Scientists at NCI at Frederick, the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, and four Chinese institutions have uncovered why glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, is more aggressive in diabetic patients than nondiabetic patients. The team’s paper asserts that high amounts of a sugar called glucose trigger multiple biological processes that snowball to increase glioblastoma’s aggressiveness.

Each summer, dozens of students from the Werner H. Kirsten and Summer Internship Programs who have been hard at work under the supervision of seasoned scientists and mentors gather to share their research with the NCI at Frederick and Frederick National Laboratory community. Over two days in late July, 46 students ranging from high school to graduate school presented their findings to mentors, scientists, and their fellow interns at the NCI at Frederick campus and the Advanced Technology Research Facility.

Here I was, an 18-year-old student intern with a chance to interview a prominent research scientist and suddenly, face-to-face with her, I ran out of questions. Silence filled the room. Now what? My Urbana High School classes had not prepared me to answer that question. Well, they had not prepared me to interview a scientist, either.

“Here are lions.” This fanciful phrase for the unknown embellishes the blank areas of antiquated maps. Sometimes cartographers used the phrase “Terra Incognita” (“unknown land”) instead. Either way, the message was clear: we don’t know what’s beyond this point. The modern study of genetics is similar.

Frederick has become a key player in biomedical research. That was the clear message from the third annual Technology Showcase, hosted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. As usual, the event highlighted the numerous technologies developed by NCI and FNL scientists that are available to external groups for licensing and partnership. But this year, it also showcased the strength of the region.