Basic Science News at Duke School of Medicine

Hidden sweeteners in oral nicotine pouches mask the sting of nicotine but may entice first-time users and youth consumption. 

Duke University School of Medicine researchers reveal how fungi can be both a species-threatening force and a vital part of our ecosystem. From recycling nutrients and trapping carbon to making bread rise and producing antibiotics, fungi are indispensable.

Dr. Raphael Valdivia, the Nanaline H. Duke Distinguished Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, emphasizes the need to understand the human immune system to address diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. His research focuses on leveraging AI and genetic engineering to guide immunity, highlighting Duke's strengths in transplant immunology and infectious disease research.

Nicole Calakos, MD, PhD, is the Lincoln Financial Group Distinguished Professor of Neurobiology and specializes in synaptic physiology research and Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. She highlights the transformative impact of big data, AI, and cell modeling on neuroscience research, emphasizing the potential for advances in regenerative therapies and neural prostheses.

Researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute successfully created an HIV vaccine candidate that guides key immune cells along an evolutionary pathway to become broadly neutralizing antibodies. Further tests in primates and humans are planned.

Diego V. Bohórquez, PhD, and Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, PhD, were among the nearly 400 recipients of Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers honors announced by The White House this week.

Akankshi Munjal, PhD, assistant professor of cell biology, is driven by her fascination with watching development happen.

A team led by Rohit Singh, PhD, has developed a computational technique that allows large language models to predict antibody structures more accurately.

Zhao Zhang, PhD , associate professor of pharmacology and cancer biology, has been named a recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Scientist Award from The Sontag Foundation.

Mouse study reveals vagus nerve stimulation eases colitis symptoms by regulating inflammation-triggering SUMOylation, a cellular process that shapes immune response.