Category: Biotechnology
Scientists set out to map the world’s genomic diversity
“The goal is to collect, organize and make accessible a representation of all the genetic variation that exist in humans, big, small, common and rare,” said Evan Eichler, a professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle and one of the organizers of the project.
When it comes to the rarest of diseases, the diagnosis isn’t the answer – it’s just the starting point
Major advances in the precision and speed of gene sequencing technology followed by dramatic reductions in the costs of testing – have radically changed how medical genetics clinics function. But while sequencing can provide confirmation of a suspected, well-understood condition, it frequently results in a situation like that faced by the Smiths, where the testing result shows an incredibly rare disorder with little known about it.
Thousands of Patients Were Implanted With Heart Pumps That the FDA Knew Could Be Dangerous
Inspectors repeatedly found manufacturing and device quality problems with the HeartWare pump. But the FDA didn’t penalize the company, and patients had the device implanted without knowing the facts.
Health apps track vital health stats for millions of people, but doctors aren’t using the data
The potential for health-tracking apps to improve health care has barely been tapped.
The Wild Frontier of Model Organism Research
Powerful genetic tools have become cheap and agile enough for biologists to create new strains of model organisms
UW researchers make AI protein-structure prediction software available to all
With the software, researchers can solve problems that used to take years to work out.
Covid Was a Tipping Point for Telehealth.
If Some Have Their Way, Virtual Visits Are Here to Stay.
Telemedicine Is a Tool — Not a Replacement for Your Doctor’s Touch
Covid-19 let virtual medicine out of the bottle. Now it’s time to tame it.
Dying on the Waitlist
A key reason lifesaving ECMO is being rationed in the U.S. is a lack of regional coordination.
3 medical innovations fueled by COVID-19 that will outlast the pandemic
Genetic vaccines, wearable tech and new ways to discover drugs.
Government-Funded Scientists Laid the Groundwork for Billion-Dollar Vaccines
The coronavirus vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna rely heavily on two fundamental discoveries that emerged from federally funded research.
UW researchers create molecular atlases that reveal how cells develop and grow
The gene expression and chromatin accessibility atlases will accelerate the study of the genomics of normal and abnormal development.
Rural hospitals can’t afford ultra-cold freezers to store the leading Covid-19 vaccine
The vaccine has to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius. Typical freezers don’t get that cold, making distribution of this vaccine a logistical nightmare.
Scientists Warn Americans Are Expecting Too Much From a Vaccine
Many have pinned their hopes on a COVID-19 vaccine being developed at “warp speed.” But some scientific experts warn they’re all expecting too much, too soon.
Training our immune systems: Why we should insist on a high-quality COVID-19 vaccine
The way we train our immune systems now to respond to SARS-CoV-2 could impact how well our bodies can respond to future coronaviruses.