How does anyone stay healthy in a world full of germs?
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Computational biology is uncovering the immune system’s tricks for identifying foreign invaders. Read the story »
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CSHL endorses ALBA Declaration on Equity and Inclusion
News
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is endorsing the ALBA Declaration on Equity and Inclusion to promote equality in the field of neuroscience. Read the story »
1,100 CSHL heroes
Feature
In 2020 the Laboratory pivoted some of its research to COVID-19. We opened a new organoid facility and celebrated people working through the pandemic. Read the story »
CSHL faculty Endeavor Awards: Cancer changes the whole body
News
Tobias Janowitz and Semir Beyaz won the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research’s first Endeavor Award for studying cancer as a whole body phenomenon. Read the story »
NIH BRAIN Initiative invests $9.7 million in CSHL scientists
News
CSHL scientists received grants to broaden our knowledge of the human brain and how to treat neurological disorders. Read the story »
How roundworms decide the time is right
News
Roundworm embryos calibrate the speed of their development to environmental conditions. A similar system may go wrong in some cancers. Read the story »
Regulatory RNAs promote breast cancer metastasis
News
A gene-regulating bit of RNA promotes breast cancer metastasis. Agents that destroy that RNA provide hope for a new drug. Read the story »
LIVE at the Lab with Camila dos Santos: Breast Cancer Research
Assistant Professor Camila dos Santos describes how her lab uses organoid models to study how pregnancy permanently alters gene expression. Watch the video »
LIVE At the Lab: Pregnancy and breast cancer
News
CSHL Assistant Professor Camila dos Santos discusses the biology of how pregnancy reduces breast cancer risk. Read the story »
Sixth annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge winner
News
Maryam Tsegaye won this year’s Breakthrough Junior Challenge, earning herself a scholarship and her school a brand-new CSHL-designed science lab. Read the story »
Designing crops for a changing climate
Feature
In the face of climate change, engineering genetic modifications into new crops will ensure future food supplies. Read the story »
Calibrating kidney function for cancer patients
News
Doctors frequently assess how well the kidneys work, but standard tests are not always accurate for cancer patients. Read the story »
Mice with too many chandelier cells lack depth perception
Chandelier cells should decrease in number as animals develop. Mice with too many cells lack depth perception. Watch the video »
Problems with depth perception caused by too many cells
News
Chandelier cells should decrease in number as animals develop. If too many remain, brain systems may not work properly. Read the story »
The world’s first DNA “tricorder” in your pocket
News
A new iPhone app, paired with a handheld sequencer, can recreate a genetics laboratory anywhere in the world. Read the story »
Partha Mitra: AI and brain circuits
Mitra answers audience questions about how understanding brain connections can bring medical and technological breakthroughs. Watch the video »
How to figure out what you don’t know
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Assistant Professor Tatiana Engel discusses how a model like Ptolemy’s seems to explain the world and yet is wrong. Watch the video »
LIVE at the Lab with Partha Mitra: AI and brain circuits
News
CSHL Professor Partha Mitra presents some challenges for neuroscientists and how artificial intelligence (AI) helps overcome them. Read the story »
David Stewart, Meetings & Courses Program, honored by AAAS
News
AAAS chose David Stewart, Ph.D. as a Fellow for his outstanding leadership of CSHL Meetings & Courses Program. Read the story »
15th annual Double Helix Medals goes virtual
News
The 15th annual Double Helix Medals raised $4.4 million during a virtual event hosted by Leslie Stahl. Read the story »
Patricia Churchland: Social Conscience
Patricia Churchland, founder of the field of neurophilosophy, discusses research on the origins of human morality and social bonding. Watch the video »
LIVE At the Lab with Patricia Churchland: Social Conscience
News
Scientist and philosopher Patricia Churchland discusses the evolutionary basis of morality and social bonding in humans. Read the story »
CSHL wins Newsday’s Top Workplace award 3 years in a row
News
CSHL won the Newsday honor thanks to annual surveys filled out by employees. Read the story »
Assistant Professor Cheadle named Next Generation Leader
News
CSHL Assistant Professor Lucas Cheadle has been named a Next Generation Leader by the Allen Institute for Brain Science. Read the story »
Bo Li and Richard Sever present at “Life Science Across the Globe”
