Synthetic proteins have been created that move in response to their environment in predictable and tunable ways. These motile molecules were designed from scratch on computers, then produced inside living cells. To function, natural proteins often shift their shapes in precise ways. For example, the blood protein hemoglobin must flex as it binds to and releases a molecule of oxygen.…
One of the interests of our lab is how the malaria parasite is regulated in the liver. Some conventional immune responses have been shown to be partially effective against the malaria parasite, but some malaria parasites are still able to develop and go on to cause disease and death. Boosting our natural ability to fight the malaria parasite while it is still in the liver could eliminate the symptoms of the disease, and subsequent transmission. In our recent publication, “Liver stage malaria infection is...
The Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment, a public-private partnership known as the CARE Fund, this week named Dr. Lucas Sullivan of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center a CARE Fund Distinguished Researcher. The honor came with a $500,000 grant to further Sullivan’s research into the role of cell metabolism in cancer biology. “His research into cancer metabolomics is highly significant, innovative and timely, and…
rain health expert Dr. Mary Kay Ross on Tuesday announced the creation of the Brain Health & Research Institute (BHRI) in Seattle. The new institute is dedicated to the evaluation, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. BHRI has entered into a scientific collaboration with ISB. Through that partnership, BHRI will blend the practical application of medical therapies…
When it was time for PvP Biologics to test its promising treatment for celiac disease, the Seattle startup wanted to keep things local. They needed a meal, something that would test their drug’s ability to neutralize gluten in conditions that mimicked the human stomach. So they did what any self-respecting team of Seattleites would do. “We got a hamburger and a vanilla…
Tissue engineering could transform medicine. Instead of waiting for our bodies to regrow or repair damage after an injury or disease, scientists could grow complex, fully functional tissues in a laboratory for transplantation into patients. Proteins are key to this future. In our bodies, protein signals tell cells where to go, when to divide and what to do. In the…
The Allen Institute today released the Integrated Mitotic Stem Cell, a data-driven model and visualization tool that captures — for the first time — a holistic view of human cell division. By enabling a deeper understanding of how healthy human cells divide, a process known as mitosis, the model will further basic biology research as well as studies of cancer, a…
The Chair of Medicine Scholars Award was established in 2013 by the Department of Medicine and awarded annually to meritorious University of Washington Department of Medicine trainees to foster the transition of awardees to the roles of physician-scientist and principal investigator as young faculty members. Dr. Pavan Bhatraju is an acting instructor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. He earned…
Heart failure is a widespread chronic condition that directly impacts nearly six million Americans, contributes to almost one in ten deaths in the United States, and drains an estimated $30 billion annually from our national economy. Current treatments can slow progression of heart failure, but do not address the underlying issues, including the problem that causes systolic heart failure, the inability of…
The Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) announced ISB Assistant Professor Dr. Wei Wei as a CARE Fund Distinguished Researcher and awarded him $500,000. The Wei Lab is developing micro technologies that cultivate new understandings in fundamental cancer biology, as well as new opportunities in translational research in the clinic. Wei is the second ISB researcher to receive grant funding distinguished…
