The Science and Technology Blog

Copper + Love Chemical = Big Sulfur Stink

Kevin Eagan — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:43:20 +0000

When Hiroaki Matsunami, PhD , associate professor at Duke University, set out to study a chemical in male mouse urine called MTMT that attracts female mice, he didn't think he would stumble into a new field of study. But the research has led scientists at Duke University Medical Center and the University of Albany to the discovery that it's the copper in our bodies that makes mammals recoil from sulfurous chemical smells. Working with Eric Block, PhD, the Carla Rizzo Delray Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of Albany, the team looked at reasons why mammals, including people, can detect even trace amounts of sulfur-containing substances, like MTMT.

Vaccines to Boost Immunity Where it Counts, Not Just Near Shot Site

Sarah Anderson — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:52:41 +0000

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have created synthetic nanoparticles that target lymph nodes and greatly boost vaccine responses, said lead author Ashley St. John, PhD, a researcher at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School . The paper was published online in the journal Nature Materials on Jan.

New Way to Learn About — and Potentially Block — Traits in Harmful Pathogens

Meg Sullivan — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:55:49 +0000

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have developed a new way to identify the genes of harmful microbes, particularly those that have been difficult to study in the laboratory.

Headphone Music Eases Anxiety During Prostate Biopsies

science — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:43:20 +0000

Tuning in to tune out may be just what's needed for men undergoing a prostate biopsy, according to researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute .

New approach to prostate cancer care draws patients with riskiest disease

science — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:39:06 +0000

In choosing where they get treatment, prostate cancer patients tend to opt for a major cancer center if they have severe disease, but stick closer to home for less complicated cases, even when offered a model of care that taps numerous experts. The findings by Duke Cancer Institute researchers, published in the January issue of the Journal of Urology, are the first large analysis of the so-called multidisciplinary care strategy that gives prostate cancer patients access to a surgeon, a medical oncologists and a radiation oncologist – all in a single visit. The care team then decides as a group what's best for the patient, easing the bias for any one specialty.

Premature Babies Harbor Fewer, But More Dangerous Microbe Types

Enrique Rivero — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:22:56 +0000

One of the most comprehensive studies to date of the microbes that are found in extremely low-birthweight infants found that hard-to-treat Candida fungus is often present, as well as some harmful bacteria and parasites. Researchers at the Duke University Medical Center and Nicholas School of the Environment looked at the microbes in 11 premature infants and found much less diversity than in full-term infants. “The babies’ guts were taken over by microbes we know are dangerous if they get into the blood,” said senior author Patrick Seed, MD, PhD , assistant professor of pediatrics at Duke

Lyman Elected to Serve on Board of Directors of ASCO

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:42:22 +0000

Gary H. Lyman, MD, MPH , a professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, has been elected to the board of directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology , which is the leading professional organization representing more than 30,000 oncologists and others who care for people with cancer. Lyman will begin his four-year appointment in June 2012