News
Professor Bo Li and Assistant Director of CSHL Press Richard Sever gave talks as part of the “Life Science Across the Globe” series. Read the story »
Birds of a feather do flock together
News
Researchers found a genetic mechanism for how brand new species acquire distinct traits. Read the story »
Joshua-Tor wins Biophysical Society honor
News
CSHL Professor and HHMI Investigator Leemor Joshua-Tor was named a 2021 Fellow of the Biophysical Society for her work on RNAi and DNA replication. Read the story »
Profile: Rebecca Leshan
Feature
Rebecca Leshan, Ph.D. leads the Banbury Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s science think tank. Read the story »
Singing mice will teach us about our own conversations
News
Assistant Professor Arkarup Banerjee joins the neuroscience faculty, focusing on how the mind processes information and produces behaviors. Read the story »
CSHL WiSE earns community support grant from Mary’s Pence
News
CSHL WiSE wins award to continue supporting and empowering women scientists and engineers on campus and beyond. Read the story »
CSHL’s new organoid facility
News
The 2,200 square foot facility will make and maintain hundreds of live tissue models grown from patient tumors. Read the story »
How does the brain process fear?
News
Though fear memories are made in the amygdala, a structure deep in the brain, lots of other brain structures participate. Read the story »
NeuroAI program connects AI experts with neuroscientists
News
The CSHL NeuroAI program is training researchers to be fluent in neuroscience and AI to expedite the development of next-generation AI. Read the story »
Giving the immune system a double boost against cancer
News
Immunotherapy enhances the body’s own defenses to kill cancer. A new regimen may increase the utility of these types of drugs. Read the story »
One experiment: Organoids as living laboratories
Feature
These tiny balls of cells are revolutionizing the research and treatment of pancreas and other types of cancers. Read the story »
How to figure out what you don’t know
News
Sometimes, what seems like a good way to understand the world turns out to be wrong. A new machine learning tool lets scientists find better answers. Read the story »
medRxiv launches full-text HTML of preprints online
News
medRxiv, the health sciences preprint server, announces the addition of full-text HTML to all manuscripts posted online. Read the story »
DNA Learning Center Nigeria opens to local students
Feature
A small university in Nigeria hosts Africa’s first DNA Learning Center and plans to serve hundreds of students with hands-on genetics instruction. Read the story »
Combining chemistry and biology at CSHL
News
Professor John Moses joins the CSHL faculty, specializing in the field of click chemistry. Read the story »
Women’s Partnership luncheon raises $150,000 for research
News
The nineteenth annual Women’s Partnership for Science luncheon was held with social distancing to support CSHL women researchers. Read the story »
AI learns to trace neuronal pathways
News
A picture of the brain’s rich interconnections is emerging with the help of ever more accurate computer-aided approaches. Read the story »
Fuerth wins BBRF Young Investigator Grant in neuro research
News
Daniel Fuerth, a postdoctoral fellow in Assistant Professor Je Lee’s lab,will study the transfer of genetic material between neurons in the brain. Read the story »
The “ORC” twists, pinches, and dances around DNA
The Origin Recognition Complex (ORC) is a key piece of cellular machinery, fundamental to life, yet so far mysterious. Watch the video »
Replicating a genome starts with a twist, a pinch, and a bit of a dance
News
Researchers have their first high resolution look at how “ORC,” a human protein complex essential to life, moves. Read the story »
The motivation center of the mouse brain in 3D
A 3D-model of the mouse brain (gray) showing the dorsal striatum (green), which includes the striosome. Model: Allen Brain Atlas Watch the video »
Reward and punishment take similar paths in the mouse brain
News
One brain structure is involved with both positive and negative reinforcement types of learning. Read the story »
Immune cells sculpt circuits in the brain
News
Immune cells play an unexpected role in fine-tuning the brain’s neural circuits. Read the story »
Leshan, Lippman address “Life Science Across the Globe” series
News
Professor Zach Lippman and Executive Director of the Banbury Center Rebecca Leshan give talks as part of the “Life Science Across the Globe” series. Read the story »
Stress, sleep, and immunity
News
Researchers found the brain circuit that connects stress-induced insomnia and the immune system in mice. Read the story »
New genetic research to understand racial disparity in cancers
News
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory will study the genetic contributions of ethnicity to colon, endometrial, and pancreas cancers in African Americans. Read the story »
