ISB News

Cancer genomics visualization at ISB

It’s Easier to Go ‘Viral’ When Your Partner Happens to be Google

By ISBUSA Since we announced that we got a $6.5 million contract from NCI to develop the Cancer Genomics Cloud pilot project, we’ve gotten some great press from around the world. It doesn’t hurt that one of our partners is Google, of course. Here are some of the headlines from around the world: Puget Sound Business Journal: Cancer in the cloud: Institute for Systems Biology teams up with Google NBCNews.com:…

Lee Hood Receives IEEE Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology

Dr. Lee Hood received the IEEE Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology at a ceremony in Amsterdam on Aug. 23, 2014. Please watch a video of his acceptance speech here. IEEE Spectrum Magazine also published an article featuring an interview with Lee: “Medicine’s Next Big Mission: Understanding Wellness” Read article…

Aitchison Lab Accepts ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Jennifer Smith, senior research scientist in the John Aitchison Lab, was tagged to do the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. And because the Aitchison group studies ALS, Jennifer’s lab mates took the challenge, too. Jennifer offered this description of the work they are doing to create a blood test for early detection of ALS: ISB is developing a multi-component blood-based assay (blood test) for early detection and disease tracking of ALS….

Cover image for ISB's 2013 Annual Report.

ISB’s 2013 Annual Report is Now Available

Institute for Systems Biology has a dizzying breadth of research projects. But when we talk about what we do, it’s how we do it that matters most. The systems approach that we pioneered and exemplify continues to distinguish our ability to tackle the most complex biological and environmental challenges today. Because of how we apply our hallmark collaborative, cross-disciplinary and integrative approach, our collective success is greater than the sum…

ISB and Seattle BioMed held its annual Lightning Talks on June 12, 2014. The talks offer scientists the chance to share current research and to enable potential collaborations across institutes.

3-Minute Science: ISB and Seattle BioMed Hold Annual Lightning Talks

Photo: Theo Knijnenburg, a research scientist in ISB's Shmulevich Lab, presentaed a summary of his work related to gene mutations and cancer drug sensitivity. Systems biology is about the culture as much as a scientific approach. ISB and Seattle BioMed have an inter-institutional agreement that enables the collective to benefit from shared knowledge and technology resources. For the second consecutive year, we held Lightning Talks (June 12) to allow researchers…

Speakers Dr. Joe Gray, of Knight Cancer Institute of Oregon Health & Science University, and Dr. Carla Grandori, of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, answer questions during a panel discussion.

ISB Systems Biology Symposium Speaker Videos Now Available

ISB held its 13th Annual International Symposium: Systems Biology & Cancers on April 13-14. Please read more about our speakers and program. If you weren't able to attend or would like to refresh your memory of the talks, we have made a selection of the presentations available to view below. Or visit the playlist on ISB's YouTube channel.

Networks Are All Around You network activity created at Institute for Systems Biology for the USA Science & Engineering Festival.

ISB at USA Science and Engineering Festival

ISB scientists Aaron Brooks (Baliga Lab) and Martin Shelton (Hood Lab) attended the USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington D.C. on April 26-27. They, and ISB senior research engineer, Chris Lausted, developed an interactive network activity involving circuit boxes that represent nodes and fiber optic cables to connect them. The project and trip to D.C. were supported by funds through NIH/NIGMS and ISB’s Center for Systems Biology. From Brooks:…

ISB's Director of Education, Dana Riley Black, mades national impact on science education.

