Labs across the country are facing backlogs in coronavirus testing thanks in part to a shortage of tiny pieces of tapered plastic. Researchers need these little disposables, called pipette tips, to quickly and precisely move liquid between vials as they process the tests. As the number of known coronavirus cases in the United States fast…
Overweight and obese children may show signs of cardiovascular disease risk even before age 11, Australian researchers report. For a study published in Pediatrics, scientists measured body mass index in 1,811 children every two years between ages 2 and 11 and calculated their metabolic syndrome risk scores. For this study, the score calculated risk for…
A team of Brazilian and European scientists has determined the transmission rates and out-of-country origins of predominant SARS-CoV-2 strains currently circulating in Brazil, which harbors one of the fastest growing COVID-19 epidemics in the world. Although the researchers show that non-pharmaceutical interventions initially reduced viral transmission, the continued increases in both cases and deaths in…
A team of scientists has engineered the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus – a critical component of potential COVID-19 vaccines – to be more environmentally stable and generate larger yields in the lab. By solving problems with protein instability that have held back vaccine research, the new spike protein design could accelerate the development…
Cancer’s knack for developing resistance to chemotherapy has long been a major obstacle to achieving lasting remissions or cures. While tumors may shrink soon after chemotherapy, many times they eventually grow back. Scientists once thought that unique genetic mutations in tumors underlay this drug resistance. But more and more, they are casting their eyes on…
A group of doctors and data scientists is calling on hospitals to create clinical departments devoted to artificial intelligence (AI) to harness the power of the technology to transform patient care. While there have been many predictions of AI’s potential to benefit healthcare delivery – from helping doctors perform surgery to catching cancer earlier –…
When drugs to kill microbes are ineffective, host-directed therapy uses the body’s own immune system to deal with the infection. This approach is being tested in patients with COVID-19, and now a team of researchers at Trinity College Dublin has published a study showing how it might also work in the fight against tuberculosis (TB).…
Two Columbia Data Science Institute (DSI) graduates work for the startup Surgical Safety Technologies (SST), whose data-driven technology is helping hospitals become more efficient, streamlined and safer. Peter Grantcharov and Manksh Gupta are data scientists at SST, whose A.I. platform records data from cameras, microphones and sensors that are installed in operating rooms. The platform,…
AURORA, Colo. (July 23, 2020) – Peer mentorship is a critical and more accessible option for professional and personal growth than traditional mentor-mentee relationships, according to a new paper from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The paper, published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine, finds that peer mentorship, especially in academic medicine, is…
A Penn State College of Medicine research team found that playing a simple conversation game may encourage African Americans to make plans for their end of life care. Researchers say the game may be a useful tool in addressing the disparities in end-of-life care in African American communities. Dr. Lauren Van Scoy, an associate professor…