The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology

An estimated 65,000 Floridians have #Parkinson’s and more than 3,000 people a year die from it. Chemist Matthew Disney is working hard to change that. He has pioneered ways to create RNA-targeted medicines, and is one of five scientists nationally selected by SPARK NS for an ambitious effort to move promising #Parkinson’s disease discoveries out of labs and to patients. Read more about his work: https://lnkd.in/eBdxvrX9

The Natural Products Discovery Center is a fascinating labyrinth of vials, each containing a unique freeze-dried microbe from some of the world's most diverse ecologies—rainforest soils, coastal marshes, deep ocean waters, and even decomposing animal dung. This incredible collection, compiled over 80 years, includes organisms that may now be extinct, offering a precious window into Earth's past. 🌎 For Ben Shen, PhD, and his team at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, these tiny treasures hold immense promise for the future of medicine. These unexplored microbes could be the key to groundbreaking treatments and cures. Natural products, substances produced by living organisms, offer remarkable evolutionary advantages and can be found in various environments. They are highly valued for their unique adaptations and complex structures, which have significant pharmacological and medicinal potential. 😷 "Natural products have made a profound impact on the history of drug development, leading to the creation of some of the world’s most important medicines,” says Dr. Shen. The future of drug discovery might lie in these tiny, yet mighty, microbes.

There is an upcoming virtual 2-day workshop coming up for one of our most requested training topics - confocal microscopy!!! This is the perfect time of year for this course ahead of the fall semester, a great refresh for people coming back to the confocal or a great introduction to new users in either academic or commercial labs. There is a fee for the workshop - please contact either myself or Rebecca Duffy is cost is a barrier. Workshop details: Conquer the Confocal Basics (a ZMCC SkillBuilder Workshop) will be happening Tue, 27 August 2024 - Wed, 28 August 2024 from 10:00 am - 02:00 pm PST. Please register at: https://lnkd.in/gFZc2Uem

Children born with this rare genetic mutation can develop seizures, autism-like behaviors, intellectual disability and sensory processing difficulties. A new five-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health will accelerate work at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology on a potential treatment. And because the gene, SYNGAP1, enables brain plasticity, the scientists believe a treatment may also benefit recovering stroke victims and dementia patients. Read more about their promising work. Gavin Rumbaugh Courtney A. Miller Ted Kamenecka https://lnkd.in/e9cccKCR #syngap1 #syngap #autism #epilepsy #rarediseases #stroke #neuroscience #braindevelopment #neuroplasticity #Alzheimers #dementia National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Please note that the Wertheim UF Scripps campus will experience normal operations on Monday, August 5. Storm impacts in the Palm Beach County area are anticipated to be minimal. All employees should report to work as usual. University of Florida #tsdebbie #hurricanedebbie Storm information and links can be found at https://lnkd.in/eHKeCxjv

We invite you to our Solutions Center in Jupiter, FL for our Cryo FIB-SEM lunch & learn event in two weeks, you can attend in-person or virtually. Register and join our local team for a great opportunity to learn more about our Correlative Cryo FIB-SEM Workflow. Share this with your lab, your peers, or anyone who would be interested in our seminar and virtual demo.

Presenting three ways to noodle on your noggin on #BrainDay : 1) Learn about the work of Kirill Martemyanov, Ph.D., whose team discovered a new depression mechanism that acts as a brake on brain signaling. The scientists are hard at work on new potential medicines. Depression affects 29% of people during their lifetime, (Gallup) so more options are needed. https://lnkd.in/eUDcYj9Y 2) Appreciate how a gene called Syngap1 helps you adapt and learn with new experiences. Gavin Rumbaugh, Ph.D., discovered that it controls  “experience-dependent brain plasticity.” If it’s diminished, a type of autism can result. https://lnkd.in/empBqmCK 3) Wonder about the fact that your brain NEEDS to forget some things to stay healthy. Ronald L Davis, Ph.D., has discovered several genes involved. Here’s one that’s responsible for transient memory lapse. https://lnkd.in/eefKfuSt

Thank you Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) for the thoughtful write-up highlighting our work!

Give this program a high five! Vote today in Palm Beach Illustrated’s 2024 Education Awards. We’re pleased to be a finalist in their Innovation Award category! https://lnkd.in/exrzAXqa Imagine spending your summer inside a world-class biomedical research laboratory, learning the skills needed to discover treatments for some of the most challenging diseases faced by humanity. Each summer, 15 bright, local high school students do exactly this, within the labs of The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute in Jupiter. We’re building tomorrow’s biomedical research leaders, one local student at a time! More than 200 students have been giving this life-changing opportunity already. They’re going on to build great STEM careers dedicated to improving others’ lives, paying it forward. Vote for the Glenn W. Bailey STEM Education and Outreach Program at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Innovation & Technology #STEMeducation #STEM #science #scienceeducation #internships #research #researchopportunities

Sixteen high school students from 11 Palm Beach and Martin county high schools are spending their summer in the laboratories of The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute in #JupiterFL. They are learning how to conduct biomedical research in state-of-the-art labs, alongside scientist-mentors who are working in areas such as brain cancer, COVID, inflammatory disease, autoimmune disease, Alzheiemer's and much more. The program is life-changing! See the list of hard-working students and their home schools, and find out how to apply for next summer at the link: https://lnkd.in/e46ieAUu These internships are possible thanks to the generosity of two foundations, the Glenn W. Bailey Foundation and the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust. Thank you for enabling so many local students to explore careers in biomedical research! The School District of Palm Beach County Martin County School District