Latest from Scripps Research

Viruses use specialized proteins to infect human cells, and understanding their structure is key to creating more effective vaccines and antiviral therapies. In this Front Row lecture, Scripps Research professor Andrew Ward delved into his pioneering work on mapping these proteins with cutting-edge imaging techniques. Ward’s research provides critical insights into viral neutralization mechanisms, paving the way for advancements in vaccine development against pathogens like HIV, influenza, coronaviruses and much more.

Viruses use specialized proteins to infect human cells, and understanding their structure is key to creating more effective vaccines and antiviral therapies. Scripps Research professor Andrew Ward will delve into his pioneering work on mapping these proteins with cutting-edge imaging techniques. Ward’s research provides critical insights into viral neutralization mechanisms, paving the way for advancements in vaccine development against pathogens like HIV, influenza, coronaviruses and much more.

The mitochondria are well known for being cellular “powerhouses,” given their important role in energy generation. Yet emerging research is now suggesting these organelles also play a key role as the stress-sensors for the cell. In this Front Row lecture, Scripps Research assistant professor Danielle Grotjahn explored how mitochondria change shape in response to different genetic and environmental stressors. By harnessing cutting-edge imaging technologies to examine mitochondria in these never-before-seen-ways, Grotjahn is revealing how these organelles can predict overall cellular health and even disease, including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.

Scripps Research scientists have discovered how long chains of molecules called polyphosphates (polyP) are needed for bacteria to slow down movements within cells and let them enter a resting state. This “resting state” helps the pathogen evade antibiotics and contributes to severe chronic infections in the lungs and blood, within wounds, and on the surfaces of medical devices. These findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on April 02, 2024, could eventually lead to new ways of treating chronic infections in which typical antibiotics aren’t effective.