Researchers at Duke University used CRISPR technologies to discover previously unannotated stretches of DNA in the ‘dark genome’ that are responsible for controlling how cells sense and respond to the mechanical properties of their local environment.

UMD mathematicians identified vaccination strategies that could completely eliminate HPV-related cancers. 

Scientists collected and analyzed lung samples from pneumonia patients. Samples fell into one of four distinct microbial patterns. Lung microbiomes resembling oral microbiomes were associated with recovery. Dynamic, rather than static, microbiomes also were associated with recovery.

The use of artificial beaver dams to replicate the ecological benefits created by the industrious rodents shows promise for offsetting damage to fish habitat, water quality, and biodiversity arising from climate change. But as the use of such “beaver mimicry” spreads, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, there are key gaps in the research and a need for more studies that examine whether the outcomes seen in specific projects are broadly applicable.

Adolescents often sleep less than recommended and have substantially different sleep patterns between weekdays and weekends. Their mismatch in sleep timing between school and free days, known as social jet lag, has been linked to adverse physical, cognitive, and mental health outcomes, though the mechanisms have been poorly understood. In a first of its kind study, published in the journal SLEEP, researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital have found that social jetlag has widespread negative effects on fundamental aspects of the developing brain's function and structure, impacting areas of the brain that support processes such as emotional regulation and social function.