New Seed Grant Program Tackles Societal Challenges With Broad-Based Research Teams
The new Knowledge and Innovation Program (KIP) of the Rensselaer Office of Research has awarded four grants to spur multidisciplinary research.
Professor Jonathan Dordick Receives Two Prestigious Honors
Jonathan Dordick, Ph.D., Vice President for Strategic Alliances and Translation and Institute Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), has recently received two prestigious honors.
Scientists’ Discovery Could Reduce Dependence on Animals for Vital Anti-Blood Clot Drug
Heparin, the world’s most widely used blood thinner, is used during procedures ranging from kidney dialysis to open heart surgery. Currently, heparin is derived from pig intestines, but scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered how to make it in the lab. They have also developed a path to a biomanufacturing process that could potentially revolutionize how the world gets its supply of this crucial medicine.
Rensselaer Professor Jonathan Dordick and Collaborators Work To Develop Nasal Spray To Combat COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Infections
Rensselaer Professor Jonathan Dordick and collaborators from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Albany Medical College have been awarded $500,000 from the New York State Biodefense Commercialization Fund to engage in research for the development of a Pentosan Polysulfate (PPS)-based nasal spray to block COVID-19.
Rensselaer-Designed Platform Could Enable Personalized Immunotherapy
An innovative testing platform that more closely mimics what cancer encounters in the body may allow for more precise, personalized therapies by enabling the rapid study of multiple therapeutic combinations against tumor cells. The platform, which uses a three-dimensional environment to more closely mirror a tumor microenvironment, is demonstrated in research published in Communications Biology.
Common Bacteria Modified To Make Designer Sugar-Based Drug
Envisioning an animal-free drug supply, scientists have — for the first time — reprogrammed a common bacterium to make a designer polysaccharide molecule used in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
Jonathan Dordick Elected to National Academy of Engineering
TROY, N.Y. — Jonathan Dordick, the Howard P. Isermann ’42 Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), for his “contributions to methods for rapidly screening drug efficacy and toxicity, and biocatalytic technologies for improving human health.”
In Cell Studies, Seaweed Extract Outperforms Remdesivir in Blocking COVID-19 Virus
In a test of antiviral effectiveness against the virus that causes COVID-19, an extract from edible seaweeds substantially outperformed remdesivir, the current standard antiviral used to combat the disease.
Common FDA-Approved Drug May Effectively Neutralize Virus That Causes COVID-19
A common drug, already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), may also be a powerful tool in fighting COVID-19, according to research published this week in Antiviral Research.
Structurally Designed DNA Star Creates Ultra-Sensitive Test for Dengue Virus
By folding snippets of DNA into the shape of a five-pointed star using structural DNA nanotechnology, researchers have created a trap that captures Dengue virus as it floats in the bloodstream.