Basic Science News at Duke School of Medicine

NIH Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award supports research of the immune evasion strategies of Chlamydia trachomatis, the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection.

By analyzing their spike proteins, Duke researchers reveal how the Omicron XBB variants balance stability, receptor usage and immune evasion.

Debra Silver, PhD, professor of molecular genetics and microbiology, cell biology and neurobiology at Duke University School of Medicine, has been awarded a 2024 Javits Award by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

PhD candidate Griffin Carter discusses the importance of diversity in the sciences and shares how through his research, he’s working to give hope to people with a deadly brain cancer.

Christine Eyler is exploring how tumors evolve during treatment to identify vulnerabilities that could lead to more effective cancer therapies. By studying rectal cancer organoids and epigenetic changes, Eyler aims to uncover new strategies that could eventually translate into personalized treatments for patients.

Duke University School of Medicine has welcomed Nuo Li, PhD, as an associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology, and 2024 Duke Science and Technology Scholar. Li and his lab members bring a wealth of expertise in understanding the complexities of how the brain makes decisions.

Mapping the structure of an enzyme crucial for fungal survival also sheds light on how climate change is affecting the fungal world.

New research reveals shape-shifting proteins may help some organisms, like plants, adapt to rising temperatures. But this same ability could also lead to the emergence of dangerous fungal pathogens

When breast cancer spreads to the lining of the brain, survival time for patients is less than six months. Duke University School of Medicine researchers have discovered clues as to how they might stop this dangerous spread.

Two tiny sensors of touch, Piezo1 and Piezo2, signal the lightest pressures and can be found monitoring the circulatory system, telling the body where its limbs are in space, and even sounding the alarm for bladder pressure. But a new study from Duke University shows that Piezo1 works differently than everyone thought.