ISB Impacts Education System Nationally and Locally

National: At the beginning of April, Dana Riley Black, ISB’s Director of Education, was invited to participate in one of three Ideas Labs hosted by the National Science Foundation in Washington D.C. The weeklong lab was related to the new NSF program “Improving Undergraduate STEM Education” (IUSE) and was focused on discussing ideas for integrating quantitative literacy into undergraduate biology education. The reason for this particular topic is that while…

Support ISB: GiveBIG 2014

Date: Tuesday, May 6th, 2014 Time: 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM Where:  The Seattle Foundation website – ISB profile page GiveBIG is an annual, community-wide day of giving hosted by The Seattle Foundation that aims to inspire regional philanthropy. Between midnight and midnight (PST) on May 6th, The Seattle Foundation and its generous sponsors will match a percentage of all contributions to local nonprofits. If you are considering a gift…

Dr. Lee Hood’s Research!America Acceptance Speech

Dr. Lee Hood received the Geoffrey Beene Builders of Science Award through Research!America (read more). Watch his acceptance speech above. UPDATE, April 12: Here's a video of the backstage interviews with all the award recipients.

USA Science & Engineering Festival

Networks are everywhere – from communications and transportation to social and biological – but we take most of them for granted. Three ISB scientists (Chris Lausted, senior research engineer; Aaron Brooks, graduate student; and Martin Shelton, postdoc) and high school intern Sarah Williams are collaborating on a project for the USA Science & Engineering Festival on April 26-27 in Washington D.C. to demonstrate just how essential networks are. The team…

USA Science & Engineering Festival

Networks are everywhere – from communications and transportation to social and biological – but we take most of them for granted. Three ISB scientists (Chris Lausted, senior research engineer; Aaron Brooks, graduate student; and Martin Shelton, postdoc) and high school intern Sarah Williams are collaborating on a project for the USA Science & Engineering Festival on April 26-27 in Washington D.C. to demonstrate just how essential networks are. The team…

Tiniest Malfunctions in a Cell Can Cause Devastating Diseases

3 Bullets: ISB researchers are studying peroxisomes, which are cellular organelles that are linked to a rare syndrome that causes progressive organ complications and infant mortality. Peroxisomes have a role in metabolizing and breaking down cellular waste. Because peroxisomes easily change shape and function according to a cell’s needs, a systems approach is necessary to help decipher that complexity. By Dr. Thurston Herricks Dane Tolmie was a 19-month old boy…

ISB’s Trans Proteomic Pipeline Software in Demand

Luis Mendoza and Eric Deutsch, of the Moritz lab, were at CINVESTAV (a federal institute in Irapuato, Mexico) last week to teach a workshop on the Trans-Proteomic Pipeline software. From Luis (pictured above): "We covered the basics of data analysis of tandem mass spectrometry data using the TPP, including the justification and theory behind the methods as well as interpretation of the results via hands-on tutorials. We had a full…

Innovation Game Changer: Lee Hood

Dr. Lee Hood appeared in a video series produced by World Free From Cancer and Value of Innovation about five "game changers" who will help make this a cancer-free world.  

Greater Good: Successful High School Interns

Every summer, ISB welcomes a group of high school interns, hosted through our Systems Education Experiences program. ISB is proud of its collaborative and cross-disciplinary culture and we work hard to nurture an environment that allows our staff to achieve at a high level. It was especially gratifying to get this comment from one of our interns, who had just completed her time here: “At ISB, I witnessed collaboration that…

Luxembourg-ISB Partnership: ‘An Unqualified Success’

By Hsiao-Ching Chou LUXEMBOURG JOURNAL, June 12, 2013 – At the 17th-century Neumünster Abbey, the cultural heart of Luxembourg City, a small group of some of the world’s most cutting-edge scientists gathered on June 10-11, 2013, for a symposium to discuss the future of medicine and healthcare. The consensus was clear: Achieving the greatest advances requires “no-box” thinking, cross-disciplinary teamwork and, as ISB president, Dr. Lee Hood, likes to say,…

ISB Post Doc Gets Patent for Protein that Blocks HIV

Martin Shelton Martin Shelton, a post doc in the Lee Hood lab, just received his first patent. He shared the following explanation with his 10-year-old nephew who’s a burgeoning scientist/inventor/engineer. “We made a small molecule called a peptide (which is a sciency word for a piece of a protein). This peptide blocks a function that is key to the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV, the virus that causes…