Biological systems are stunningly complex, and the complexity extends down to the single protein level. Proteins are made up of a string of amino acids, which then fold up into structures that determine their function. Many Nobel Prizes have been awarded for determining protein structures, most recently the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computer [...]
Antibodies are proteins produced by your immune system that fight viruses and other microbes. The cells that produce these antibodies can persist for years after an infection, and generating these cells is the basis for vaccination. It has been clear for some time that Covid-19 patients generated a strong antibody response – at least initially [...]
Congratulations to the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge finalists and winners! Hard work and passion are rewarded! 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge Winners
In perhaps the most consequential Nobel Prize in years, Jennifer Doudna (UC Berkeley) and Emmanuelle Charpentier (Max Planck Institute in Berlin) were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a novel antiviral defense mechanism used by bacteria, which they ultimately repurposed into the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. DNA editing with the CRISPR-Cas9 system has [...]
Our summer 2021 workshops are still in the process of being scheduled, but in the meantime, we wanted to update you on our upcoming Fall/Winter/Spring molecular medicine workshops and let you know that we are currently accepting applications. Fall/winter/spring workshops: We are pleased to announce our newest workshop - Covid-19: Biology, Immunity, Medicine - held [...]
The Ras proteins (coded by the NRAS, KRAS and HRAS genes) were discovered in 1982 and were subsequently found to be some of the most frequently mutated genes in all types of cancer. Mutant Ras proteins are oncogenes (genes that contribute to the initiation and/or progression of tumors) and are therefore obvious targets for the [...]
Hey Everyone! There is still a little space in our workshops starting 6/21 and 7/12, which have moved online. Workshops starting 6/21 include Molecular Biology of Cancer, Molecular Biology of Aging and Molecular Neuroscience, and the 7/12 workshops are Molecular Biology of Cancer, Molecular Immunology and Molecular Neuroscience. We hope to have an in-person Biomedical [...]
SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious virus, but most people who contract SARS-CoV-2 have asymptomatic or mild Covid-19 disease. But what molecular and/or physiologic features discriminate severe/life-threatening Covid-19 from mild/asymptomatic cases? To thoroughly answer this question, one would need to know how the infection evolves and what cell types are involved. This study details the exact [...]
Malaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted by mosquitoes. Severe cases cause hundreds of thousands of deaths per year, infant mortality/low-birth weight/abnormal neurological development, anemia and respiratory distress, while mild cases cause fever/fatigue/vomiting. Afflicted countries endure severe economic distress as a byproduct of this human suffering. Luckily, in the US we [...]
The biomedical research world is a complicated one; were it not, many diseases would have been cured decades ago. But every once in awhile, novel research illuminates a simple solution to a complex problem. Here, two studies demonstrate that the use of particular anesthetics can have serious consequences for patient recovery after medical procedures. In [...]