Gold “nanoprisms” open new window into vessels and single cells

Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Adam de la Zerda (Structural Biology) and Stanford Bio-X Bowes Fellows Yonatan Winetraub (Biophysics) and Orly Liba (Electrical Engineering), as well as Stanford Bio-X Travel Award recipient Elliott SoRelle (Structural Biology), supported by a Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant:
Scientists have modified a well-established imaging technique using gold nanoparticles to see swaths of tissue at a single-cell level. The work was supported by a Round 6 (2012) Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled Visualizing the Molecular Processes of the Retina in Living Subjects


Researchers aim to develop radiation therapy with short exposure times

Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Billy Loo (Radiation Oncology):
SLAC and Stanford researchers have secured funding for two projects that share one goal: to reduce the side effects of radiation therapy by vastly shrinking the length of a typical session. The work was supported by a Round 6 (2012) Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant titled Pluridirectional High-energy Agile Scanning Electron Radiotherapy (PHASER): a novel design for radiation treatment of cancer


The future hope of “flash” radiation cancer therapy

Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Billy Loo (Radiation Oncology), shared on Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Russ Altman's podcast:
A Stanford oncologist discusses ultra-fast "flash" radiation therapy, which may kill cancer cells with less collateral damage.  The work was supported by a Round 6 (2012) Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant titled Pluridirectional High-energy Agile Scanning Electron Radiotherapy (PHASER): a novel design for radiation treatment of cancer.


Ceribell EEG wins the Good Design Award

Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Josef Parvizi (Neurology & Neurological Sciences) and Chris Chafe (Music) developed the technology for the Ceribell EEG:
This technology received the extremely prestigious Good Design Award from the Global Awards Program for Design Excellence and Design Innovation, which recognized the deep innovation of the Ceribell design. Ceribell was created with support from a Round 6 (2012) Stanford Bio-X Interdisciplinary Initiatives Program Seed Grant titled: The Brain in Performance: Converting Brain Waves to Sound and Image.  The Good Design Award distinguishes designs for "the most innovative and cutting-edge industrial, product and graphic designs produced around the world". The Ceribell design offers genuine industry disruption and is used in hospitals to quickly diagnose and treat brain seizures.


Set of genes predicts severity of dengue

Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Shirit Einav (Medicine – Infectious Diseases and Microbiology & Immunology), Purvesh Khatri (Medicine and Biomedical Data Science), and Benjamin Pinsky (Pathology and Medicine – Infectious Diseases):
Stanford researchers have identified 20 genes that can predict an individual’s likelihood of developing a severe form of dengue fever with about 80 percent accuracy. The work was supported by a Round 8 (2016) Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant titled Better Understanding and Predicting Viral Sepsis.


Stanford researchers work to genetically modify flatworms and unlock their regenerative powers

Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Bo Wang (Bioengineering), Nicholas Melosh (Materials Science & Engineering) and Nobel Laureate Andrew Fire (Pathology and Genetics):
No one knows exactly how flatworms can rebuild their entire bodies from the tiniest sliver. Now, bioengineers and materials scientists are building new tools to study the worms’ awesome regenerative powers. The work is supported by a Round 9 (2018) Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant titled Transforming a regenerative brain using somatic gene transfer through nanostraws.


New computational tool enables powerful molecular analysis of biomedical tissue samples

Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Aaron Newman (Biomedical Data Science), Ash Alizadeh (Medicine – Oncology), Maximilian Diehn (Radiation Oncology), and Andrew Gentles (Medicine – Bioinformatics Research):
Stanford researchers have developed a computational platform for analyzing the molecular behavior of individual cells in tissue samples, opening the door for new discoveries, diagnostics and treatments. This work is supported by a Round 9 (2018) Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant titled Decoding Tumor Initiating Cells in Breast Cancer by Digital Cytometry.


Extreme cold could help Stanford researchers reveal herpes virus infection

Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Ann Arvin (Pediatrics – Infections Diseases and Microbiology & Immunology) and Clark Center building resident and Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty member Wah Chiu (Photon Science, Bioengineering, and Microbiology & Immunology):
Researchers don’t know much about how viruses like those that cause chicken pox infect cells. A super-cold form of electron microscopy could change that, potentially paving the way for new treatments and vaccines. The work is supported by a Round 9 (2018) Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant titled Investigation of the structure of the native full length glycoprotein B of varicella-zoster virus in relation to its fusion function.


Researchers discover gel reduces scar tissue after surgery in animals

Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Joseph Woo (Cardiothoracic Surgery) and Eric Appel (Materials Science & Engineering), as well as Affymetrix Bio-X Fellow/Stanford Bio-X SIGF Lyndsay Stapleton (Bioengineering), Stanford Bio-X Travel Award recipient Anthony Yu (Materials Science & Engineering), and Stanford Bio-X and Novo Nordisk Foundation Visiting Scholar Anton Smith (Materials Science & Engineering):
Applying a gel to internal tissues of animals after cardiac surgery significantly limits the formation of adhesions, a problematic form of scar tissue, Stanford researchers have found. The work was supported by a Round 8 (2016) Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant titled Injectable Hydrogels for the Controlled Delivery of Cells, Oxygen, and Nutrients to the Myocardium for Treatment of Heart Failure.


Particle physicists lend a hand to advance neuroscience

Feature on research by Stanford Bio-X affiliated faculty members Anthony Norcia (Psychology) and Martin Breidenbach (Particle Physics and Astrophysics at SLAC):
A Stanford psychologist and SLAC particle physicists have collaborated on a new kind of EEG device that can stimulate the brain and read out the effects. The work was supported by a Round 8 (2016) Stanford Bio-X IIP Seed Grant titled Scalable instrumentation for electrical brain stimulation and neural recording.