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The human genome is, at long last, complete
Even after 20 years of upgrades, eight percent of the human genome was still left unsequenced and unstudied. Until now.
The Board of Trustees has eight new members
With a breadth and depth of experience across academia, the pharmaceutical industry, technology, healthcare, and the financial sector, this latest cohort of trustees brings new skill sets and perspectives to the community.
How bacteria "self-vaccinate" against viral invaders
In studying how bacteria respond to viral infection, scientists are learning that their defense strategies cooperate in ways reminiscent of the elaborate immune systems of animals.
Social psychologist Jennifer L. Eberhardt to be awarded the 2022 Lewis Thomas Prize
The author of Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do will be presented with Rockefeller’s prestigious science writing award on April 7.
Rockefeller president Richard P. Lifton releases statement on Russian invasion of Ukraine
In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Rockefeller University President Richard P. Lifton today released the following statement: The Rockefeller University is a vibrant, international community. Our scientists, students, and staff come from all over the world, inclu...
Rockefeller Nobelists co-sign open letter condemning Ukraine invasion
Read the letter signed by 168 Nobel Prize winners, including five Rockefeller scientists.
Stavros Niarchos Foundation–David Rockefeller River Campus receives LEED gold certification
One of only a handful of laboratory settings in New York City to receive the designation, the new river campus is recognized for its numerous energy efficient features.
Scientists discover new mechanism involved in learning and memory
FMRP, a protein whose loss causes intellectual disability, may regulate a neuron's synaptic response by establishing a feedback loop between the cell's nucleus and its faraway dendrites.
Insights into a cystic fibrosis treatment may herald a novel class of drugs 
Protein folding diseases, from Alzheimer's to Gaucher's, may one day be treated by a unique class of protein corrector molecules that are already helping manage cystic fibrosis.  
IT upgrades bolster university’s defenses against cybercriminals
Rockefeller’s Information Security team has implemented one of the most substantial upgrades in its history. As backend protections are strengthened, community members also have a critical role to play.
New comprehensive map of the portal to the cell’s nucleus
The findings, which may have implications for a wide range of human diseases, suggest that nuclear pore complexes vary in structure and function even within a single nucleus.
A novel compound might defeat multidrug-resistant bacteria common in hospitals
Increasingly, hospitalized patients contract infections that evade current antibiotics including colistin, long used as a last treatment option. The discovery of a new colistin variant might make it possible to outmaneuver these pathogens.
Ashton Murray is named chief diversity officer
Murray will become Rockefeller’s inaugural chief diversity officer and vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion on January 10.
Waddling water bears, grandmother neurons, and other memorable science stories of 2021
This year's scientific endeavors included multiple attacks on SARS-CoV-2—and a lot more. Here are the most memorable science stories to come out of Rockefeller labs in 2021, from the benefits of brown fat to the pitfalls of modern IVF screening techniques.
Sid Strickland will step down from role of dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies
After 21 years, Sidney Strickland will exit his administrative role, returning full time to his laboratory research at Rockefeller.
New evidence that boosters may be crucial in protecting against Omicron
Researchers found that the antibodies present in people who have had COVID or taken two doses of mRNA vaccine are inadequate against Omicron. But their protective ability increases significantly after a booster dose.
How a fly's brain calculates its position in space
New research reveals how neurons in a fly's brain signal the direction in which the body is traveling. The cells appear to literally perform vector math in order to act as a biological compass.
Llama antibodies could help fight SARS-CoV-2 variants
Scientists have identified hundreds of llama-derived antibodies that potentially could be developed into a COVID treatment. They hope such a drug would be potent against different variants of the coronavirus, including Omicron.
How cells feel their way 
A single cell has no nerves, yet it can feel and respond to mechanical forces such as pressure. Armed with new technologies, scientists are making headway in understanding how this sensory system operates.
Stem cell memories may drive wound repair—and chronic disease
Epidermal stem cells that hail from the hair follicle retain memories of their journey to the skin's surface. Those memories are a boon for wound repair, but may also contribute to chronic diseases and cancer.
