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Research on cell division provides new clues to how a common cancer treatment works

In studying cell division, scientists happened upon a new way of understanding how a chemotherapy compound works. The findings could make it possible to predict which patients are most likely to benefit from the drug.

Shapeshifting receptors may explain mysterious drug failures

Scientists have found that many receptors with high potential for drug discovery take a different configuration inside the body than in the test tube. The findings could explain why some promising drugs fail in clinical trials, and potentially open doors to new drug-development approaches.

Tips for a greener lab

Even the most routine scientific experiment may come with a hefty environmental footprint. Here are several best practices to reduce waste, save energy, and cultivate more planet-friendly lab habits.

Vanessa Ruta named a 2019 MacArthur Fellow

Ruta, who investigates how the brain is modified by experience, has received a MacArthur Fellowship, an award intended to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations.

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Study gives clues to the origin of Huntington’s disease, and a new way to find drugs

Using a new technique to study brain development, scientists were able to trace the causes of Huntington's back to early developmental stages when the brain has only just begun to form.

Jeffrey M. Friedman to receive 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Friedman's discovery of the hormone leptin has transformed our understanding of obesity.

Recent donations establish centers for computational science and for metabolism, and renew resources for faculty recruitment

The university’s Campaign for Transforming Biomedicine—which raised $1.17 billion over eight years—closed this summer with a bang: three significant capstone gifts, made in the campaign’s final months, to directly support Rockefeller science.

Becoming a Scientist: Priya Rajasethupathy 

Memories are inherently shifty. A neuroscientist with a new lab of her own, Rajasethupathy likens the brain’s memory function to Wikipedia—always evolving, occasionally unreliable.

From the tiny testes of flies, new insight into how genes arise

A common birthplace of new genes, the male testes are a hotspot for biological innovation. Within these organs, scientists have found a trove of virgin genetic sequences—and a better understanding of how evolution moves forward.

Findings shed new light on why Zika causes birth defects in some pregnancies

Researchers have shown that antibodies against Zika might be involved in causing birth defects in babies born to infected women. The findings might provide important caveats for the development of a vaccine.