The development of a durable and effective HIV vaccine is still elusive after almost forty years of research, but a new study testing a germline-targeting vaccination strategy provides insights that may bring scientists one step closer. In the past decade, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) have revolutionized the field of HIV vaccine development. These antibodies can neutralize a broad range of…
Bayer recently welcomed its partners and media to its new Bayer Research and Innovation Center (BRIC) in Cambridge, MA. The state-of-the-art innovation facility is home to the company’s precision molecular oncology laboratory and reflects the investment Bayer is making to advance the future of oncology and science and generate breakthrough solutions to the world’s most complex challenges.
Plant biochemist Ryan Nett has joined MCB as an Assistant Professor. His lab will investigate how plants build small molecules, including compounds with medicinal potential. He is also interested in how these molecules shape plant biology and how they may affect other organisms that eat, infect, or coexist alongside plants.
Today, Unravel Biosciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University announced that Unravel has licensed a drug discovery platform technology from Harvard and Tufts University. The company will use the technology, invented at the Wyss Institute, to decode and model complex diseases to accelerate the development of new and more effective therapies. Harvard’s Office of Technology Development is providing…
In the past, scientists had it relatively easy, according to biomedical engineer Christopher Chen. They could spend their days diligently working alone in a private lab, inventing the commercial light bulb (Thomas Edison) or developing the polio vaccine (Jonas Salk). While the concept of the scientist as a solitary genius has always been problematic—after all, science is best as a team…
In a study from the lab of Whitehead Institute Member David Bartel, researchers have identified genetic sequences that can lead to the degradation of cellular regulators called microRNAs in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The findings were published September 22 in Molecular Cell.
Bioengineers have developed a first-of-its-kind hydrogel for second-degree burns that can be dissolved quickly and easily for wound dressing changes using a solution that breaks apart the supramolecular structure of the hydrogel The new biomaterial would help eliminate painful wound dressing changes for patients that increase the risk of wound infections and potentially life-threatening sepsis and multi-organ failure The material…
In 2020, Neisseria gonorrhoeae infected more than 82 million adults globally, with greater than 90% of infections occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Untreated gonorrhea is a major health threat associated with pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and increased risk for HIV transmission. Infections are treatable, but the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains are threatening current treatment options (1).
This longitudinal study of ten healthy women systematically examined whether initiation of oral contraception (OC) influences the diversity, composition, or function of the gut microbiome No changes were noted in the diversity or composition of the gut microbiome within six months after OC initiation, but the relative abundance of the biosynthesis pathways of peptidoglycan and certain amino acids increased Although…
Cyclosporine is one of the most common and effective immunosuppressant drugs used to treat chronic diseases like arthritis and psoriasis, but it comes with a risk of serious side effects. Scientists think that may be because the drug broadly targets cyclophilins, a family of 17 regulatory proteins that play different roles in promoting cellular health. Although each individual cyclophilin subtype…