National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

In this #CoolScienceImage of the human brain, researchers at UCLA used colors and shapes to show neurological differences between two people. The blurred portion in the front of the brain is associated with complex thought and varies most between the individuals. The blue ovals mark areas of basic function that vary relatively little. Visualizations like this one are part of a project to map complex and dynamic information about the human brain, including genes, enzymes, disease states, and anatomy. It also represents the collaborations between neuroscientists and experts in math, statistics, computer science, bioinformatics, imaging, and nanotechnology. Find this image in the NIGMS gallery using the link in the comments. #Biomedical #BasicScience #HumanBrain

Graduate student Haley Bridgewater credits the NIGMS Institutional Development Award Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence program for much of the research support she’s received. She’s working on a vaccine that would prevent bacterial infections with Staphylococcus aureus and be delivered through a dissolvable microneedle patch. Haley’s aspiration to become a researcher stems from her time studying biology at Pacific Lutheran University and her experience volunteering with the Peace Corps. We recently featured Haley in a Biomedical Beat blog post. Check it out through the link in the comments. #BiomedicalBeat #Vaccines #BasicResearch Boise State University

The 2024 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine has been awarded to long-time NIGMS grantees Drs. Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for discovering microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. MicroRNAs are proving to be fundamental in how organisms develop and function. The Nobel Prize UMass Chan Medical School Mass General Hospital #NobelPrize #MicroRNA #Biomedical

Meet Haley Bridgewater, a Ph.D. student at Boise State University. Haley is designing a vaccine to prevent infection by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which often have antibiotic resistance and can cause many types of infections, especially in people undergoing surgery. The vaccine (which is still in the testing phase) is delivered by a small dissolvable patch containing microneedles made of sugar. This could ease the symptoms and anxiety associated with needles and make it easier to distribute the vaccine around the world because it wouldn’t need refrigeration. Read more about Haley and her research in the latest Biomedical Beat blog post. Find the link in the comments. #BiomedicalBeat #Vaccines #MolecularBiology #BasicResearch

Starting soon! Join us virtually for the 2024 Stetten Lecture, “Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Glycinergic Neurotransmission,” with Dr. Sudha Chakrapani. There will be a Q&A session with Dr. Chakrapani following her presentation. Find the link to the NIH Videocast in the comments.

NIGMS will host an informational webinar to provide advice and respond to questions from prospective applicants to PA-25-168, Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grant (Parent T32). NIGMS only accepts applications to the parent T32 funding opportunity in four clinically relevant research areas within the mission of NIGMS: Anesthesiology Clinical pharmacology Medical genetics Injury and critical illness Use the link in the comments for more information.

Don’t miss our 2024 Stetten Lecture tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET! Dr. Sudha Chakrapani will present her talk, “Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Glycinergic Neurotransmission.” For more information, head to the link in the comments. #StettenLecture #Biomedical #BasicResearch Case Western Reserve University

Are you thinking about applying for an NIGMS Maximizing Investigators' Research Award for Early Stage Investigators, but aren’t completely sure how? Want to ask your questions directly to our staff? Join us for virtual office hours—a series of live, small group sessions dedicated to assisting early career faculty and late-stage postdoctoral researchers to plan their future applications. Sessions start tomorrow! For more information on the topics covered in the series, dates, and how to register, visit the link in the comments.

A big thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at the National Science Teaching Association conference! It was great meeting you all, and we hope you enjoyed learning about our STEM resources. Catch us in Philadelphia in the spring. In the meantime, keep the momentum going by exploring the NIH STEM teaching resources portal (link in the comments).

These vials may look like they’re filled with magic potions, but they really contain nanocrystals reflecting different colors under ultraviolet light. The tiny crystals are made of semiconducting compounds called quantum dots and, depending on their size, emit different colors. This allows scientists to use them as a tool for detecting genes, proteins, and other biological molecules. Do you want to add an image or video of your NIGMS-funded work to our gallery? Visit the link in the comments to submit your information. 📸: Shuming Nie, Emory University #BasicResearch #ColorfulScience #Nanocrystals #QuantomDots