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Technologies 5

• Digital information storage in DNA
  The genetic material DNA has garnered considerable interest as a medium for digital information storage because its density and durability are superior to those of existing silicon-based storage media. For example, DNA is at least 1000-fold more dense than the most compact solid-state hard drive and at least 300-fold more durable than the most stable...
• Synthetic AAV virus capsids for advanced gene therapy
  The protein shell (capsid) of Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are presently the most promising delivery vehicles for various in vivo gene therapies. AAVs are non-pathogenic and, through past engineering efforts, have become safe due to their inability to integrate into and damage the genome of target cells. Rather, the delivered DNA containing a therapeutic gene of...
• RAPID testing for food contaminants
  Contamination of food by microorganisms such as certain bacteria, viruses and fungi is a constant concern, with even miniscule amounts of certain species posing a risk for foods to become unsafe and spoiled during storage. Current safety and quality tests are often not sensitive enough to detect rare species, and because they first require the...
• Pathogen Capture Technology for Infectious Disease Therapeutics and Diagnostics
  Microbial infection is the cause of life-threatening cases of sepsis, meningitis and multiple other diseases that are major causes of death world-wide. Equally prevalent are pathogenic contaminants in our environment, food, and manufacturing processes. In each case, the presence of dangerous microbes must be confirmed, and when they are found, they need to be removed,...
• A broad strategy to reduce the toxicity of protein drugs
  Therapeutic variants of the natural hormone erythropoietin (EPO) which is produced in the kidney to boost the production of red blood cells are commonly used to treat anemias stemming from kidney disease, chemotherapy and other complications. However, many drugs that are based on therapeutic proteins, including EPO, often cause unwanted side effects because they not...

News 15

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• Awards Daniel Wiegand receives Bayer Protein Challenge award
  February 6, 2019
• Community 9th Annual Wyss International Symposium: Molecular Robotics
  September 28, 2018
• Research Spotlights Rewiring bacteria for large scale biofuel and bioplastic production
  March 30, 2018

Events 1

• May 10, 2017, 1:00pm - 2:00pm Lecture
  
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  Repurposing Nature: Protein Nanocage and Bacterial Cellulose in Medicine and Beyond
  Nature provides us with an abundance of biological materials that we have been repurposing to suit our needs. In this talk, Dr. Lim will highlight two nature-derived materials -protein nanocages and bacterial cellulose- and discuss her team’s work towards engineering, reformatting, and repurposing them for medicine, molecular electronic, and consumer care applications. Free and open to public

Multimedia 5

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  Audio/Podcast
  Protein Engineering: Editing Functionality
  Protein Engineering: Editing Functionality was originally broadcast on Think Research, a podcast by Harvard University, on April 19, 2018. In this story, Wyss Lead Senior Staff Scientist Michael Super, Ph.D. shares his story of how the spread of infectious disease throughout South Africa and London inspired him to pursue human health and combat disease. The...

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  Video/Animation
  Pathogen-Extracting Sepsis Therapy
  This video explains how sepsis induced by an overload of blood pathogens can be treated with the Wyss Institute’s improved pathogen-extracting, spleen-mimicking device. Blood is flown through a cartridge filled with hollow fibers that are coated with a genetically engineered blood protein inspired by a naturally-occurring human molecule called Mannose Binding Lectin (MBL). MBL is...

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  Video/Animation
  Designing Fusion-Protein Therapies
  In this video, watch the new computational model in action as it simulates the behavior of a fusion-protein drug molecule after the targeting protein has attached to a cell. Developed by Wyss researchers, this model helps design more effective biologic drugs while eliminating drug candidates that are prone to causing side effects. Credit: Harvard’s Wyss...

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  Video/Animation
  Bioinspired Approach to Sepsis Therapy
  Wyss Institute Founding Director Don Ingber, Senior Staff Scientist Michael Super and Technology Development Fellow Joo Kang explain how they engineered the Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) protein to bind to a wide range of sepsis-causing pathogens and then safely remove the pathogens from the bloodstream using a novel microfluidic spleen-like device. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard...

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  Video/Animation
  Introduction to Sepsis Diagnostic
  What if we could diagnose sepsis in just hours, not days? Wyss Institute researchers discuss their approach to a rapid sepsis diagnostic. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University