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Newsletter
Stay connected with the latest breakthroughs in biological design with The Biodesign Bulletin. This recurring digest highlights new research, major publications, center updates, and upcoming opportunities.
Current Edition
Catching Disease Earlier: The Vision Behind Dr. Liangliang Hao’s Research
Long before she began developing new tools and methods to detect disease, Dr. Liangliang Hao was drawn to the overlap between different fields; where biology and engineering intersect. Dr. Liangliang Hao grew up in Henan, China, a region shaped by the Yellow River and thousands of years of history, often described... More
Smarter Cellular Warriors Take On the Toughest Tumors – Wilson Wong Lab’s novel immunotherapy sees success in Senti trials
A novel cancer cell therapy out of a Boston University lab might lead to safer, faster, less costly and more effective treatments for some of the toughest types of cancer. This immunotherapy, developed by a team of researchers under Professor Wilson Wong (BME), is a new form of chimeric antigen... More
Biomedical Engineer Wilson Wong Is Boston University’s Innovator of the Year
It’s not his first breakthrough to make it to clinical trials or to help patients. The holder of more than 10 patents and author of over 100 peer-reviewed research papers, Wong is cofounder of three biotech companies that are pursuing new vaccines, autoimmune disorder therapies, and advanced cancer medicines. It’s... More
Rethinking Antibiotic Resistance Through Engineered Biology
Inside the Dunlop Lab at BU’s Biological Design Center At Boston University’s Biological Design Center, researchers are rethinking how engineering biology can illuminate—and ultimately help solve—some of today’s most pressing challenges. Among them is Biomedical Engineering Professor Mary Dunlop , whose work is uncovering the subtle but powerful differences in how... More
Ezira Wolle Yimer, PhD Candidate, Khalil Lab
In his graduate school program, Ezira Yimer‘s doctoral work centers on the HT-Evolver, a high-throughput evolution system for cellular and molecular engineering. But his path to this platform wasn’t straightforward. Before landing on tool development, Ezira worked for a startup focused on microbiome therapeutics, and explored ways to evolve receptors to... More
Another Year of Gold for BU iGEM
The team, going by the name FloraSynse, developed FloraDX, an at-home diagnostic tool for monitoring bacterial vaginosis (BV), a condition that affects nearly one in three women. Unlike current diagnostics, which offer only a single snapshot of the vaginal microbiome, the BU team’s approach uses daily sampling and continuous monitoring... More
Pictures of RNA in Unprecedented Detail
Better mRNA medicines might result from Ngo team’s new cell imaging tool: Led by John T. Ngo, associate professor of biomedical engineering, the team has engineered coat proteins that bind to RNA when introduced into a cell sample. Upon binding, the proteins light up so as to be seen through a... More
Liangliang Hao Wins Innovation Award for Research into Lung Disease
Assistant Professor Liangliang Hao (BME) received the Innovation Award from the American Lung Association for her research project titled Developing Innovative Early Detection Test for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a serious lung disease that is relatively understudied.
BU Engineer Builds Next-Gen Sensors with a Mix of Living Cells and Tiny Electronics
A BU College of Engineering assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Jimenez’s convergent research combines synthetic biology—which uses tools like genetic engineering to create new biological systems—and microelectronics to develop small devices with a range of applications. The underlying technology could one day be used to not just track environmental conditions, More
BU Biomedical Engineer Christopher Chen Elected to National Academy of Medicine
Boston University biomedical engineer Christopher Chen has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. The nonprofit institution, founded to provide objective advice to the US government, says membership “signifies the pinnacle of professional achievement and commitment to volunteer service.”