Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896
November 21, 2024

Science & Technology

COURTESY OF SELENA SHIRKIN Selena Shirkin and her team were finalists in the Collegiate Inventors Competition for their work developing a new port system for fetal surgery. 

Design Team spotlight: revolutionizing fetal surgery

By SHREYA TIWARI | 2 hours ago

Innovation in biomedical engineering is accelerating nationally and at Hopkins, a team of ambitious students is similarly pursuing new engineering challenges in the realm of fetal surgery. Led by current Center of Bioengineering Innovation and Design Master’s student Selena Shirkin, the team’s FetalCare Port System aims to address complications in fetal therapy procedures by providing a safer alternative to existing techniques. 

ADAFRUIT INDUSTRIES / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Sophomore Brianna Gauto-Kennedy conducts research on solid-state electrolyte batteries and lithium-ion batteries in the García-Méndez lab. 

Behind the battery: Brianna Gauto-Kennedy's research with solid-state electrolytes

By MARIE LEE | 2 hours ago

For some students, research is merely ticking another box for med school or a resume builder, but not for sophomore Brianna Gauto-Kennedy, a Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChemBE) major, who is currently engaged in research in the Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering . In an interview with The News-Letter, she outlined her journey to her lab and described her current project.

MARTA BRANCO / PEXELS LICENSE  A recent study by lead researcher Peng Zheng developed a chip surface that utilizes the SERS technique to reduce the time for heart attack diagnoses. 

Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy detects heart attack biomarkers

By ARANTZA GARCIA | 3 days ago

The SERS technique is a valuable tool for the detection of trace amounts of contaminants in food and water or the identification of biological samples. Regarding its most recent clinical applications, SERS has been adapted to diagnose heart attacks in research settings at impressive speeds and accuracy levels.

COURTESY OF ANNIE HUANG Song examined how AI can be used to drive toward more accurate, patient-specific predictions in cancer treatment.

From AI to Cancer pathology: Andrew Song’s path to AI-enhanced cancer diagnostics

By ANNIE HUANG | 3 days ago

Andrew H. Song, a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School, presented his work on applying deep learning tools to cancer pathology at a talk titled “Taming Large-Scale Pathology Data for Clinical Outcome Prediction” on Nov. 13. In his talk, Song delved into his efforts to leverage AI in improving cancer diagnostics, explaining how machine learning models can fundamentally alter the landscape of clinical outcome prediction.

NIGMS IMAGE AND VIDEO GALLERY / CC BY NC-SA 3.0 A new treatment for LCSD involves using stem cells to develop mature corneas for corneal transplants. 

Science news in review: Nov. 18

By SHREYA TIWARI | 3 days ago

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this week’s review highlights scientific breakthroughs we can all be grateful for — advancements that have made a profound impact on human health in the past month. The new at-home test could correctly identify 99% negative and 92% positive COVID-19 samples. For negative Flu A and Flu B samples, 99.9% were identified correctly; for positive Flu A and Flu B samples, the test correctly identified 92.5% and 90.5% of samples, respectively. These quick and affordable tests will be a vital fix for the colder months. 

COURTESY OF FEI MIAO Miao delivered a talk at Hopkins that explored recent efforts to advance Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning for Connected and Automated Vehicles.

Multi-agent learning for safe and efficient autonomous vehicles

By ANNIE HUANG | 3 days ago

Fei Miao, Pratt & Whitney Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut's School of Computing, delivered a talk titled “Learning and Control for Safety, Efficiency, and Resiliency of Embodied AI” on Nov. 8. Her presentation explored her team’s recent efforts to advance Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) for Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs), which models multiple autonomous vehicles that can send and receive real-time information from nearby vehicles and infrastructure to enhance driving decisions.

BLAUSEN MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS, INC / CC BY-SA 4.0 Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that destroys the protective layer of nerve cells.

Amber Salter speaks on comorbidities and outcomes in multiple sclerosis research

By KATIE TRUONG | 6 days ago

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, as part of the Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery Neuroimmunology Seminar Series, Dr. Amber Salter delivered an overview of her ongoing work concerning comorbidities in multiple sclerosis (MS) disease, titled “Examining Associations of Comorbidities in MS Disease-Modifying Therapy Clinical Trial.” Salter is an associate professor of Biostatistics at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

COURTESY OF ELEDON PHARMACEUTICALS Eledon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Eledon), is a biotechnology company. In an interview with The News-Letter, its CEO, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Class of 1999 alum Dr. David-Alexandre C. Gros, discussed the latest updates regarding their tegoprubart treatment. 

Hopkins alum leads Eledon Pharmaceuticals in breakthrough diabetes tegoprubart treatment

By GRACE OH | November 14, 2024

Eledon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Eledon), is a biotechnology company led by Dr. David-Alexandre C. Gros, its CEO and a 1999 graduate of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Eledon recently announced that two out of the three subjects with Type 1 diabetes treated with Eledon’s drug, tegoprubart, were able to achieve insulin independence after islet cell transplantation between three and six months post-transplant, with the third on the trajectory for insulin independence.