COVID-19 or not, CSHL workers are on the job
News
A look at some of the many CSHL employees who have worked to keep the Laboratory running with new safety precautions and online offerings. Read the story »
Human Nature documentary panel discussion
CRISPR experts, including Professors Zach Lippman, Jennifer Doudna, and Alta Charo discuss the gene-editing technology and its use. Watch the video »
CSHL hosts Human Nature documentary panel with CRISPR experts
News
CRISPR experts, including Professors Zach Lippman, Jennifer Doudna, and Alta Charo discuss the gene-editing technology and its use. Read the story »
CSHL works to improve communication with PSEG on outages
News
CSHL’s Chief Facilities Officer Steve Monez is advocating for better communication and oversight from PSEG in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias. Read the story »
Understanding the inner workings of the human heart
News
Scientists show that muscular structures first described by Leonardo da Vinci are essential for heart function. Read the story »
Why we’re a lot better at fighting cancer than we realized
Feature
Using data mining techniques, doctors have discovered dozens of anti-tumor drugs hiding in plain sight. Read the story »
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s class of 2020
News
Meet the seven graduates of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School of Biological Sciences. Congratulations to all. Read the story »
How the senses shape the brain
News
Neuroscientist Lucas Cheadle joins CSHL neuroscience faculty, and studies how outside stimuli affect brain development. Read the story »
Martienssen named 2020 Royal Society winner
News
Professor and HHMI Investigator Rob Martienssen wins a 2020 Royal Society medal for his RNAi research. Read the story »
Live @ the Lab with David Tuveson: Studying pancreatic cancer
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center Director Dave Tuveson presents an exciting new model for studying pancreatic cancer. Watch the video »
ENCODE3: Interpreting the human and mouse genomes
News
Researchers report on 900,000 regulatory elements in our genomes that could influence our health. Read the story »
Cancer researchers discuss COVID-19’s effect on the field
News
Dr. David Tuveson and Dr. Tobias Janowitz discuss in Cancer Discovery how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed cancer research. Read the story »
The first mouse model of human pancreas cancer subtypes
News
CSHL researchers discovered how slow-growing pancreatic tumors can switch into a more deadly sub-type. Read the story »
How two CSHL programs adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic
News
Mikala Egeblad and David Micklos presented their work at the “Life Science Across the Globe” seminar series. Read the story »
How breast cancer cells sneak past local immune defenses
News
Breast cancer cells sabotage nearby immune cells to evade detection and destruction by the body’s defenses. Read the story »
How to map brain connections using DNA barcodes
News
A new technique labels brain cells with short snippets of DNA to trace many neuronal connections at a time. Read the story »
CSHL tops Bush Center’s Innovation Impact Productivity Score
News
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory ranks #1 in Innovation Impact Productivity Score among Pure Research/Health Care Institutions by the Bush Center. Read the story »
Who COVID-19 hit hardest in New York
News
Report on nearly 50,000 New Yorkers tested for COVID-19 reveals demographics, hospitalization rates for positive patients. Read the story »
Krainer wins 2020 NYAS Innovators prize for SMA research
News
Professor Adrian Krainer is the 2020 Senior Scientist Winner of the Innovators in Science Award for his work on SPINRAZA®. Read the story »
Blocking cholesterol storage could stop growth of pancreatic tumors
News
Interfering with the way pancreatic cancer cells process and store cholesterol can stop a tumor from growing. Read the story »
The world destroyer in your shampoo and ice cream
Feature
Palm oil is an environmental scourge. Genetics has a solution. Read the story »
CSHL trustees vote on future of graduate school
News
The CSHL Board of Trustees voted to restore the original name of the graduate program to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory School of Biological Sciences. Read the story »
CSHL Center for Humanities wins NEH Grant
News
The CSHL Center for Humanities & History of Modern Biology wins a CARES Act Grant for its extensive oral history initiative. Read the story »
Brain receptor pulls open electrical gate like a puppet master
News
When stimulated by a neurotransmitter or drug, the NMDA receptor pulls open an ion gate that allows ions to flow. Read the story »
How does the NMDA receptor work?
