First-ever discovery by Hina Chaudhry, MD of Mount Sinai could lead to new and less invasive treatments

A study of human astrovirus structure reveals the strategy that the virus uses to enter the body, and illuminates the possibility of repurposing existing, FDA-approved treatments to target astrovirus.

Scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography have described a new way to produce large amounts of xanthommatin, a natural pigment, in a bacterium for the first time. Xanthommatin is the natural chemical compound used by octopus, squid and other cephalopods to change the color of their skin. Researchers in the Moore Lab at Scripps have found their nature-based approach to produce up to 1,000 times more xanthommatin material than traditional methods. This breakthrough opens new possibilities for the pigment’s use in a wide range of materials and cosmetics — from photoelectronic devices and thermal coatings to dyes and UV protectants.