Biological Sciences Department News
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Purdue team uncovers how a rare cancer changes the identity of cells
2025-09-18
When cells in the body stop following the rules, cancer can take hold. A Purdue University research team led by Jason Hanna, professor of biological sciences, has discovered how a rare form of vascular cancer, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE), does exactly that—by forcing healthy blood vessel cells to change into a more aggressive type.
Subtle cues between cells & immune system contribute to spread of cancer
2025-09-17
In the march of metastasis, a molecular trail of crumbs guides some cancer cells from the primary tumor to establish new colonies within the body. Blocking the cells’ ability to follow the trail might halt metastasis but could also meddle with an intricate cellular signaling system critical to immune response. Purdue University scientists are deciphering this signaling system to better understand how it could be used to address multiple diseases, including cancer.
September Edition: Newly Issued Patents
2025-09-17
Congratulations to Purdue University researchers across all campuses and academic disciplines. They have recently received 16 patents on their intellectual property from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
In Print: ‘Protein Function Prediction: Methods and Protocols’
2025-09-17
Daisuke Kihara, professor of biological sciences and computer science, and his published book “Protein Function Prediction: Methods and Protocols.”
Blueprints for a molecular machine more powerful than CRISPR
2025-09-05
More than a decade ago, scientists harnessed a bacterial molecular machine that identifies and cuts specific sections of DNA, revolutionizing the ability to edit genes and accelerating research into treatments for all manner of diseases with a genetic link. But the technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 works by cutting DNA, not moving it.