Skip to main content

Life's inner mechanics 

Cells—and the molecules inside them—are always on the move. They’re being tugged at, prodded, reshuffled. Behind these actions are tiny forces that, after decades of neglect, are emerging as the next big thing in biology.

Will SARS-CoV-2 escape future drugs by mutating? The answer may be a nuanced “no.”

Scientists hope to deploy antibodies in the quest to end COVID-19. A recent study moves them closer to accomplishing a key step: finding out if the virus may acquire resistance to antibody-based drugs or vaccines, and how to potent...


A never-before-seen image of the coronavirus copy machine

The high-resolution 3D image can speed COVID-19 drug discovery.

How toothless mock viruses could advance research on COVID-19

Scientists have engineered four viruses resembling SARS-CoV-2 to enable faster and safer research on vaccines and treatments.

Bacteria in the gut have a direct line to the brain

Scientists find that microbes inside the intestines can control the activities of neurons connecting the gut and brain.

Amid the rush for COVID-19 drugs, a case for the helicase

The enzyme is essential for the virus to replicate itself inside our cells. Scientists already have ideas for how to block it.

How neurons in body fat grow to boost calorie-burning capacity

Scientists have found that a hormone tells the brain to dramatically restructure neurons embedded in fat tissue.  Their work widens our understanding of how the body regulates its energy consumption, and how obesity might be treated in the future.

Becoming a Scientist: Jeanne Garbarino 

Meet Jeanne Garbarino, the scientist whose job it is to get teens out of their textbooks and into the lab.

Novel cells might act as a warning sign for rheumatoid arthritis flares

A genomics study has identified a previously unknown cell type whose blood levels tend to rise and fall in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The findings could make it easier to manage the disease and help scientists understand its root causes.

Interview: Mary Jeanne Kreek 

Thousands of years after humans discovered opioids, we’re just beginning to understand how these substances warp the brain and change behaviors.

How Plant Operations maintained essential university functions during shutdown

For the men and women of Plant Operations, there really was no university closure. Even as most of the university’s labs shut down, those that remained still semi-operational required support.

Rockefeller tops international ranking of research impact

According to this year’s CWTS Leiden Ranking of over 1100 universities from 65 countries, Rockefeller has the highest proportion of frequently cited scientific publications.

Why memory-forming neurons are vulnerable to Alzheimer's

Scientists have used advanced technology to “micro-dissect” the first brain cells to perish in Alzheimer’s disease. The result is a short list of genes that could represent new drug targets.

If humans could hide 

The Aedes aegypti genome might hold clues for developing the most effective repellants yet—including ones that make the mosquito unable to smell us, or less motivated to seek us out.

How an adapting Child and Family Center supports the littlest learners in the pandemic

The CFC’s team has had to pivot quickly to create new online programming to support their young charges and provide age appropriate education and enrichment—and a measure of continuity.

Rockefeller statement on executive order suspending visas

The Office of the President today issued the statement below to all Rockefeller University employees. President Donald J. Trump’s ill-conceived executive order to suspend the issuing of temporary visas for foreign workers, including H1-B and J-1 visas, is detrimental to the advance of science a...

David Rockefeller Fellowship awarded to graduate student Tom Hindmarsh Sten

Hindmarsh Sten receives the university’s most prestigious graduate fellowship for his work exploring the fundamental cognitive and neurological pathways underlying courtship behavior in Drosophila.

30 young scientists receive Rockefeller Ph.D.s during virtual convocation ceremony

Since its inception, Rockefeller’s graduate program in bioscience has granted doctor of philosophy degrees to more than 1,320 students, including this year's graduates.

COVID-19 immunology study reveals universally effective antibodies

New findings characterize human antibody response to SARS-Cov-2, with implications for convalescent plasma therapy, vaccine design, and antibody-based drugs.


Transparent fish reveal the subtle, cellular dance in which sensory organs take shape

How do primitive cells “know” where to go during development? Scientists studying the fish equivalent of inner-ear hair cells have shown that biochemical and mechanical cues work together to orchestrate a highly complex arrangement.

Alipasha Vaziri promoted to professor

Vaziri has created and applied new imaging techniques that capture the activity of vast numbers of neurons with record speed and spatial resolution, and at new depths.

How antibodies from llamas may lead to COVID-19 treatment

Llamas make antibodies that are much smaller than their human counterparts, yet still potent. Scientists hope that future drugs based on these molecules could provide new weapons against SARS-CoV-2.

Rockefeller leads global university ranking in measure of top cited publications

An international ranking of research institutions by U-Multirank placed Rockefeller first in the United States among 227 universities, and first internationally in a measure of its impact based on citations.

Brain study finds a molecular “off” switch for nicotine craving

In findings that might lead to better smoking-cessation tools, scientists have shown that manipulating a specific brain receptor can alter a mouse’s nicotine sensitivity.

Rockefeller’s 62nd Convocation to be held virtually this week

The spirit of the occasion will be preserved as this year’s usual in-person event is replaced with a virtual ceremony.

Rockefeller statement calls for justice and inclusivity in the United States

Read the Office of the President’s message to the campus community.

Unique mutation reveals a new role for well-known DNA-repair gene

The discovery of a rare mutation in BRCA2, commonly known as the breast cancer gene, has shed new light on how cells safeguard their genetic material.
 

Study reveals first evidence inherited genetics can drive cancer’s spread

Scientists have long struggled to understand what drives a tumor to seed itself elsewhere in the body. New research implicates our own pre-existing genetics.

Rockefeller scientists investigate life-threatening inflammation affecting children with COVID-19

The condition resembles a rare childhood illness, Kawasaki disease. Researchers are analyzing blood samples to find genetic clues to what might be causing it.

Mice with patchy coats lay bare how stem cells endure

Scientists have discovered how stem cells in the skin maintain their ability to replenish themselves, a process critical for hair growth. The findings suggest that errors in stem cell maintenance might contribute to permanent hair-loss conditions.