by Emily Burke, PhD | Mar 19, 2019 | Uncategorized
Cracking the Circadian Code The most recent WEEKLY described the molecular basis of circadian rhythm, the internal 24-hour clock that governs many of our biological processes. Disrupting this cycle over the long term is linked to diseases including obesity, diabetes,... 
by Emily Burke, PhD | Nov 1, 2018 | Drug Development, Uncategorized
Squash That Bug The flu. Need we say more? Why yes. Yes, we do! Last week, we examined all things flu: we talked about the influenza virus structure, how the pesky pathogen makes us feel so lousy, and why the vaccine’s effectiveness isn’t always up to sniff. Er,... 
by Emily Burke, PhD | Apr 12, 2018 | Commercialization, Uncategorized
The Science Behind the Deal Earlier this week, news of the $8.7 billion acquisition of gene therapy company AveXis (Bannockburn, IL) by Novartis (Basel, Switzerland) made big biotech headlines. AveXis’ lead candidate, AVXS-101, is now in Phase III clinical... 
by Emily Burke, PhD | Feb 16, 2017 | Genetic Engineering, Uncategorized
Coming Soon To A Supermarket Near You Coming soon to a supermarket near you: apples that have been genetically modified to resist browning. Dubbed Arctic Apples, the plants were approved two years ago by the USDA and will begin appearing on... 
by Emily Burke, PhD | Nov 17, 2016 | Neuroscience, Uncategorized
A Big Pain The opioid addiction crisis gained attention at the highest levels of U.S. policy circles this past year. Presidential candidates that disagreed on nearly everything else vowed to make fighting the epidemic a priority if elected. In July, the U.S. Senate... 
by Emily Burke, PhD | Jun 16, 2016 | Uncategorized
Regulatory T-Cells Make A Pathway After our focus on T-cell activated immunotherapies revving up the immune response, we turn to the other side of the coin—a subset of helper T-cells known as regulatory T-cells. Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) suppress the immune response.... 
