NSF

Bioluminescent sensor causes brain cells to glow in the dark

A team of Vanderbilt scientists have genetically modified luciferase, the enzyme that produces bioluminescence, so that it acts as an optical sensor that records activity in brain cells.

By VUMC News and Communications

Cotton candy machines may hold key for making artificial organs

Vanderbilt engineers have modified a cotton candy machine to create complex microfluidic networks that mimic the capillary system in living tissue and have demonstrated that these networks can keep cells alive and functioning in an artificial three-dimensional matrix.

By VUMC News and Communications

October 2, 2015

The yin and yang of COX-2

New findings add to the understanding of how the enzyme COX-2 works, which is critical to the development of COX-2-targeted anti-inflammatory drugs.

By Sanjay Mishra

July 23, 2015

Targeting bone metastasis

The rigidity of the bone extracellular matrix increases the ability of tumor cells to destroy bone, suggesting new targets for anticancer drug development.

By VUMC News and Communications

February 2, 2015

New ‘reset’ button discovered for circadian clock

The discovery of a new “reset” button for the brain’s master biological clock could eventually lead to new treatments for seasonal affective disorder, reduce the adverse health effects of working the night shift, and possibly even treat jet lag.

By VUMC News and Communications

January 7, 2015

Electrical stimulation ‘tunes’ visual attention using long-term memory

Picking a needle out of a haystack might seem like the stuff of fairytales, but our brains can be electrically “tuned” to enable us to do a much better job of finding what we’re looking for.