August 2023

NCI and FNL Technology Showcase Returns September 6

The National Cancer Institute and Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research will host the Technology Showcase on Wednesday, September 6, at the FNL’s Advanced Technology Research Facility in Frederick, Md. The seventh annual event highlights NCI and FNL inventions and capabilities available to the external healthcare and biotech communities and offers the opportunity for networking with others in the biomedical research field.  

August 31 Biotech Connector to Explore Advances in Protein Production

The next Biotech Connector will explore advances in protein production happening in the Frederick, Md., area with talks from three experts working in the field. It is set for 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 31, at the Frederick National Laboratory’s Advanced Technology Research Facility in Frederick. 

Tick Talk

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in Maryland, spread by bacteria found in the bite of black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. Though it’s common, the disease can be difficult to diagnose, sometimes resulting in debilitating symptoms that may have been prevented with proper, timely diagnosis and a simple course of antibiotics.

End of NCI-MATCH Trial Positions Precision Medicine and Genetic Sequencing for Next Big Push

NCI-MATCH aimed to determine whether certain cancer therapies could be used more broadly. If a medicine is effective against one type of cancer with a specific mutation, the trial asked, could it treat other cancers with the same mutation? After the eight-year trial, scientists say an answer is coming into view

‘Algae’ Allies: Protein from Cyanobacteria Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Lab Studies

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, before vaccines were available and while SARS-CoV-2 was wreaking havoc worldwide, Barry O’Keefe, Ph.D., and longtime collaborators in Brazil and Spain pooled their knowledge and resources to study cyanovirin-N (CV-N), a protein from cyanobacteria, photosynthetic bacteria commonly known as blue-green algae. O’Keefe had a hunch it could be developed to fight the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Where Are They Now: Lea Jih-Vieira’s Path from Math to Data Science and Systems Engineering

Former Werner H. Kirsten (WHK) Student Intern Program participant Lea Jih-Vieira followed a narrow path of interest and discovered a plethora of possibilities. When she first learned about the WHK internship from an information session at her high school, Jih-Vieira wasn’t sure about applying because it seemed geared toward laboratory work, which didn’t capture her interest. But, with some encouragement from her mom, Jih-Vieira applied and was accepted for an internship with NCI Frederick’s Office of Scientific Operations (OSO).