Investigating the Primary Cilium: Q & A With Xuecai Ge
Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Xuecai Ge. The brain is a large and complex organ, but some very small structures guide its development. Xuecai Ge, Ph.D., an associate professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Merced (UC Merced), has devoted her career to understanding one of these structures called the primary cilium. In an interview, Dr. Ge shared how her childhood experience inspired her to study science and what makes the primary cilium fascinating. Q: How did you first become interested in science? A: When I was a little kid, my mom was a primary care doctor, and I saw her treat patients...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 27, 2024 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Cellular Processes Profiles Source Type: blogs

Ring In the New Year With Basic Research
Empowering basic biomedical research, which focuses on understanding how living systems work, is one of NIGMS’ main goals. This type of research not only helps us learn how our bodies and those of other organisms function but also lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. We’re excited to see what the upcoming year has in store for the field! In preparation, we’re highlighting what NIGMS-supported scientists had to say in 2023 about the many merits of basic research. Also check out the links to the Biomedical Beat posts that feature them if you haven’t already. ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - December 27, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Scientific Process Source Type: blogs

State of the lab 10 and 11 - the first years at ETH Zurich
Yet another lake by a mountain in SwitzerlandThis blog post is part of a(nearly) yearly series on running a research group in academia. This post summarizes years 10 and 11, the first 2 years after moving to ETH Zurich. It also marks the end of the first decade as a research group leader, which is meaningful only because we have ten fingers and use 10 as a base for counting but I digress. There has been a lot to adapt to in moving to a new country including all the basics of moving, re-building the group and starting teaching. It was a lot easier than the first time around since I didn ' t have to set up the group from zer...
Source: Evolution of Cellular Networks - November 13, 2023 Category: Cytology Tags: academia state of the lab Source Type: blogs

Ming Lei Departs Division for Research Capacity Building
It’s with mixed emotions that I share that Ming Lei left our Division for Research Capacity Building (DRCB) earlier this month to become senior associate vice president for research and graduate education at West Virginia University (WVU) Health Sciences. Ming also joined the faculty in WVU’s School of Medicine as vice dean for research and a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology, and cell biology. Ming has been part of the NIH community since 2008, serving in key positions at the National Cancer Institute before joining NIGMS in 2018. During his tenure in DRCB, Ming led numerous initiatives to...
Source: NIGMS Feedback Loop Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - August 24, 2023 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Director’s Messages NIGMS Staff News Source Type: blogs

Top 6 Companies Using AI In Drug Discovery And Development
What if coming up with a new drug could be measured in days rather than years? What if new medication would cost thousands instead of billions of dollars? Just look at how an AI pharma start-up developed a potential new drug in 46 days! Artificial intelligence technologies promise to speed up the process of drug discovery and development and make it more cost-effective. As the market is flourishing, and it takes time and effort to separate the wheat from the chaff, we collected the most promising AI pharma companies out there. Drug design is a key area AI is revolutionizing. In one of our latest database projects, we de...
Source: The Medical Futurist - August 17, 2023 Category: Information Technology Authors: berci.mesko Tags: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Future of Pharma Genomics research clinical trials AI drug development medication drug discovery drug research cure Source Type: blogs

Biomaterial Injection Combines T Cell and Cancer Vaccine Treatments
Researchers at the Harvard Wyss Institute have developed an anti-cancer biomaterial treatment that combines adoptive T cell therapy and cancer vaccine technology to treat solid tumors. The researchers have called their technique SIVET, which is short for “synergistic in situ vaccination enhanced T cell”. The approach combines local delivery of cytotoxic T cells with longer lasting cancer vaccine technology that engages with the immune system more broadly for long lasting anticancer action. The researchers hope that the technology could lead to improvements in efficacy for immune therapies in treating solid tumors. A...
Source: Medgadget - August 7, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Conn Hastings Tags: Materials Medicine Oncology harvard wyssinstitute Source Type: blogs

Pre-A & P: A Refresher for Student Success in Anatomy & Physiology | TAPP 140
In episode 140, we introduce the development of thepre-A&P course and theA&P1 Supplement course. These coursesaddress the challenges faced by A&P students and improve theirreadiness and comprehension.  In this first of two episodes, we focus on the pre-A&P course. It focuses on filling subject knowledge gaps with 10 modules and cumulative tests. Student surveys and studies show its effectiveness inachieving higher grades in the A&P 1 course. Implementing these nontraditional coursesrequires collaboration and support from advisors and faculty members. Together, we aim tobridge the gap in subject pre...
Source: The A and P Professor - July 18, 2023 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, July 17th 2023
In conclusion, the longevity-associated genotype of FLT1 may confer increased lifespan by protecting against mortality risk posed by hypertension. We suggest that FLT1 expression in individuals with longevity genotype boosts vascular endothelial resilience mechanisms to counteract hypertension-related stress in vital organs and tissues. Resistance Exercise Slows the Onset of Pathology in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2023/07/resistance-exercise-slows-the-onset-of-pathology-in-a-mouse-model-of-alzheimers-disease/ With the caveat that mouse models of Alzheimer'...
Source: Fight Aging! - July 16, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