CSHL Professor Hiro Furukawa describes how the NMDA receptor opens and closes its ion channel. Watch the video »
CSHL joins “Life Science Across the Globe” seminar series
News
CSHL will present two talks at the “Life Science Across the Globe” seminar series on July 8. Read the story »
New evidence for how blood clots may form in very ill COVID-19 patients
News
The amount of NETs in COVID-19 patients’ blood vessels correlates with the severity of their disease. Read the story »
Nobelist Sir Richard Roberts talks GMOs at CSHL
News
Nobelist and CSHL alum Sir Richard Roberts spoke about GMOs and the future of agriculture with Pamela Ronald and Rob Martienssen. Read the story »
Nobelist Sir Richard Roberts talks GMOs at CSHL hosted event
Nobelist and CSHL alum Sir Richard Roberts spoke about GMOs and the future of agriculture with Pamela Ronald and Rob Martienssen in this video. Watch the video »
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative awards $2 million to medRxiv
News
CZI partners with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Yale University, and BMJ to help scientists share health and clinical research faster. Read the story »
How chandelier cells light up the brain
News
Until now, chandelier cells were largely enigmatic, but new technology makes them accessible to researchers. Read the story »
The DNA tricks that gave us 100 different kinds of tomatoes
News
It takes 230,000 genetic differences to make 100 different varieties of tomatoes. Read the story »
Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses The Gene in virtual lecture
News
Author Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses the history and future of genetics in a virtual public lecture. Read the story »
Siddhartha Mukherjee discusses THE GENE: An Intimate History
Acclaimed author and oncologist Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee spoke from his home via video conference to over 400 virtual attendees at the CSHL Library. Watch the video »
Applying symptom tracking to COVID-19 outpatient care using famotidine
News
Researchers from CSHL and Northwell Health are developing a way to test promising COVID-19 drugs, like famotidine, by tracking outpatient symptoms. Read the story »
CSHL President Bruce Stillman wins Heineken Prize
News
CSHL President and CEO Bruce Stillman wins the Heineken Prize for his work on eukaryotic DNA replication. Read the story »
CSHL projects education outward
Feature
The CSHL DNA Learning Center is leading the education field in building virtual, interactive science experiences. Read the story »
CSHL is changing scientific exchange
Feature
The Lab leads the way in moving from on-site meetings and courses to virtual modes of scientific exchange. Read the story »
Pregnancy reprograms breast cells, reducing cancer risk
News
CSHL researchers discovered that pregnancy reprograms breast cells, reducing the risk of breast cancer in women under 25. Read the story »
How an antiviral immune reaction can go too far
News
White blood cells sacrifice themselves to ensnare invaders in a sticky NET (neutrophil extracellular trap), but in COVID-19, NETs may hurt us. Read the story »
Teachers make genomes more useful… from home
News
Researchers and educators participated in an online annotation jamboree to help researchers understand the corn genome. Read the story »
Why pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is so lethal
News
CSHL researchers discovered factors that allow a pancreatic cell to lose its identity and turn into an aggressive cancer cell. Read the story »
Smoking increases SARS-CoV-2 receptors in the lung
News
An increase in lung ACE2 may explain why smokers are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Read the story »
Coronavirus research in plants
News
Purified coronavirus proteins are in short supply for COVID-19 researchers, so CSHL plant scientists are jumping in to make them. Read the story »
Tuveson and Wigler elected AACR Academy Fellows
News
CSHL Cancer Center Director David Tuveson and Professor Michael Wigler were chosen as 2020 Fellows of the AACR Academy. Read the story »
How to tune out common odors and focus on important ones
News
The fly brain uses a simple computing trick to ignore prevalent odors and focus on newer but rarer odorants. Read the story »
What do these scientist moms do? Ask their kids.
