The Record

$10 million gift to benefit Center for Genome Sciences

The School of Medicine has received a $10 million gift from the Harry Edison Foundation to support the Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology. The gift, from the Edison family, will help to advance the center’s research programs, including its work in understanding the gut microbiome.

A better look at the lungs

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded biomedical engineer Mark Anastasio a four-year, $1.7 million grant to attempt to develop a new way to image airflow in lungs. The research someday could make diagnoses of lung disease easier and more cost-effective.

The next enchanted ring?

Using genomics, a chemistry lab has worked out the biosynthetic machinery that makes a new class of antibiotic compounds called the beta-lactones. Like the beta-lactams, such as penicillin, they have an unstable four-member ring. Researchers leapfrogged the process, using genetics to zero in on bacteria synthesizing.

LEAP Inventor Challenge awards $175,000 to university teams

Five university teams are receiving up to $175,000 to pursue their innovative ideas through the LEAP Inventor Challenge. Concepts range from a device to stimulate bone healing to drug discovery software.

Peregrine falcons nest on Medical Campus

For several years, peregrine falcons have nested on the Medical Campus. The four newest falcons are believed to have hatched April 23 and can now be seen honing their flight skills above the medical center.