Biological Science News

Science That Matters, Now More Than Ever

dumitriu — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 09:16:26 -0400

Walking through ��Ƶ’s Mellon Institute on a quiet morning, one might find a researcher watching a set of experiments unfold that could shape new therapies or more sustainable materials.

Outside Support Fuels Scientific Innovation

kheuring — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:20:16 -0400

Across ��Ƶ’s Mellon College of Science, discoveries are made possible in large part with resources provided by federal agencies, but also with a network of corporate partners, private foundations and individual donors.

Rare Ventures Partners Rings NYSE Opening Bell

gwiltang — Fri, 4 Sep 2026 12:43:24 -0400

��Ƶ joins Rare Ventures in ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

PittCell Brings Region’s Cell Biology Community Together

dumitriu — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:24:54 -0400

In labs throughout Pittsburgh, scientists work across disciplines and institutions to better understand how cells function and how cellular processes shape human health.

Katherine Wang Codes New Tools for Biologists

kheuring — Mon, 6 Jul 2026 11:19:33 -0400

��Ƶ graduate Katherine Wang is creating bioinformatics tools to make NCBI analysis more accessible and accelerate breakthroughs in the fight against bacterial diseases.

��Ƶ Study Uncovers How Dangerous Bacteria Build and Break Down Biofilms

kheuring — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:05:02 -0400

Researchers at ��Ƶ have developed a powerful new approach to studying how bacteria form and dissolve biofilms, and this method is already providing new insights into Streptococcus pneumoniae.

��Ƶ-Q Researchers Discover Novel Mechanism To Suppress Tumors in Breast Cancer

dumitriu — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:41:52 -0400

Researchers at ��Ƶ in Qatar (��Ƶ-Q) have discovered a genetic molecule that could provide new approaches to treating certain types of breast cancer. ��Ƶ-Q is a Qatar Foundation partner university.

Built for Discovery

kheuring — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 12:50:04 -0400

The new Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences will provide new laboratories for the Department of Biological Sciences, enhancing student learning.

MCS Graduate Student Conference Funding Award Winners Announced for Fall 2026

kheuring — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:10:01 -0400

Five winners have received the Mellon College of Science Graduate Student Funding Award for late summer and early fall conferences.

New Precision Technology Helps Rewire Brain Circuits

dumitriu — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:21:42 -0400

A groundbreaking study reveals a precise new way to rewire brain circuits — opening the door to potential treatments that go beyond the traditional approaches of medication or external stimulation and bypass damaged neural connections.

Study Reveals How RNA Organizes Cellular Proteins

apavlak — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:49:18 -0400

A new study from ��Ƶ identifies a mechanism that controls how cell condensate patterns form and how they play a key role in a cell’s function.

Parkinson’s Symptoms Trace to Distinct Brain Circuits

kheuring — Tue, 26 May 2026 10:25:00 -0400

��Ƶ’s Aryn Gittis and colleagues suggest the most recognizable symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from disruptions in different motor circuits of the brain, an insight that could help explain why current treatments don’t work equally for all patients.

Kaplow Named 2026 Searle Scholar

dumitriu — Mon, 11 May 2026 09:27:20 -0400

Irene Kaplow, an assistant professor in the Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department and the Department of Biological Sciences, has been named a 2026 Searle Scholar, joining a class of 15 early career scientists recognized for innovative biomedical research and exceptional promise.

Mahitha Chaturvedula Earns Fugassi and Monteverde Award

kheuring — Tue, 5 May 2026 10:52:46 -0400

Mahitha Chaturvedula earned the Mellon College of Science Fugassi and Monteverde Award for her work in genetic research.

Shaun Ranadé Pursues the Art of Medicine

dumitriu — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:32:52 -0400

Ranadé, a member of the 2025 class of Tartans on the Rise, has always loved theater and film. He enrolled at ��Ƶ to study biology and pursue his dream of becoming a Broadway actor or opera singer.

Genetic Testing Offers Answers — and Hope — for Horse Owners

apavlak — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 16:43:43 -0400

Carnegie Mellon alumnus Paul Szauter's company, EquiSeq, develops and sells DNA tests that identify genetic variants linked to muscle disease in horses.

New Imaging Tools Aim to Reveal How Microbes May Drive Aging at the Molecular Level

apavlak — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 10:39:51 -0400

A new project led by ��Ƶ aims to build next generation imaging tools capable of capturing, in nanoscale detail, how microorganisms interact with the cells and molecules of the aging brain.

Scott Institute Announces 2026 Seed Grant Winners

dumitriu — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 10:34:45 -0400

For the 14th year, the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at ��Ƶ has proudly supported an interdisciplinary selection of energy and climate research projects through its seed grant program.

Innovative Research Meets Concise Storytelling at ��Ƶ’s 3MT Finals

kheuring — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:50:17 -0400

Mellon College of Science graduate students Christopher Blum and Anish Pyne earned recognition at ��Ƶ's Three Minute Thesis Championship.

AI4BIO Selects Inaugural Projects for Biomedical Discovery

kheuring — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:11:28 -0400

Carnegie Mellon's new Center for AI-Driven Biomedical Research selected its first four projects.

Hidden Helpers: Pittsburgh’s Industrial Past Might Hold the Key to a Cleaner Future

apavlak — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 14:02:51 -0400

Pittsburgh has reinvented itself from a steel powerhouse to a hub for health care and education. But the city’s industrial past left a hidden legacy: toxic compounds like benzene and toluene in the soil. While most life can’t survive such a contamination, some microbes adapted to use the pollutants as food. Now, scientists at ��Ƶ are exploring whether these microbes can help clean up what the steel industry left behind.

