The Translational Scientist

Aug 12, 2024 | thetranslationalscientist.com | Jessica Allerton

Structure annotation has been a considerable challenge in metabolomics research for some time; a typical untargeted metabolomics study can annotate about 10 percent of the data with structures. And that’s why Emily Gentry, while working in the Dorrestein Lab at the University of California San Diego, used her background in synthetic organic chemistry and mass spec to turn metabolomics on its head. With Gentry’s “reverse metabolomics” approach, the team were able to discover new biomolecules (1).

Apr 9, 2024 | thetranslationalscientist.com | Markella Loi

Have you ever thought about adding another string to your bow and starting a new business next to your academic or industry position? Well, Isabelle Kohler – well known for developing mass spectrometry-based approaches for the analysis of drugs and metabolites as Assistant Professor at the Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands – has done just that.

Apr 9, 2024 | thetranslationalscientist.com | Rob Coker

“It’s a shame she won’t live. But then again, who does?” said Officer Gaff at the end of 1982’s Blade Runner. But for bladder cancer patients, sci-fi-esque technology may bring hope of life. Specifically, a team at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has developed urea-powered nanobots that deliver radionuclide therapy exactly where it’s needed. The nanoparticles consist of a porous silica sphere, which carries various components with specific functions on its surface.

Dec 14, 2023 | thetranslationalscientist.com | Jamie Irvine

The widespread use of prescription opioids for pain management, coupled with issues of overprescribing led to a surge in opioid addiction and overdoses across the US. The opioid crisis dates back to the mid-1990s when OxyContin triggered the first wave of deaths from the use of legally prescribed opioids. By 2021, opioid-related death rates in the US had increased more than six fold since 1999. The CDC says that opioid use was responsible for 75 percent of overdose-related deaths in the US in 2021.

Nov 30, 2023 | thetranslationalscientist.com | Ashlea Segal

To date, most mental health research has relied on comparing averages from groups of people with and without mental illness. This approach reveals the brain changes that commonly occur in those with a mental disorder, but tells us nothing about individual people. For instance, if I were to tell you that the average height of the Australian population is 1.7m, it would not give you much information about how tall I am.