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Vaccine Tech 30 Years in the Making Is Getting Put to the Ultimate Test

Emily Mullin

August 21, 2020 |

Medium |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

A key set of entrants in the race to develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine use a genetic approach that has shown promising but preliminary results in human safety trials. Genetic vaccines, which have been in development for 30 years but have never undergone large-scale clinical trials or been used widely, differ from traditional vaccines, which inject a form of an actual pathogen to trigger an immune response. DNA and RNA vaccines can be developed much more quickly by using a small piece of genetic code to instruct a body's response. Initial human safety trials worked enough to move to large-scale tests.

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The race to unravel the biggest coronavirus outbreak in the United States

Amy Maxmen

March 06, 2020 |

Nature |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

When virologists and genomicists in Seattle, Washington realized that COVID-19 was likely to spread to the United States, they began to research ways to keep vulnerable poplulations safe. So far, early success has come from replicating the Seattle Flu Study, which uses a swab test to "reveal the trail that the flu takes as it passes around households, homeless shelters, office parks and communities in the city," and now investors are putting money towards getting these tests into households.

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Drone Swarms and Gene-Altered Corals Fight Climate Change

Tom Gibson Vicky Feng Leila Hussain

October 29, 2019 |

Bloomberg |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

Replanting and replenishing damaged ecosystems is crucial to mitigating further adverse effects of climate change. From the forests of the American Pacific Northwest, to the coral reefs around the globe, startups and scientists are working to increase the resilience of natural systems. DroneSeed, in Seattle, WA, leverages drone technology to increase reforestation efforts. Meanwhile, biologists in Thailand are working to cultivate hardy corals.

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From Weed to Cash: Researchers Genetically Engineer Pennycress

Ryan Denham Sean Newgent

October 03, 2019 |

WGLT |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Illinois

A gene editing practice called CRISPR is transforming a penny-shaped weed known as pennycress into a cover crop. This practice offers farmers a source of revenue in their off season and provides habitats for insects, as well as improved soil health.

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In an Apparent First, Genetic Genealogy Aids a Wrongful Conviction Case

Mia Armstrong

July 16, 2019 |

The Marshall Project |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Idaho

The use of genetic genealogy technology has given law enforcement the opportunity to compare DNA that people have tested personally through companies like 23andMe to DNA collected at crime scenes. Recently being used to help free people from prison who have been wrongfully convicted, the technology gives law enforcement insight as to the family tree the DNA is connected to. While showing potential, it has also raised concerns around genetic data privacy, with many companies now requiring permission from users.

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He's Helping Super Oysters Survive Climate Change

Tafline Laylin

January 25, 2019 |

OZY |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Manchester, Washington

As rising temperatures threaten marine life, the Pacific Hybreed laboratory is working to develop resilient shellfish. Their experimental breeding process attempts to uncover new genes to help a variety of shellfish withstand changing temperatures and disease, and it just might help save the fishing industry.

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Saving Mila: How doctors raced to stop a young girl's rare disease

Meghana Keshavan

October 22, 2018 |

STAT |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Doctors created a therapy for one young girl's supposedly fatal disease in record time. The patient's parents worked to fund research for the drug using social media and crowd funding. The drug is working, but the results will be difficult or even impossible to replicate.

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With genome sequencing, some sick infants are getting a shot at healthy lives

Meghana Keshavan

October 19, 2018 |

STAT |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Project Baby Bear is a grant-funded pilot program that uses genome sequencing to to diagnose sick infants. The doctors hope to save lives and save the system money on unnecessary treatments. Since very few sick infants show symptoms that correlate to their genetic diagnosis, these tests are instrumental in positive health outcomes.

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How an Unlikely Family History Website Transformed Cold Case Investigations

Heather Murphy

October 15, 2018 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Lake Worth, Florida

GEDmatch started as a "casual side project," but investigators have been using the genealogy website to solve murder and sexual assault cases, opening a new set of both opportunity and ethical questions. The site is free to all, so investigators have used it to match DNA information and find suspects using family connections - a strategy that concerned the founders of the site at first, although they've come around to the idea after seeing the positive impact it has had.

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Can scientists save one of the world's favourite bananas?

Roland Pease

August 26, 2018 |

BBC |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: Australia, Queensland

The Cavendish banana is the preferred banana worldwide thanks to its size and being seedless. It's this latter trait, however, that has made it susceptible to disease. Currently under attack by a deadly fungus, one scientists has high hopes that genetics can help locate resistance genes and help save the fruit.

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