Precision Genomics Collaboratory News

The Duke School of Medicine Precision Genomics Collaboratory and the Office of Biomedical and Graduate Education have been providing $2,000 pilot grant opportunities three times a year for current biomedical PhD students since August 2021.

After receiving their grants, students have six months to use their funds, which could go towards research or professional development.

Drug-resistant microbial pathogens — whether parasite, bacteria, virus, or fungus — are a major global challenge that can lead to limited treatment options, increased costs for resources, and higher levels of morbidity and mortality.

A Duke-led international research team has discovered one of the ways that drug resistance can develop: a process by which mobile DNA sequences called transposons trigger “hypermutation,” allowing certain genetic components to multiply unchecked.   

This summer, eight scholars from across the country were paired with a faculty research mentor to learn laboratory skills, designing a research project, and effectively presenting future research.

The human gut evolved to thrive on fermentable fibers, not bacon cheeseburgers

In what is believed to be a first, a research team led by Duke Health has demonstrated a way to use CRISPR technology to successfully prevent and treat COVID infections.

Charis Eng, MD, PhD, FACP, is a leader in the field of cancer genetics. She was the first to discover a link between mutations in the cancer suppressor gene PTEN and Cowden syndrome and other disorders that can put patients at an increased risk for several types of cancer.

The Office for Research and Innovation has awarded funding to nine best-in-class projects, including two faculty from the Precision Genomics Collaboratory, for the inaugural Duke Science and Technology (DST) Spark Seed Grant program. This year’s winners include early- to mid-career faculty from across campus and the School of Medicine who were selected from a pool of 52 finalists for delivering innovative and creative ideas in pursuit of new directions and the enhancement of research and scholarship at Duke.

Even though we add a year to our age with every birthday, are our bodies actually a year older?

For some people, the answer is yes, but for others, maybe not. Researchers have found that some people age slowly, only experiencing a few months’ worth of physical aging in a year, while others age more quickly, in effect, growing years older in just one calendar year. This may help explain why one 50-year-old might look like they are only in their 30s while another may look closer to 70.