Self-Assembling 3D Mini-Tumors Are Poised to Become a New Tool for Studying Cancer

The sun makes all life possible on Earth, yet it’s a well-known fact that it’s also tremendously harmful for your skin. The sun gives off ultraviolet (UV) light, which, as we know, can cause sunburn. While traditionally associated with the sunny days and soaring temperatures of summer, the UV index is a year-long concern. Protecting yourself now is as important as ever.

Building 549’s atrium was abnormally crowded one late summer day. Like the cicadas buzzing just outside the building, the room thrummed with excitement, dozens of conversations going at once. The noise was so loud that it was hard to hear someone speaking even a few paces away. Student Poster Day had returned to the NCI Frederick campus, making its first appearance since the apprehensive days of early 2020.

With 100 online attendees, 180 in-person participants, 15 posters, 16 technologies, and 45 speakers, the 2023 Technology Showcase offered a whirlwind look into biotechnology innovation happening at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research and National Cancer Institute.

After three years of COVID-19, science has learned much about the disease and the virus that causes it, SARS-CoV-2. But in the bigger biological and clinical picture, there are still many unanswered questions, says Ligia Pinto, Ph.D. That’s what keeps her group, the Vaccine, Immunity, and Cancer Directorate at Frederick National Laboratory, working hard to hunt down answers.

Three NCI Frederick branch chiefs have joined the ranks of three esteemed societies within the last year. While they’re grateful for the honor, they’re trying to share the limelight. The three say the elections serve to applaud their teams’ contributions, acknowledge the importance of investing in other scientists, and underscore that good science happens when many minds come together.