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Researchers studying blood samples from people who have recovered from COVID-19 have described key characteristics of antibody-producing B cells that are effective at neutralizing, or inactivating, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and related coronaviruses. The team revealed distinct patterns of gene expression in B cells that produce antibodies that bind tightly to and neutralize SARS-CoV-2. They also discovered a new antibody, BG10-19, which neutralizes the virus, variants of concern such as ones first identified in the UK and South Africa, and the coronavirus that caused the 2003 SARS outbreak.
Cancer Dependency Map researchers and their colleagues have identified a genetic dependency—a gene called NXT1—in neuroblastoma, one of the most common solid tumors in children. In a new study published in Cancer Discovery, the scientists report that NXT1 is a promising drug target for some forms of neuroblastoma. They have started working with colleagues in Broad’s Center for the Development of Therapeutics to look for small molecules that could inhibit NXT1. With an FDA-approved drug targeting similar cellular functions already on the market, the scientists say they are optimistic about the prospects of more targeted therapies for neuroblastoma.
In 2013, Cigall Kadoch discovered that a group of chromatin-remodeling proteins called BAF are linked to approximately 20 percent of all human cancers. Since then, she and her team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Broad and collaborators have advanced our understanding of BAF biology, detailing the assembly and structure of these multi-subunit complexes, uncovering multiple BAF-related disease mechanisms, and identifying new therapeutic opportunities. We profile Kadoch’s journey and highlight important insights gleaned by her and her lab along the way.
With support from the CDC, Broad is launching an effort to perform large-scale sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 for variant surveillance in the Northeast. The Viral Genomics Group and Genomics Platform are working together to sequence the virus from thousands of COVID-19 positive patient samples per week from the institute’s diagnostics lab, with bioinformatics support from the Data Sciences Platform. The results will be shared with public health partners to help slow the spread of concerning variants.
The Broad Institute is thrilled to announce the launch of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center. The Eric and Wendy #SchmidtCenter brings together a global network of scientists from academia and industry to promote interdisciplinary research between the data and life sciences to transform biology and ultimately improve human health. Two recent revolutions inspired the creation of the Schmidt Center: the exponential growth and widespread adaptation of data technologies like machine learning and cloud computing, and the dramatic advances in generating massive amounts of data about living systems through next-generation DNA sequencing, single cell genomics, and advanced medical imaging. Until now, these fields have largely developed in parallel. Their convergence creates a new era of biology, one that will yield a deep understanding of biological processes, with the ultimate aim of improving human health through more powerful disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
The Human Cell Atlas Lung Biological Network reports single-cell meta-analysis suggesting biological roots of COVID-19 risk factors; shares resource for studies of COVID-19 biology and therapies.
A new browser-based tool, COVID CG (https://covidcg.org/), pulls together hundreds of thousands of sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes and allows users to detect emerging genetic mutations and viral variants. It also lets scientists monitor which mutations and viral genomes are present in specific parts of the world and how their prevalence changes over time, and identify which variants they should test their vaccines and therapeutics against.
Pierre Ankomah moved to the United States when his mother suggested that a liberal arts education would nurture his varied interests. Now a physician-scientist, he leverages those interests to study how a person’s immune system impacts how well they recover from sepsis. Learn more about his path to infectious disease research and the importance of strong mentors in a #WhyIScience Q&A.
Some patients with type 2 diabetes are more prone to fractures due to high bone density, but the reason for this connection has stumped scientists for years. Using a unique toolkit to determine the functions of genetic variants, researchers, led by Melina Claussnitzer, found a variant on chromosome 3 that explains how the two diseases are linked. This is the first time the framework has uncovered how a single variant affects multiple different traits.
Ribosomes are complex molecular machines in the cell that catalyze the production of proteins. Ahmed Badran, a Broad Fellow, and his lab aim to engineer new kinds of ribosomes that generate proteins with novel properties. In a step in that direction, the researchers have come up with a high-throughput method for building ribosomes that uses parts from different microbes, and measures and optimizes the ribosomes’ ability to catalyze protein production.