News
We asked the children of three scientists to describe their mother’s work. See what they had to say. Read the story »
Dog adaptations are like brain adaptations
News
To understand autism, CSHL Professor Michael Wigler thinks about how biological systems adapt over generations. Read the story »
The status of autism research—in verse
Feature
CSHL Professor Michael Wigler drafted a poem explaining what we know and what we need to learn about autism. Read the story »
Adrian Krainer elected to the National Academy of Sciences
News
Professor Adrian Krainer was elected to the National Academy of Science as part of its 2020 election. Read the story »
A science career path: Jason Williams
Blog
He is now a leader at the DNA Learning Center, the place that taught him to love biology in high school. Read the story »
How NETs harm lungs
Are NETs present in human ARDS, like during fulminant coronavirus infections? Could breaking up NETs help cure patients? Watch the video »
David Tuveson named President-Elect of AACR
News
CSHL Cancer Center Director David Tuveson has been elected President-Elect of the American Association for Cancer Research. Read the story »
Charting a new field of cancer neuroscience
News
A Banbury Center meeting of 35 experts proposes a new field to study the relationship between cancer and neuroscience. Read the story »
Global NETwork studies role of immune cells in COVID-19 deaths
News
The symptoms of severe COVID-19 disease may be caused by overactive white blood cells that produce gauzy webs of DNA laced with toxic enzymes called NETs. Read the story »
One experiment: DNA barcoding
Feature
High school students at the DNA Learning Center collect, process, and sequence the DNA, contributing to the scientific record of biodiversity. Read the story »
Predicting the evolution of genetic mutations
News
CSHL quantitative biologists have designed a computational approach for predicting the evolution of a rapidly mutating virus or cancer. Read the story »
A science career path: David McCandlish
Blog
Assistant Professor David McCandlish is a quantitative biologist who walks the line between advanced mathematics and the life sciences at CSHL. Read the story »
Zachary Lippman wins Charles Albert Shull Award
News
Professor Zachary Lippman is the 2020 Charles Albert Shull Award winner, an honor given by the American Society for Plant Biology. Read the story »
CSHL featured in new Ken Burns documentary, The Gene
News
The documentary will feature CSHL Professor Adrian Krainer, materials from the CSHL Library & Archives, and glimpses of the CSHL campus. Read the story »
Pursuing COVID-19 at internet speed
Feature
As scientists grapple with the COVID-19 global pandemic, preprint servers bioRxiv and medRxiv let information be free—and fast. Read the story »
Carol Greider: Nobel Prize-winning rogue biologist
Feature
CSHL alumna Carol Greider won the Nobel Prize and is a champion for diversity. But her dyslexia almost derailed her career before it began. Read the story »
Speed sharing of COVID-19 research results
News
The cofounders of bioRxiv and medRxiv explain preprint servers and how they are contributing to ending the pandemic. Read the story »
New faculty Jeff Boyd studies breast cancer genomics
News
Professor Jeff Boyd joins the CSHL faculty, studying the growth and spread of breast cancer. Read the story »
COVID-19 machine learning effort: Preprints are key
News
Preprint papers play a key role in a U.S. government-led machine learning effort to understand the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the story »
Barbara McClintock: Free to discover
Feature
Nobel laureate Barbara McClintock spent half her life at CSHL, enjoying the freedom to explore new ideas and ignore criticism. This is her journey. Read the story »
Why your kid can explain the COVID-19 test
News
Want to know more about PCR and the coronavirus test? Ask a high school student, especially one that worked with the DNA Learning Center. Or… read on. Read the story »
Images of ‘invisible’ holes on cells may jumpstart research
News
Cellular pores, once impossible to see, have been imaged for the first time. This sets the stage for new discoveries about blood pressure and pain. Read the story »
Adrian Krainer wins Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine
News
Professor Adrian Krainer wins the Ross Prize for his pioneering work on antisense therapy and its application to treating SMA. Read the story »
Christina Renna Foundation donates $38k to study sarcoma
News
