NCI and FNL Researchers Turn Lessons Learned into Stepping Stones

Science is an interrogation of reality: “putting Nature through a thorough inquisition,” as poet W. H. Auden once wrote. It’s the search for what’s real. But sometimes traditional practices get in the way. What to do when reality itself slows the search?

The NCI at Frederick Scientific Publications Database added 231 publications by NCI at Frederick researchers between July 1 and September 30, 2020.

The 2020 Technology Showcase welcomed more than 300 viewers for half a day of presentations and panels on technology commercialization and collaboration. The annual event once again highlighted the capabilities of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, and greater Frederick region—but this year, with its novel virtual format, it reached new audiences.

Just a few years ago, it was difficult to get any meaningful sequence data from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded patient tissue samples. These biopsy specimens, which are tissues preserved in formaldehyde and embedded in wax for storage, are easy to make and store, even in remote research locations. Many are available, and more are made all the time, for use in experimental research and drug development. Because there are so many samples that have been taken over numerous years, they can also be used to help study the evolution of diseases and viruses.

Back to school. They’re familiar words in an unfamiliar time. Most years, they signal the return of the stressful but manageable rituals of supply shopping, schedules, and summer’s end. This is not most years. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), NCI at Frederick, and the Frederick National Laboratory recognize the challenges their employees face this season. Fortunately, they provide multiple resources that empower their staff, enable flexibility, and promote well-being.