New design may boost potency of monoclonal antibodies against COVID
In animal experiments, the structurally altered antibodies activated the immune system more effectively than those currently used in the clinic. They also proved to be more protective against the virus.
A new interdisciplinary center, devoted to the neuroscience of social behavior, has been launched with a $25 million gift
A major gift from Michael and Vikki Price marks the launch of an integrated effort to map and analyze the biological underpinnings of sociality and in turn better understand related disorders such as autism, depression, and schizophrenia.
Radiotherapy may explain why childhood cancer survivors often develop metabolic disease
Radiation therapy to treat childhood cancer may damage adipose tissue, causing diabetes and coronary heart disease decades later.
Scientists discover how mitochondria import antioxidants
The finding offers researchers a direct way to investigate oxidative stress and its damaging effects in aging, cancer and other diseases.
How mice miss the exit 
Thanks to the existence of forgetful mice, scientists have gained clues into the process by which the brain forms short-term memories. They were even able to restore a mouse’s memory by genetic manipulation.
How foodborne diseases protect the gut's nervous system
Prior infections appear to shield enteric neurons, preventing these key components of the body's "second brain" from dying off when future pathogens strike.
Dopamine’s many roles, explained
Studying fruit flies, researchers ask how a single brain chemical can orchestrate diverse functions such as learning, motivation and movement.
Heavy rainfall from Hurricane Ida tests flood control measures installed in 2012
The September storm brought record rainfall which quickly overwhelmed drainage systems on campus and throughout the city. But the event did not cause widespread damage on campus thanks to improvements made nine years ago.
This fly likes its fruit fresh 
Farmers have a new enemy, a species of fruit fly that lays eggs in ripe produce. To help curtail the problem, scientists are getting to the bottom of how this trait arose in the course of evolution.
Three Rockefeller researchers are elected to the National Academy of Medicine
Mary E. Hatten, Charles M. Rice, and Leslie B. Vosshall are three of 100 new members elected to the academy today.
Noninfectious versions of SARS-CoV-2 provide powerful research tools
The new experimental system will facilitate efforts to study different coronavirus variants and develop new drugs for
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    • A mission to end metastasis 
    Not all cancer cells are killers. One lab is focusing its energy on only those that enable tumors to spread—and it may have found their kryptonite.
    Small molecule may prevent metastasis in colorectal cancer

    The compound works by hindering a key pathway that cancer cells rely upon to hoard energy, and is already undergoing clinical trials.

    Study detects origins of Huntington's disease in two-week-old human embryos
    The findings shed new light on the root causes of this disease, which leads to the degeneration of neurons in midlife.
    Seth A. Darst honored with Gregori Aminoff Prize
    Darst receives the honor for pioneering research on RNA polymerase, the molecular machine that transcribes RNA from DNA. His work is leading to new knowledge about the transcription process, as well as to insights enabling development of urgent antibiotic and antiviral treatments.
    Katalin Karikó named the 2022 recipient of the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize
    Katalin Karikó discovered how to keep synthetic RNA from activating the innate immune system, paving the way for RNA vaccines including two for SARS-CoV-2.
    Novel method for trapping HIV inside its host may give rise to new antivirals
    Human cells can be coaxed into preventing certain enveloped viruses (including HIV, Ebola, and parainfluenza) from escaping their membranes in the lab, a finding that could lead to novel treatments for many viral diseases.
    Linker histones tune the length and shape of chromosomes
    A new study finds that proteins known as linker histones control the complex coiling process that determines whether DNA will wind into long and thin chromosomes, made up of many small loops, or short and thick chromosomes with fewer large loops.
    Hospital hallway installation honors 11 women scientists at Rockefeller
    Uncovering the chemical composition of histones and innovating addiction treatment are only two of the accomplishments of the women scientists featured in a new photographic display.
    A refurbished pharmacy supports research trials at Rockefeller
    A new pharmacy with clean room and other features makes it possible for pharmacists to prepare highly specialized compounds and sterile injectable drugs for use in clinical research.
    Three Rockefeller researchers are named HHMI investigators
    Daniel Kronauer, who studies evolution in insect societies, Daniel Mucida, who examines mucosal immunology, and Vanessa Ruta, who investigates neural circuits that underlie innate and learned behaviors, are among 33 scientists nationwide to receive this designation.