The Christina Renna Foundation donated $38,000 to the lab of Professor Chris Vakoc. Read the story »
Congressman Suozzi honors Regeneron scholars at CSHL
News
Congressman Tom Suozzi congratulated Regeneron semi-finalists, including two Partners for the Future, at a ceremony hosted at CSHL. Read the story »
Extra chromosomes in cancers can be good or bad
News
Extra chromosomes are typical in cancerous tumor cells, but not all extra copies promote cancer growth. Read the story »
The future of food looks small, dense, and very bushy
Feature
Vertical farming could make agriculture more robust and sustainable. To unlock that potential, scientists are redesigning crops for urban life. Read the story »
Science of love quiz
Scientists are on the trail of finding out what makes people fall in love. Test your knowledge on the science of love. Take the quiz »
Tatiana Engel named 2020 Sloan Fellow
News
Assistant Professor Tatiana Engel is named a 2020 Sloan Fellow for her work on computational models of decision-making. Read the story »
Cracking the case of the norovirus
Feature
A pervasive virus has evaded vaccine developers for decades. By getting a clear look at its protective shell, they may finally know how to defeat it. Read the story »
How cancer metabolism could be key for new therapies
News
Assistant Professor Michael Lukey joins the CSHL faculty, studying metabolic reprogramming events in cancer. Read the story »
Jason Williams wins NSF 2026 Idea Machine Competition
Jason Williams has been awarded the Meritorious Prize in the National Science Foundation (NSF) 2026 Idea Machine Competition. Watch the video »
Jason Williams wins NSF 2026 Idea Machine Competition
News
Jason Williams of the DNA Learning Center is a Meritorious Prize winner of the NSF’s 2026 Idea Machine Competition. Read the story »
Mutation’s role in blood cancers revealed by ideal team-up
News
Researchers from CSHL and MSKCC have determined how a mutation implicated in many blood cancers reduces the proteins that make healthy blood cells. Read the story »
Mutation’s role in blood cancers revealed by ideal collaboration
Researchers from CSHL and MSKCC have determined how a mutation implicated in many blood cancers reduces the proteins that make healthy blood cells. Watch the video »
UN delegates engage with scientists at CSHL
News
Eleven delegates from the UN visited CSHL to learn more about the Lab’s research and education programs. Read the story »
Studying what connects cancer and the brain
News
Assistant Professor Jeremy Borniger joins the CSHL faculty to study the link between the brain and cancer. Read the story »
New look at odd holes involved in taste, Alzheimer’s, asthma
News
Large holes in our cells have been implicated in depression, Alzehimer’s disease, asthma, and even taste. Now, we know what two of these pores look like. Read the story »
Lippman wins NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences
News
CSHL Professor and HHMI Investigator Zachary Lippman was awarded the NAS Prize for his work in the field of plant genetics. Read the story »
New tool for investigating brain cells, Parkinson’s, & more
Researchers have created a new chemical tool for revealing how specific types of brain cell receptors function in the brain. Watch the video »
New tool for investigating brain cells, Parkinson’s, & more
News
Researchers have crafted a compound for targeting specific brain cell receptors, creating new opportunities to study the brain and Parkinson’s disease. Read the story »
What Google could learn from a fruit fly
Feature
By tapping into life’s algorithms, scientists are finding elegant solutions to some of the hardest problems in computer science. Read the story »
Jason Williams named 2020 Kavli Frontiers of Science fellow
News
Jason Williams, Assistant Director of External Collaborations at the DNA Learning Center, was chosen for 2020 Kavli Frontiers of Science symposium. Read the story »
Vitamin B6, leukemia’s deadly addiction
News
Acute Myeloid Leukemia is addicted to vitamin B6. Now that researchers know this, they can pursue new treatment options for the deadly blood cancer. Read the story »
Vitamin B6, leukemia’s deadly addiction
Acute Myeloid Leukemia is addicted to vitamin B6. Now that researchers know this, they can pursue new treatment options for the deadly blood cancer. Watch the video »
CSHL Cancer Center joins the AACI
News
The CSHL Cancer Center becomes the 100th member of the Association of American Cancer Institutes. Read the story »
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