OPENSTAX ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY / CC BY 4.0 This pre-mRNA strand undergoes splicing where non-coding sequences of mRNA called introns are removed by the spliceosome.

Science news in review: Nov. 5

By GRACE OH | November 5, 2024

As the leaves continue to change color, scientific research similarly advances with new progress and innovation. Here are some of the recent studies in the fields of biotechnology, health and chemistry. Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona recently authored a study published in the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science, which reports analyses regarding the components and functions of the spliceosome. 

COURTESY OF ARYA KAZEMNIA HopSat is gearing up to launch a nanosatellite powered by passive solar propulsion, which could be the largest solar sail ever sent into space.

Aiming for the stars: HopSat’s mission to solar sailing

By ANNIE HUANG | October 31, 2024

In a buzzing corner of campus, a group of students is pushing the limits of student-led space innovation. The newly established student organization, JHU CubeSat Club (HopSat), is gearing up to launch a nanosatellite powered by passive solar propulsion, with the ambitious goal of deploying the largest solar sail ever sent into space.

NIH IMAGE GALLERY / CC BY-NC 2.0  Stem cells are used to drive organ growth in nonhuman animals, a key focus of human-animal chimera research. 

The pitfalls of xenotransplantation

By SHREYA TIWARI | October 31, 2024

A chimera is an organism composed of cells from two or more distinct genotypes. Human-animal chimeras are a budding area of research and involve the introduction and growth of human tissues in an animal. Chimerism research holds great promise in improving the availability of organs for organ transplantation, which is a major issue due to the current severe organ shortage. Initial chimerism studies involved smaller organisms, such as one where researchers attempted to grow a rat pancreas in a mouse.

COURTESY OF NEHA TRIPATHI Tripathi (left) in front of her research poster at the Rising Stars in Cell Biology Symposium. 

Exploring drosophila: Neha Tripathi's research journey at the Matunis Lab

By SHAAN UDANI | October 30, 2024

Neha Tripathi, a senior studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Public Health, is currently a member of the Matunis Lab. The lab, located at the School of Medicine, generally focuses on stem cell dynamics and regeneration. During an interview with The News-letter, Tripathi shared information about her research journey and described not only her role but also the greater importance of her research work.

COURTESY OF ALEX PAN On Oct. 25, Detlef Weigel presented a talk titled "Imperfect Plants in an Imperfect World."

Imperfect plants in an imperfect world: Lessons from Arabidopsis thaliana

By ALEX PAN | October 30, 2024

The Department of Biology hosted Detlef Weigel, director at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen and member of the National Academy of Sciences, on Friday, Oct. 25. Weigel gave a talk titled "Imperfect plants in an imperfect world,” which explored his research group’s work on genetic variation in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE / PDM 1.0 Several recently published studies state that soil texture plays an essential role in ecosystems. 

Science news in review: Oct. 29

By GRACE OH | October 29, 2024

Let’s dive into the latest in scientific news and explore recent breakthroughs, discoveries and advancements that are shaping our understanding of the world. This week’s column looks into an unanticipated effect of a type 2 diabetes treatment, explores a recent report in the field of public health and dives into updates in ecology.

COURTESY OF MIHIR RELAN Jaakkola discusses the applications of generative AI to molecular biology.

Tommi Jaakkola presents on the power of generative AI in molecular sciences

By MIHIR RELAN | October 25, 2024

The Department of Computer Science hosted Tommi Jaakkola, a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Institute for Data, Systems and Society, on Tuesday, Oct. 15. In his talk, titled “Generative AI for (Molecular) Sciences,” Jaakkola highlighted the advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI) for molecular science and material design. 

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY / CC BY 3.0 AlphaFold helps predict protein folding and structure, helping researchers better understand protein function. 

Science news in review: Oct. 23

By SHREYA TIWARI | October 23, 2024

We hope that the fall break was a good time to take a rest. Before diving back into the semester, catch up on the newest scientific discoveries! A team of researchers led by Manu Prakash at Stanford University collected water samples and observed the behavior of one phytoplankton species in particular, Pyrocystis noctiluca (P. noctiluca). Researchers learned that this species, which is most well-known for its bioluminescence, use cellular inflation to drive this migration.

C.K. KOAY / CC BY-NC 2.0 Last week, the Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics, and Physiology or Medicine were announced.

Science News in Review: Oct. 14

By GRACE OH | October 14, 2024

As fall break looms ahead, let’s take a look at the recent scientific news. In the past week, laureates of the 2024 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Physiology or Medicine have been announced.

NIHR EVIDENCE / CC BY 4.0  Venkat argues that deepfakes have negative consequences on healthcare and public health guidance, and that action must be taken to curb their impact. 

AI misinformation has set back pandemic preparedness

By ESHA VENKAT | October 10, 2024

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was increased hesitancy about vaccine effectiveness. One form of misinformation is deep fakes, which are becoming more prevalent and pose serious concerns for healthcare. Deep fakes are digitally altered videos or images that can use artificial intelligence to manipulate the words of popular figures, such as politicians or health experts, and can exacerbate global health issues like epidemics and pandemics. 

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