A Life of Discovery and Leadership: Susan Armstrong Henry

dumitriu — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:25:33 -0400

Susan Armstrong Henry, a distinguished molecular biologist and visionary academic leader, passed away on March 7, 2026.

Big Ideas in Three Minutes

kheuring — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 09:43:43 -0400

Mellon College of Science graduate students are among the finalists of the Carnegie Mellon Three Minute Thesis competition.

Kuang To Investigate How Microbes May Rewrite Genetic Messages

kheuring — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:15:15 -0500

��Ƶ’s Zheng Kuang is exploring whether bacteria in the gut microbiota help decide which versions of a gene get activated.

Carnegie Mellon Researchers Rethink Chronic Pain

kheuring — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:00:56 -0500

Researchers from ��Ƶ’s Neuroscience Institute are exploring how pain is measured, understood and treated to support safer, more effective care.

Frozen on the Ice: The Brain Science Behind Perfect Olympic Timing

gwiltang — Thu, 5 Feb 2026 14:29:14 -0500

Article describing Eric Yttri's lab research on brain function during a split-second pause or hesitation.

Researchers Identify New Target To Fight Antibiotic Resistance

kheuring — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:51:23 -0500

��Ƶ researchers, including Assistant Professor Drew Bridgs and graduate student Emmy Nguyen, have uncovered a vulnerability in bacteria that could pave the way for an entirely new class of treatments.

Barth, Former ��Ƶ Postdoc Discuss Teenage Brains on Vox’s ‘Unexplainable’

kheuring — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 12:55:08 -0500

Carnegie Mellon Professor Alison Barth and former postdoc Saket Navlakha were featured on Vox's "Unexplainable" podcast.

Fall Open Science Programming Celebrates Open Research and Collaboration

kheuring — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:05:12 -0500

The ��Ƶ Libraries hosted Open at ��Ƶ to bring researchers and librarians together to discuss practices in open research.

��Ƶ Junior Creates New Tool to Inspect Epilepsy Data

kheuring — Thu, 4 Dec 2025 11:07:51 -0500

��Ƶ student Zixi (Alan) Song created software to investigate how seizures begin and spread in the brain.

BTPE Student Studies Using Red Blood Cells to Deliver Medicine

kheuring — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 15:47:47 -0500

MS-BTPE graduate student Vishwa Maharajan investigates biomolecular transport mechanisms.

Roy Parker Probes RNA’s Role in Brain Disease

gwiltang — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 18:35:01 -0400

Mellon College of Science alumnus Roy Parker aims to change how Alzheimer's disease and dementia are understood.

Researchers Plant Seeds of Discovery

kheuring — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 14:22:26 -0400

Foundational scientific research conducted in ��Ƶ's Mellon College of Science has made a significant impact on biological sciences, chemistry, mathematical sciences and physics.

Henninger Explores Targeting RNA in Cancer Prevention, Treatment

kheuring — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:21:47 -0400

Jonathan Henninger, assistant professor of biological sciences at Carnegie Mellon, is finding ways to treat cancer with molecular precision.

MCS Graduate Student Conference Funding Award Winners Announced

kheuring — Thu, 2 Oct 2025 10:17:26 -0400

Four graduate students in the Mellon College of Science earned travel awards for upcoming conferences.

The Long Game: Years of ��Ƶ Discoveries Drive New Parkinson's Treatment

dumitriu — Thu, 2 Oct 2025 07:40:43 -0400

RNA Society Spotlights McManus

dumitriu — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:58:23 -0400

��Ƶ-Q Students Co-author Nanotechnology Paper in Molecules

dumitriu — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 10:37:18 -0400

Two undergraduate students at ��Ƶ in Qatar have achieved a rare academic milestone: co-authoring a peer-reviewed research paper on cutting-edge cancer diagnostics.

BioCDC Panel Brings Life Science Careers into Focus for Graduate Students

kheuring — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:50:02 -0400

The student-run Bio Career Development Committee (BioCDC) at ��Ƶ offers career development opportunities.

MCS Faculty Members Recognized With Chairs

gwiltang — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 11:21:08 -0400

Aryn Gittis, Katelyn Breivik, Olexandr Isayev, Zheng Kuang and Huaiying Zhang have been honored with named professorships to support their work in biological sciences, chemistry and physics at MCS

��Ƶ Program Helps Students Incorporate Sustainable Learning Environment into Diverse Fields

kheuring — Tue, 9 Sep 2025 16:35:20 -0400

At ��Ƶ, students in the Environmental and Sustainable Studies (ESS) program are confronting climate change, water scarcity and pollution through hands-on research and interdisciplinary education.

$5M Gift Establishes Trustee Head of the Department of Biological Sciences

dumitriu — Fri, 5 Sep 2025 15:55:46 -0400

��Ƶ-Q’s Yasser Majeed Awarded Wimmer Fellowship To Enhance Immunology Education

dumitriu — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 12:52:53 -0400

Team Brings Lung Cancer Into Focus with 3D Imaging Innovation

dumitriu — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 11:53:01 -0400

What Happens in the Brain When it Learns Something New

dumitriu — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 08:58:14 -0400

��Ƶ researchers Alison Barth and Eunsol Park have identified specific neural connections that are especially sensitive to learning about causality.

Chemistry's Pollution Blind Spot: How ��Ƶ Researchers Are Filling the Gaps

dumitriu — Tue, 8 Jul 2025 07:23:54 -0400