Author: Johanna Lee

Seeing Signals in a New Light: Far-Red Chemigenetic Biosensors Illuminate Kinase Activity

Posted on by Johanna Lee

Cell signaling is a finely tuned process where both timing and spatial context play essential roles. Whether it’s a hormone triggering a cellular response or a drug modulating a pathway, these processes unfold in dynamic, spatially organized ways. To study them, researchers rely on chemigenetic biosensors—genetically encoded tools that light up in response to molecular activity. However, traditional biosensors are constrained by several limitations: poor photostability under prolonged imaging, limited spectral flexibility for multiplexing, and insufficient spatial resolution for studying signaling events at subcellular scales.

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Microfluidic Organoids Could Revolutionize Breast Cancer Treatment

Posted on by Johanna Lee

Breast cancer is the most common tumor among women worldwide and has a profound impact on individuals and society. Aside from being a leading cause of cancer-related death, patients often undergo invasive treatments such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, which may result in long-term side effects and reduced quality of life. Additionally, the healthcare burden of breast cancer is immense. This makes effective, timely, and personalized treatments a critical need.

A recent study published in Scientific Reports presents a microfluidic-based method for growing breast cancer organoids that significantly reduces the culture time while maintaining essential structural and drug response characteristics. This method could be the key to developing personalized breast cancer treatments in the future.

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Bacteria From Insect Guts Could Help Degrade Plastic

Posted on by Johanna Lee

For the past few decades, plastic pollution has become a serious environmental challenge. Plastic production has continued to increase and there are a variety of plastic polymer types available. Polystyrene (PS) is one of the most widely used plastics due to its durability, strength, and low cost. However, the qualities that make this plastic valuable also make it highly resistant to degradation.

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A Diabetes Drug, Metformin, Slows Aging in Male Monkeys

Posted on by Johanna Lee

Aging is a natural process that occurs in all living creatures, seemingly inevitable and inescapable. Yet, it is a collective dream of humanity to somehow avoid the deterioration caused by old age, including declining brain function, chronic illnesses, and organ failure. For decades, scientists have been exploring ways to slow down the aging process in the hope of extending lifespans and improving the quality of life. Now, we may be closer than ever to finding an answer. It’s called “metformin”.

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Understanding Persistent Digestive Disorders With Multiplex PCR

Posted on by Johanna Lee

Digestive disorders are a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with diarrhea being particularly deadly. Despite declining mortality rates, diarrhea still causes an estimated 1.65 million deaths annually, with the highest burden in low- and middle-income countries, largely due to poor sanitation and lack of clean water. While acute diarrhea has been extensively studied, less is known about the pathogens responsible for long-lasting digestive issues, including diarrhea and abdominal pain that persist for 14 days or more. A recent study in Scientific Reports offers valuable insights into the prevalence of these pathogens and highlights the importance of advanced molecular diagnostics in addressing this issue.

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Can AI Replace High-Throughput Screens for Drug Discovery?

Posted on by Johanna Lee
This image was created with the assistance of AI

For decades, pharmaceutical companies have relied on high-throughput screening (HTS) as the first step in the drug discovery process. After an initial screening of thousands of compounds, scientists select a smaller list of candidate drugs that is then used for further downstream testing. A major limitation to HTS, however, is the need to synthesize all compounds used in the screen—the compounds need to physically exist to be tested. This significantly limits the number of compounds that can be tested, hindering the discovery of new drugs.

What if we could test compounds even before they are synthesized?

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How Avian Influenza Crosses Species

Posted on by Johanna Lee

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has become an increasingly severe public health issue. According to the CDC, the frequency of avian influenza outbreaks and diversity of virus subtypes have increased significantly in the past decade. In 2022, there were reports of sporadic H5 virus infections in mammals across several U.S. states, Canada, and other countries. Affected animals included fox kits, bobcats, coyote pups, raccoons, skunks, mink, and even seals. Human cases of H5N6 and other subtypes following poultry exposures were reported in China, with several cases resulting in severe or critical illness and death.

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Macrophages: The Unsung Heroes of Immune Response and Biologic Drug Development 

Posted on by Johanna Lee

When we think about the immune system, B cells and T cells are often the focus of attention. B cells are known for producing antibodies, and T cells are celebrated for their cytotoxic capabilities. More recently, however, macrophages are being brought into the spotlight and recognized for their integral role in immune defense and the field of biologic drug development. 

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Treating Solid Tumors: Combining CAR-T Cell Therapy with Probiotics

Posted on by Johanna Lee

Chimeric Antigen Recepter (CAR)-T cell therapy is a personalized immunotherapy that harnesses the patient’s own immune system to combat cancer. It is done by engineering the patient’s T cells to specifically target and attack cancer cells in their body, and it has shown great success in treating various blood cancers such as leukemia.

Treating solid tumors with CAR-T cells, however, has proved much more challenging. This is mainly because solid tumors contain a heterogeneous population of cells, expressing a variety of antigens—many of which are also expressed in healthy cells. Therefore, T cells targeting solid tumors could potentially attack healthy tissue, resulting in serious side effects. In addition, solid tumors create a hostile microenvironment that is difficult for CAR-T cells to infiltrate.

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Studying the Genetic Basis of Type 2 Diabetes with An Automated Maxwell® Workflow

Posted on by Johanna Lee
Blood collection tubes in a rack. Researchers are learning more about Type 2 diabetes

Over the past few decades, the prevalence of diabetes has been on the rise. According to the WHO, 422 million people worldwide have diabetes, causing an estimated 1.5 million deaths every year. Among those with diabetes, 95% have type 2 diabetes—which is caused by the body’s resistance to insulin. It is known that risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, excess weight, poor diet and family history. However, the precise genetic basis of type 2 diabetes is still largely a mystery.

Dr. Mark McCarthy’s lab at the Oxford Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM) focuses on understanding the genetic causes of type 2 diabetes. Identifying which genes contribute to type 2 diabetes could provide opportunities for developing new therapeutics. Chris Grove, former lab manager in Dr. McCarthy’s lab, explained how they have approached this challenge.

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