Martin Jonikas, whose research investigates a tiny structure in green algae with the potential to revolutionize agriculture, health and energy, has been named a 2021 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator.
A major gift from alumni will provide the Princeton Bioengineering Initiative funding to pursue some of the biggest questions and opportunities emerging at the intersection of biology and engineering.
The Gilbert S. Omenn, M.D, '61 and Martha A. Darling *70 Fund for Grand Challenges in Bioengineering will allow the recently created initiative to move rapidly on several fronts, including hiring post-doctoral investigators, seeding research, and starting a series of lectures on technical and societal frontiers of bioengineering.
Princeton researchers have developed a new way to make fuel from cellulose—Earth's most abundant organic compound, found in all plant cells—speeding up a notoriously slow chemical process and in some cases doubling energy yields over comparable methods.
Their platform uses a recently developed cellulose emulsion that makes it easier to metabolize the compound into other chemicals. Combining that emulsion with engineered microbes and a light-based genetic tool, the team showed that they could more efficiently make biofuels from cellulose.
From addressing climate change to developing new ways of delivering vaccines, Princeton’s proposed engineering and environmental studies project will enable breakthrough teaching and research in the service of humanity while enhancing the public experience of the surrounding neighborhood.
When Alexander Ploss’ team discovered a compound that blocks the cancer-causing hepatitis B virus in lab experiments, the Princeton associate professor of molecular biology immediately grasped the potential benefit for society. He also knew that laboratory findings typically require additional research before they are ready for testing in patients.
On July 27, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) named cancer therapeutics and Princeton spin-out company Kayothera Inc. winner of its 2021 Start-up Stadium competition. The company was selected as the winner from 16 finalist companies who were judged on the strength of their commercially viable cutting-edge technologies and therapeutic solutions.
Two Princeton graduate students, Micah Burton and Lisset Duran, have been awarded Gilliam Fellowships from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. These fellowships are awarded to graduate students conducting outstanding research in their respective fields, and their advisers, who are dedicated to creating a more inclusive academic environment through their mentorship.
Producing better quality of ultrasound images could be as easy as taking a selfie. That was the pitch that Princeton University graduate student Jen-Tang Lu made to judges at the Keller Center's Innovation Forum Feb. 24 as he described how his technology could improve the diagnosis of many medical conditions.
The Merck Center for Catalysis is a state-of-the-art facility at Princeton University featuring a robotic system that allows for the rapid set-up, monitoring and characterization of thousands of reactions. Opened in 2006 with funding from Merck, the facility has more than 300 chiral organocatalysts available for new reaction screening. These novel catalysts are portioned into 96-well plates that are ready for use in reaction discovery and optimization.
