Could iPSCs Enable "Off-the-Shelf" Cell Therapy?

An "off-the-shelf" cell therapy derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has entered clinical trials in the United States. Other companies are following suit, harnessing iPSCs' self-renewal ability to manufacture cell therapies that don't require customization for each patient. But some experts aren't sure such therapies are a good idea.

A New Wave of Genomics for All.

Millions of people have taken direct-to-consumer DNA tests, but not everyone is happy with the status quo. Several startups in the genetic testing space are aiming to empower individuals and build communities in order to boost research and, ultimately, public health.

Microbiome Research in a Social World.

Should we get our microbiomes sequenced? Do we shape our microbes, or do our microbes shape us? These are just a few of the questions at the border between microbiome science and humanities.

Silicon Valley Meets Biomedical Research in the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropy launched by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, drew attention with its stated goal of helping to "cure, manage, or treat all diseases" by the end of the century. They intend to do it through funding basic research and addressing gaps in biomedical technology.

Biology Gone Wild.

To study how genes, cells, or organisms operate in natural environments, researchers often need to leave the bench and venture into the field. Here are a few approaches that field biologists use in designing and conducting semi-wild experiments and the many challenges they face.