Developing a Recellularization Approach to Produce Thymic Tissue
The thymus produces the T cells that make up the adaptive immune system, but the organ atrophies with age, contributing to the age-related decline of immune function. A popular science article here comments on a new biotech company seeking to produce thymus tissue for transplantation from decellularized donor tissues. This builds upon work of recent years that improves the understanding of the stem cell and progenitor cell populations that give rise to thymic tissue. Given that understanding, it should be possible to take decellularized thymic tissue and repopulate it with patient-derived cells, or from novel universal cel...
Source: Fight Aging! - July 14, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs

Automating Cellular Image Analysis to Find Potential Medicines
Dr. Anne Carpenter. Credit: Juliana Sohn. When she started college, Anne Carpenter, Ph.D., never guessed she’d one day create software for analyzing images of cells that would help identify potential medicines and that thousands of researchers would use. She wasn’t planning to become a computational biologist, or even to focus on science at all, but she’s now an institute scientist and the senior director of the Imaging Platform at the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard in Cambridge. Starting Out in Science Before beginning her undergraduate studies at Purdue University...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - March 22, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Cells Tools and Techniques Bioinformatics Cellular Imaging Computational Biology Cool Tools/Techniques Profiles Source Type: blogs

Wanted: Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences Program Director
We’re recruiting for a position in the Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences (PPS) Branch of the Division of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biological Chemistry (PPBC). Scientific responsibilities of the position include any or all of the following research subjects, depending on the applicant’s experience: cellular signaling, drug-receptor interactions, drug metabolism and transport, drug delivery, and wound healing. The successful hire will be responsible for management of a portfolio of research grants and research training and/or career development awards, and will collaboratively stimulate, plan, advise, and d...
Source: NIGMS Feedback Loop Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - January 18, 2023 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Job Announcements Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, January 16th 2023
Conclusions Implanted Hair Follicle Cells Produce Remodeling of Scar Tissue Assessment of Somatic Mosaicism as a Biomarker of Aging The Gut Microbiome of Centenarians https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2023/01/the-gut-microbiome-of-centenarians/ The state of the gut microbiome is arguably as influential on health as exercise. Various microbial species present in the gut produce beneficial metabolites, such as butyrate, or harmful metabolites, such as isoamylamine, or can provoke chronic inflammation in a variety of ways. An individual can have a better or worse microbiome, assessing these and other...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 15, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

A Proposal to Accelerate Progress Towards Human Rejuvenation
Here find the first draft of a proposal regarding the best way forward at the present time to accelerate progress towards the development of diverse, effective rejuvenation therapies. The key is to use philanthropic funding to (a) prove efficacy in low-cost clinical trials, and then (b) market that data to ensure physician adoption of the first working rejuvenation therapies. A PDF version of this draft also exists. Executive Summary 1. Aging is by far the greatest cause of human morbidity and mortality. 2. Rejuvenation therapies that will greatly reduce unnecessary late life suffering and death ar...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 13, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Activism, Advocacy and Education Source Type: blogs

Fight Aging! Newsletter, January 9th 2023
Fight Aging! publishes news and commentary relevant to the goal of ending all age-related disease, to be achieved by bringing the mechanisms of aging under the control of modern medicine. This weekly newsletter is sent to thousands of interested subscribers. To subscribe or unsubscribe from the newsletter, please visit: https://www.fightaging.org/newsletter/ Longevity Industry Consulting Services Reason, the founder of Fight Aging! and Repair Biotechnologies, offers strategic consulting services to investors, entrepreneurs, and others interested in the longevity industry and its complexities. To find out m...
Source: Fight Aging! - January 8, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs

A Tale of Tails: How Reptile Regeneration Could Help Humans
Dr. Thomas Lozito. Credit: Chris Shinn for USC Health Advancement Communications. “I’ve always been interested in science and in lizards. I got my first pet lizard when I was around 4 years old, and it was love at first sight,” says Thomas Lozito, Ph.D., who now studies the creatures as an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. During his childhood, Dr. Lozito turned his parents’ house into a “little zoo” of lizards and amphibians. He sneaked lizards into his dorm room as a college student at Jo...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - January 4, 2023 Category: Research Authors: Chrissa Chverchko Tags: Being a Scientist Injury and Illness Cool Creatures Profiles Regeneration Research Organisms Wound Healing Source Type: blogs