Sometimes a medical condition can be cured with a single surgery or a course of medications. But many illnesses — like diabetes, asthma, and chronic pain — require long-term treatment and management. Recognizing the assistive potential of smart phones and other personal computing devices, some doctors have begun recommending apps to help patients track their […]
Community News
Is Alcohol Use Disorder virtually solved?
May 11, 2023
Alcohol use is common in the United States. The vast majority of adults (84.0%) have drunk alcohol at some point in their lifetime, with most of them (79.5%) reporting having a drink in the last year. Many social events rely on the presence of alcohol, and most attend these events without alcohol disrupting their lives. […]
Ultra-rare genetic diseases: emerging strategies and new challenges
December 17, 2022
Genetic diseases, like cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease, can be devastating to the people afflicted by them, but they often affect few people. The exact cutoffs vary from nation to nation, but in the United States, a rare disease is defined as one that afflicts fewer than 200,000 Americans. Most of these diseases are […]
Augmented Reality in spine surgery: a promising market niche with an uncertain business future
December 17, 2022
Imagine you are driving to a friend’s house. You have been there a few times and have formed some general impressions of the route. In the old days, you would only have your imperfect memory to guide you. Now you can use GPS not only to navigate the route, but also to see live traffic […]
Harvesting our gut communities to treat disease
December 12, 2022
A look at fecal microbiota transplants in universities and biotech companies Trillions of bacteria, along with some fungi, viruses, and archaea, make up our gut microbiome. These bacteria greatly outnumber our own cells and play a crucial role in our bodies. Researchers are exploring gut microbiome interventions to improve human health. In the last several […]
Promoting innovation in academia: from universities to startups and beyond
August 25, 2022
With both industry and the academic community working together, innovative ideas generated at universities could potentially lead to more successful startups and a better workforce.
The fight against the silent pandemic: a synergistic effort for combating antimicrobial resistance
May 23, 2022
The world is running out of weapons to fight against the threat of superbugs. A collective effort from healthcare, government, and industry is needed.
Lessons from microbial growing pains
December 22, 2021
While our society has grown accustomed to microbe-produced medicines like penicillin and insulin, biotechnology startups today, especially those in the San Francisco Bay Area, are increasingly looking to use these microscopic chemists in industries beyond pharmaceuticals.
Taking the high road: turning to drugs to treat addiction
December 22, 2021
Researchers are once again pursuing psychedelic drugs as potential treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, such as substance use disorder. This comes at a crucial time when drug use and overdose deaths have increased during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Could collaborative biotech teams close the gap in cancer research?
December 14, 2021
By 2040, cancer cases are expected to significantly rise in Latin America and Asia. But a lack of technology, trained personnel, funding, and diminished participation interfere with scientists’ fight against cancer in these regions.