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Telomere shortening protects against cancer

Researchers have found the first evidence that telomere shortening is not just a sign of aging, but a key component of the body's cancer prevention system.

Some cells are multilingual 

Experiments in zebrafish are shining light onto a poorly understood process in which cells communicate mechanically, by pushing and pulling on each other.

Conservation of resources is hardwired into the genetic code

A study of marine microbes reveals that conservation of nutrients is a fundamental property of cells in all living organisms, from plants to humans.

New atlas reveals the journey of human cells throughout development

The largest map of gene expression in over 4 million human cells charts the dynamic path to forming different organs.

Science fights back 

Researchers have launched a tremendous race to understand the new virus and attack it from every angle. How they work and collaborate might never again be the same.

Primordial shapeshifters 

Only in sci-fi movies can a living cell be created from scratch. But a recent discovery suggests that this tantalizing feat might one day become possible in the real world.

How the immune system deals with the gut's plethora of microbes

New research suggests that our immune system may play an active role in shaping the digestive-tract flora, which is tightly linked to health and disease.

How cells use mechanical tension sensors to interact with their environment

In a painstaking experiment, scientists suspended a single protein filament between two microscopic beads. Their results have shed light on an elusive process in which cells receive and respond to mechanical cues.

Rockefeller issues license for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drug

The novel compound, discovered in Jan L. Breslow’s lab and now licensed to Bridge Medicines, will be designed to treat immune-mediated diseases without harming the rest of the immune system.

New book by Rockefeller researcher spotlights one of nature’s fiercest hunters

Daniel Kronauer publishes a comprehensive monograph on army ants, the creatures at the center of his evolutionary-biology research.

Scientists discover mosquitoes’ unique blood-taste detectors

Female mosquitoes are armed with syringe-like stylets that begin to pump furiously only in the presence of blood. Scientists are now studying the specific neurons that line the stylet, and asking what mosquitoes taste when they bite us.

Rockefeller's Charles M. Rice honored with Nobel Prize for research that contributed to a cure for hepatitis C

Rice will receive the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for research that led to a cure for hepatitis C, a viral disease affecting 170 million people worldwide. His lab worked on the virus for three decades and became the first to produce a version of it that could be grown and studied i...

Joanne Chory wins the 2020 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize

Joanne Chory, who pioneered the application of molecular genetics to plant biology and transformed our understanding of photosynthesis, will receive the prize in a virtual ceremony hosted by Rockefeller on October 22.

Cancer cells use nerve-cell tricks to spread from one organ to the next

New research suggests that breast and lung tumors metastasize by hijacking a neural signaling pathway, potentially opening the door to better diagnostics and treatments.

A revised map of where working memory resides in the brain

Findings from genetically diverse mice challenge long-held assumptions about how the brain is able to briefly hold onto important information.

Scientists trace severe COVID-19 to faulty genes and autoimmune condition

The findings explain why some people are so vulnerable to the infection, and suggest new avenues for treatment.

When the city locked down, RockEDU moved the lab bench to the kitchen table

With input from participating students and scientists who volunteer with RockEDU, a blended Summer Science Research Program for high-school students was developed. The result was a modified SSRP curriculum with five experiential research tracks, complete with lab supply kits that were mailed to s...

Attention needs more attention 

Scientists long believed they knew precisely which nooks of the brain control our ability for selective attention. Now, new findings are redrawing the maps.

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How dividing cells avoid setting off false virus alarms

A new molecular structure explains how cells hold an alarm-triggering protein captive during cell division, preventing cells from targeting their own DNA.

Microbes in the gut may influence metabolism

A growing number of studies find that microbes in the gut directly influence biological processes from bowel movements to behavior. New research reveals how they impact levels of glucose in the blood.

Return of the cytonaut 

The lysosome is having a moment. More than 60 years after this bubble-shaped cell structure was first discovered, scientists have found that it is key to our ability to metabolize iron, and a potential target for new cancer drugs.

Bulgari Corporation to support Rockefeller's COVID-19 research and women scientists

Over the next three years, the fund will augment the university's wide-ranging research initiatives aimed at alleviating the COVID-19 pandemic, and also support the its women scientists in their training and careers.

Heritable genome editing technology is not yet ready for clinical use, concludes an international commission co-chaired by President Lifton

A range of scientific and medical issues have yet to be addressed, the committee determined, and many ethical, moral, and societal concerns remain.

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Scientists uncover antiviral protein that blocks coronavirus infection

New research identifies a protein that blocks infection by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, along with several other types. The findings could inform treatment strategies and help us better prepare for future outbreaks.

How mechanical forces nudge tumors toward malignancy

Researchers studying two forms of skin cancer identified a long-overlooked factor determining why some tumors are more likely to metastasize than others: the physical properties of the tissue in which the cancer originates. The findings might set the stage for new ways to monitor and treat the di...

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Newly discovered anti-CRISPR protein gives viruses a leg up against bacteria

Molecular CRISPR-Cas systems, most commonly known for their usefulness as gene editing tools, are ancient defense mechanisms employed by bacteria against viruses. The discovery of a counteracting viral trick could inform scientists' efforts to develop future gene-editing technologies.

Study uncovers the molecular events by which popular antidepressants work

Scientists have outlined a molecular program by which serotonin reuptake inhibitors reshape the brain to alleviate depression. Their findings provide clues for how to make better and faster-acting versions of these drugs.

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.

The gene hunt to explain why some young, healthy people die from COVID-19

People under 50 without preexisting conditions typically develop mild symptoms of coronavirus infection—but there are exceptions. Researchers are working to identify rare genetic variations that may explain why some in this group have succumbed to the disease.

Scientists are using ‘elite’ antibodies from COVID-19 survivors to develop potent therapies

Most people infected with the coronavirus are able to fight it off because their immune system produces effective antibodies. Rockefeller scientists are working to turn such antibodies into a drug.


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Study captures the molecular architect of cells’ infrastructure

Using atomic-resolution technology, scientists have constructed the most detailed view yet of the molecular complex that decides where microtubules form.