    Rockefeller leads global university ranking in measure of top cited publications
    An international ranking of research institutions by U-Multirank placed Rockefeller first in a measure of its impact based on citations.
    Rockefeller postdoc, Luka Mesin, named a Blavatnik Regional Award Finalist
    Mesin, a member of the Victora Lab, receives the honor for developing novel techniques to better understand how B cells in the immune system mature and evolve to create antibodies to fight off pathogens.
    Could future coronavirus variants fully dodge our immune system?
    Studying dozens of naturally occurring and laboratory-selected mutations in SARS-CoV-2, researchers found that the virus will need to pull off a genetic feat to become fully resistant to antibodies.
    Rockefeller faculty member, Leslie B. Vosshall, named vice president and chief scientific officer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
    Vosshall will join the leadership team at HHMI, a major philanthropy that supports basic biomedical scientists and educators.
    Pamela Björkman wins the 2021 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize
    Pamela J. Björkman, who discovered key aspects of the immune system that are helping to direct better treatment for infection from viruses and other diseases, will receive the prize in a virtual ceremony hosted by Rockefeller on September 30.
    Frames of Mind 
    We think of brains as computers—stimulus in, action out. But they’re far more finicky than any iMac. Easily swayed by underlying internal states such as hunger, aggression, or arousal, our neurons are capable of incredible flexibility. For neuroscientists, it’s yet another wrinkle in understandin...
    Rockefeller saliva test for COVID-19 outperforms commercial swab tests
    The DRUL saliva assay is safer, more comfortable, and less expensive than comparable COVID screening tools. Now a new study demonstrates that it is at least as sensitive as swab tests, too.
    Study reveals how ribosomes are assembled in human cells
    Three-dimensional images of human small ribosomal subunits offer the most detailed explanation for how the cell's protein-making machines are assembled.
    Missing immune molecule may explain why some HPV patients sprout giant horn-like growths
    Scientists identified a mutation that affects one’s reaction to HPV by decreasing the production of CD28, a vital molecule within the immune system.
    Guido Guidotti, a biochemist and one of Rockefeller’s early graduates, has died
    Guido Guidotti, who made contributions to biochemistry and performed pioneering work during his study in the lab of Lyman Craig, has died at the age of 87.
    New microscopy technique reveals activity of one million neurons across the mouse brain
    Using light beads microscopy, researchers can now capture images of a vast number of cells across different depths in the brain at high speed, with unprecedented clarity.
    The physics behind a water bear's lumbering gait
    Animals as small and soft as tardigrades seldom have legs and almost never bother walking. But a new study finds that water bears propel themselves through sediment and soil on eight stubby legs, in a manner resembling that of insects 500,000 times their size.
    Natural infection versus vaccination: Differences in COVID antibody responses emerge
    People who recover from COVID-19 may have better protection than those who received a vaccine, but the benefits of natural immunity do not outweigh the very real risk of disability and death from contracting the disease.
    Emeritus Professor Te Piao King, expert on allergens, has died
    Te Piao King, a Rockefeller biochemist whose pioneering research greatly advanced the science and treatment of allergic reactions, died August 18 at the age of 90.  
    The common thread in severe COVID-19 
    New studies point to a single molecular explanation for 20 percent of critical COVID-19 cases: insufficient or defective type I interferons.
    Lonely flies, like many humans, eat more and sleep less
    If COVID-19 lockdowns scrambled your sleep schedule and stretched your waistline, you're not alone. Fruit flies quarantined in test tubes sleep too little and eat too much after only one week of social isolation.
    Study reveals how smell receptors work
    The first-ever molecular images of an olfactory receptor at work answer decades-old questions about odor recognition.
    When ant colonies get bigger, new foraging behavior emerges
    By increasing the size of ant colonies bit by bit, scientists identified the mechanism responsible for the evolution of mass raiding behavior.
    How cells draw on memories of past inflammation to respond to new threats
    A new study uncovers a near-universal mechanism behind this phenomenon, known as inflammatory memory.
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