Category: Research
NEIDL Researchers Discover New SARS-CoV-2 Weak Spot—Which Could Inspire Improved Vaccines
In a Boston University–led paper published online in Nature, an international team of researchers identify the mutations that help Omicron dodge prior immunity and show that a previously unheralded virus protein—known as NSP6—might be an essential factor in the variant’s lower disease-causing potential, or its pathogenicity. A draft containing some of the paper’s early results previously made international headlines when a series of false reports sensationally misconstrued its findings. But the study’s senior author, BU virologist Mohsan Saeed, says this research could have a major positive impact, potentially helping provide a new target for vaccines and therapeutics.
Two BU Researchers Receive over $1 Million Each from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
In an effort to take biological imaging to the next level, two Boston University College of Engineering researchers are spearheading projects aimed at finding better ways to visualize the cellular mechanisms that drive our everyday life. Ji-Xin Cheng and Lei Tian will each receive more than $1 million in funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a highly competitive program, to develop new methods for seeing cells, molecules, proteins, and neuron networks in real time.
Mayors Address Climate Crisis in Report from BU’s Initiative on Cities
A report released January 17 by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities (IoC), titled “Mayors and the Climate Crisis,” asked elected city leaders about their views on climate change and what, if anything, their communities should do to address the issue. The report is the first in a two-part series of survey results from the 2022 Menino Survey of Mayors. For the survey, IoC staff interviewed mayors of 118 cities across the United States with populations of more than 75,000 residents.
CARB-X wins $370 Million to Fight Antibiotic Resistance
CARB-X, a nonprofit global partnership that channels funding and expertise to companies for new antibiotics, vaccines, and rapid diagnostics, is receiving up to $370 million in additional funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and Wellcome, a global charitable foundation.
NASA Boosts BU-led Effort to Model Solar System’s Protective Bubble
The SHIELD (Solar wind with Hydrogen Ion Exchange and Large-scale Dynamics) DRIVE Science Center has been awarded a new five-year grant to advance its breakthrough work in heliophysics. The funding will also support the team’s efforts to diversify the field of space physics.
Institute for Sustainable Energy Focuses on Equity in Climate Change Fight
Social scientist and internationally renowned climate change expert, Benjamin Sovacool is the new director of Boston University’s Institute for Sustainable Energy (ISE), a hub for sustainable energy research and equitable policy solutions that benefit every part of the world in a fair and just way.
Effort to Synthesize Lung Tissue Wins Funding
A bold, early-stage project aiming to develop lab-grown lungs has been awarded $1.5 million over three years from the Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group. The effort will be led by researchers at Boston University’s College of Engineering and School of Medicine.
New Center for Innovation in Social Science
The new Center for Innovation in Social Science, according to Deborah Carr, founding director, is “a one-stop shopping point” for learning about social science research, events, education programs, internships, media coverage, and collaboration opportunities. The center is among the “cornerstone initiatives” of the CAS Strategic Plan for Arts & Sciences.
Antiracism Center Director Ibram X. Kendi Wins “Genius” Grant
The National Book Award–winning historian and scholar, whose research and gift for communicating ideas with policymakers and everyday people alike have made him a leader of a national movement around antiracism, has been selected as a 2021 MacArthur fellow. Kendi joined BU in 2020 and is a College of Arts & Sciences professor of history and the University’s Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities. He, along with the other 24 fellows, receives a no-strings-attached $625,000 award spread over five years, in recognition of their exceptional creativity, achievements, and promise for future contributions.
BU Launches Infectious Diseases Policy Center
Founding Director Nahid Bhadelia says the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research will create important and accurate knowledge about emerging infectious diseases and share it with public health experts, lawmakers, and the general public—a crucial need at a time when misinformation has endangered human health globally.
