Community

The Scientific Library is moving into a new dimension: a “library without walls.” Capitalizing on its identity beyond its physical location, the library will adopt a greater focus on connecting people to information, ideas, and each other and will ultimately shed its brick-and-mortar space in Building 549. The Scientific Library as an online library will focus on being a transformational hub of resources, not just a transactional place to check out books.

Mickey Williams, Ph.D., jokes that he was “somewhat doomed to become a molecular biologist” from the very start, born within mere hours of a milestone in the field. The same day in 1953 that Francis Crick and James Watson heralded their discovery of DNA’s double-helix structure — “the secret of life,” Crick triumphantly called it at The Eagle pub in Cambridge—Williams’ own life began in a maternity ward half a world away.

If last year was any indicator, plenty of kids will be eager to participate in NCI Frederick’s Take Your Child to Work Day this summer. Last year’s event, the first since the pandemic began, welcomed more than 120 children. Volunteering to sponsor a program or hub activity will help guarantee this year’s crowd—which is expected to be larger—has a fun-filled and educational day in science.

There are many paths for women to travel to find success in science. That was a crucial theme conveyed by the four panelists at Women in Science Speak 2024. The panel marked the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and celebrated empowerment and mentorship among women in science.

NCI Frederick has a new chili champion. Dawn Goings, administrative assistant in Environment, Health, and Safety, blazed her way through a heated competition to clinch first place in the 17th Chili Cook-off. The cook-off, a storied lunch-hour tradition at NCI Frederick, returned to campus this year for the first time since 2019, rising phoenix-like from the ashes of the pandemic.

The Spring Research Festival, Fort Detrick’s annual scientific showcase, is seeking participants. NCI Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory staff (including those located at the Advanced Technology Research Facility) are encouraged to participate in one or more of the festival’s functions. Registration for participants, namely presenters and judges, is open until April 5.

The cancer community will come together for a two-day conference designed to celebrate Black contributions in cancer research and to connect future investigators and collaborators, in order to pave the way for the next generation of Black cancer research professionals. Black in Cancer, a U.S./U.K.-based organization, and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research are co-hosts of the 2024 Black in Cancer Conference, set for June 20–21 at the Natcher Conference Center on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda.

Experiencing a persistent cough, tight chest, and sinus discomfort can be uncomfortable. When you have these symptoms, it’s natural to seek medication to help ease your symptoms and promote healing.

As a nurse practitioner, I have faced the dilemma of finding suitable over-the-counter cold remedies without a clear, evidence-based answer. Standing in the cold and sinus aisle, the abundance of products is overwhelming. To make an informed decision, I considered the underlying causes of sinus congestion, including common colds, nasal irritants, and environmental triggers.

Visualizing protein structures in three dimensions instead of two has given scientists new insights into biological processes, and now artificial intelligence is adding the capacity to predict molecular behaviors that could potentially be borne out in laboratory studies. For Kylie Walters, Ph.D., a structural biologist with the NCI Center for Cancer Research in Frederick, artificial intelligence, or AI, has revolutionized the way her laboratory works.

Frederick-area biotechnology professionals got an inside look at advances in mass spectrometry as part of the quarterly Biotech Connector Series at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.