News & Media
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
Developing tools to study and reprogram cells at the molecular level
The Ngo Lab, led by Professor John Ngo (Biological Design Center) aims to achieve a better, multi-scale understanding of the molecular organization of life—and to help other scientists do the same—by developing tools to measure, probe, and even re-program how cells communicate with one another... More
A Saliva Test for Soldiers, Athletes, and Others Aims to Predict Performance
You’re due to run a grueling road race in a few hours. Do you have the stuff to make it across the finish line or will you crash before the end? Or maybe you’ve got a ballet recital or a poker tournament or a big speech More
CISE and BDC Host Event to Connect Faculty with IMEC
Fifteen distinguished Boston University faculty members shared their research at an event jointly hosted by the Center for Information Systems and Engineering (CISE) and the Biological Design Center (BDC) at the Center for Computing and Data Sciences on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. More
Converging on Training Tomorrow’s Bioengineers
With a competitive National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) award, Boston University is positioning itself to become a major hub not only in the emerging research field of biological feedback control, but also in the training of tomorrow’s engineering biology workforce. More
Kilachand Fund Awards Go to Crystal Rib Cage and Brain Connection Projects
When infection or disease strikes the lung—cancer, pneumonia, COVID-19—it’s tough for researchers to see what’s going on inside the organ. Even if they simulate in a lab the disease in a lung, they can’t recreate the forces the rib cage places on it without blocking their view of what’s happening. More
BU’s First-Ever Biology and Machine Learning Hackathon
Belmont High 11th graders David Luo (left) and Yareh Constant, here working on a machine-learning cancer prediction model that can be used as a fast and accurate preemptive check and second opinion, were among the 50-plus students at BU’s first-ever Biology and Machine Learning Hackathon. More
This Tiny Capsule Can Warn You When Inflammation Is Imminent
A smart pill no bigger than a blueberry can withstand the stomach’s acidic fluids, detect signs of gastrointestinal trouble, and send warning signals to an ordinary smart phone More
Cellular Engineering Built to Last
Professor Ahmad “Mo” Khalil (BME) and colleagues have developed a more precise and effective gene circuit engineering method that might boost the field of synthetic biology to the next level, ultimately resulting in more effective and enduring cell therapies for cancer and other diseases, among other applications. More
Turning Trash into Medicines, Machine Oils, Cosmetics, and More
As all green-thumbed gardeners know, rotting fruits and vegetables—gnawed-on apple cores, discarded potato peels—are a precious resource. Let them bubble away in a composter and they become a nourishing food for flower beds and vegetable gardens. Engineers know it too. The nutrients produced by decaying food can also be used in biomanufacturing, helping fuel bioreactors More
BTEC and BDC Host Women Leaders in Science
The Bioengineering Technology & Entrepreneurship Center (BTEC) and the Biological Design Center (BDC) jointly hosted Women Leaders in Science, an event that drew more than 70 BU graduate students for dinner and networking with the board of the American Association of University Women (AWIS) More