Researchers from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine have developed lab-grown skin that replicates the complexity of scleroderma. Made from patient-derived cells, the 3D tissue model increases understanding of how this and fibrotic diseases progress.

Researchers at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) have developed a new way to predict 2D materials that might transform electronics, such as sensors and solar cells. They used a mix of data mining, computer modeling, and structural analysis to reveal 83 candidate materials. Collaborators at the University of Maryland, College Park successfully synthesized some of the proposed materials in the lab, proving the UMBC predictions could be used to guide experiments with the novel materials. 

A promising breakthrough in cancer treatment is taking shape at the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR), where scientists are developing a powerful radioisotope that could one day precisely target and destroy cancer cells. A recent study led by Heather Hennkens, an associate professor at Mizzou’s Department of Chemistry and a researcher at MURR, investigated how to produce, purify and formulate Terbium-161 for radiopharmaceutical use. Through this work, Hennkens’ lab is optimizing the radioisotope so it can be effectively attached to a targeting molecule and sent as the therapeutic “payload” to destroy tumor cells.