Making Room for Bigger Scientific Analyses
By Andrei Volic When Eddie Ruiz, a postdoctoral researcher in the Dries Lab at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, began analyzing the mouse organogenesis and spatiotemporal dataset (MOSTA), he encountered a problem confounding many researchers in computational biomedicine. MOSTA offers a detailed view of how cells and organs develop in mouse embryos, but […]
When Survival Is Only the Beginning
A new app developed by BU researchers and collaborators helps burn survivors navigate life after injury. By Mia Knezevic and Maureen L. Stanton A generation ago, surviving a devastating burn injury was far from certain. Advances in emergency medicine, critical care, and reconstructive surgery have transformed that reality, allowing people with even the most severe […]
Unlocking the Data Inside Molecular Maps
BU researchers are developing computational tools to uncover insights in spatial data, supported by a $3.4M NIH grant. By Maureen L. Stanton Scientists can now pinpoint individual RNA molecules inside tissue, creating extraordinarily detailed maps of where genes are active and how that activity relates to neighboring cells. Emerging technologies known as spatial subcellular transcriptomics […]
Teaching AI the Biology of Antibodies Speeds Drug Discovery
Boston University Research Shows Biology-Informed AI Can Outperform Larger Models By Maureen L. Stanton Designing an effective antibody drug is like searching for the right key in a warehouse of locks. Scientists may begin with million— or even billions—of antibody candidates, but only a tiny fraction will recognize and bind tightly to the disease target. […]
BU Researchers Use “Digital Twins” to Predict Language Recovery After Stroke
By Brendan Galvin For people recovering from a stroke, relearning how to communicate can be one of the biggest rehabilitation challenges. For bilingual patients, the challenge is even greater. Which language should their speech therapy focus on? A recent study published in npj Digital Medicine explores how artificial intelligence-powered “digital twins” can help answer that […]
Study Finds Widespread Signs of Wash Trading in NFT Markets
Using machine-learning models and blockchain data, BU researcher Gerry Tsoukalas and collaborators identified suspicious patterns across major exchanges. By Brendan Galvin Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, became a symbol of the digital asset boom, with buyers spending huge sums on blockchain-based art, collectibles, and virtual items. Yet new research suggests that much of that activity may […]
Boston University’s Ioannis Paschalidis Inducted into 2026 AIMBE College of Fellows
Prestigious Honor Recognizes the Most Accomplished Researchers in Medical and Biological Engineering By Maureen Stanton The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has inducted Ioannis (Yannis) Paschalidis into its 2026 College of Fellows. This peer-elected membership is among the highest professional distinctions in the field, honoring the top two percent of medical and […]
Sharing open-source use of PandemIQ Llama LLM code
By Cassandra Kennedy (BEACON) The Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON) announced public availability of PandemIQ Llama, an open-source, domain-trained large language model designed specifically for pandemic surveillance and biothreat analysis. BEACON, based at Boston University’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases (CEID), is a web-based platform and accompanying public health program which aims to address this need by […]
What Will the Climate Look Like in 10 Years?
Elizabeth Barnes Explores how Data-driven Models can Improve Forecasts from Days to Decades By Molly Glass, The Brink Predicting climate is incredibly complex because it depends on huge, constantly changing datasets like temperature, wind, and ocean conditions. Since both AI and Earth science deal with massive data and pattern-finding, combining them can help scientists better […]
From Research to Policy Impact: BU’s Allison Portnoy Models RSV Prevention From Newborns to the Elderly
With NIH support, Portnoy is building the first dynamic model to guide country-specific RSV prevention strategies across all ages By Maureen L. Stanton With flu season upon us, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases are already rising. A leading cause of hospitalization in infants and older adults, RSV sends tens of thousands of people to the […]