id).order('"name"')
+            @topics4 = Topic.where('LOWER("link") like ?', '%' + search).where('metacode_id = ?',  filterByMetacode.id).order('"name"')
+            @topics = @topics + (@topics2 - @topics)
+            @topics = @topics + (@topics3 - @topics)
+            @topics = @topics + (@topics4 - @topics)
+            
           elsif user
             @topics = Topic.where('LOWER("name") like ?', search).where('metacode_id = ? AND user_id = ?',  filterByMetacode.id, user).order('"name"')
+            @topics2 = Topic.where('LOWER("name") like ?', '%' + search).where('metacode_id = ? AND user_id = ?',  filterByMetacode.id, user).order('"name"')
+            @topics3 = Topic.where('LOWER("desc") like ?', '%' + search).where('metacode_id = ? AND user_id = ?',  filterByMetacode.id, user).order('"name"')
+            @topics4 = Topic.where('LOWER("link") like ?', '%' + search).where('metacode_id = ? AND user_id = ?',  filterByMetacode.id, user).order('"name"')
+            @topics = @topics + (@topics2 - @topics)
+            @topics = @topics + (@topics3 - @topics)
+            @topics = @topics + (@topics4 - @topics)
+            
           end
         end
       elsif desc
@@ -90,12 +102,23 @@ class MainController < ApplicationController
           @topics = Topic.where('LOWER("link") like ?', search).where('user_id = ?', user).order('"name"')
         end
       else #regular case, just search the name
-        # !connor : Definitely add the % out front here.
         search = term.downcase + '%'
         if !user
           @topics = Topic.where('LOWER("name") like ?', search).order('"name"')
+          @topics2 = Topic.where('LOWER("name") like ?', '%' + search).order('"name"')
+          @topics3 = Topic.where('LOWER("desc") like ?', '%' + search).order('"name"')
+          @topics4 = Topic.where('LOWER("link") like ?', '%' + search).order('"name"')
+          @topics = @topics + (@topics2 - @topics)
+          @topics = @topics + (@topics3 - @topics)
+          @topics = @topics + (@topics4 - @topics)
         elsif user
           @topics = Topic.where('LOWER("name") like ?', search).where('user_id = ?', user).order('"name"')
+          @topics2 = Topic.where('LOWER("name") like ?', '%' + search).where('user_id = ?', user).order('"name"')
+          @topics3 = Topic.where('LOWER("desc") like ?', '%' + search).where('user_id = ?', user).order('"name"')
+          @topics4 = Topic.where('LOWER("link") like ?', '%' + search).where('user_id = ?', user).order('"name"')
+          @topics = @topics + (@topics2 - @topics)
+          @topics = @topics + (@topics3 - @topics)
+          @topics = @topics + (@topics4 - @topics)
         end
       end
     else
@@ -113,7 +136,6 @@ class MainController < ApplicationController
     @current = current_user
     
     term = params[:term]
-    #!connor is nil the same as false? why is it done different here?
     user = params[:user] ? params[:user] : nil
     
     if term && !term.empty? && term.downcase[0..5] != "topic:" && term.downcase[0..6] != "mapper:" && term.downcase != "map:"
@@ -127,8 +149,7 @@ class MainController < ApplicationController
         term = term[5..-1] 
         desc = true
       end
-      # !connor make the search always '%' : term.downcase + '%'
-      search = desc ?  '%' + term.downcase + '%' : term.downcase + '%'
+      search = '%' + term.downcase + '%'
       query = desc ?  'LOWER("desc") like ?' : 'LOWER("name") like ?'
       if !user
       	# !connor why is the limit 5 done here and not above? also, why not limit after sorting alphabetically?
@@ -155,7 +176,6 @@ class MainController < ApplicationController
     
       #remove "mapper:" if appended at beginning
       term = term[7..-1] if term.downcase[0..6] == "mapper:"
-      # !connor same question as above
       @mappers = User.where('LOWER("name") like ?', term.downcase + '%').limit(5).order('"name"')
     else
       @mappers = []
@@ -174,8 +194,7 @@ class MainController < ApplicationController
     
     if term && !term.empty?
       @synapses = Synapse.select('DISTINCT "desc"').
-       # !connor this should likely also have the preceeding %
-        where('LOWER("desc") like ?', term.downcase + '%').limit(5).order('"desc"')
+        where('LOWER("desc") like ?', '%' + term.downcase + '%').limit(5).order('"desc"')
       
       render json: autocomplete_synapse_generic_json(@synapses)