The prize recognizes foundational discoveries about regulatory T cells and the FOXP3 gene that redefined immune tolerance and opened avenues to treat autoimmune disease, enable transplantation, and advance immuno-oncology. ISB celebrates Dr. Brunkow’s leadership and collaborative science.
The pioneering work of Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsdell began with a mysterious mutant mouse known as “scurfy,” leading them to identify the FOXP3 gene and unlock how regulatory T cells prevent autoimmune disease — discoveries that now point to new treatments in cancer and autoimmunity.
Six leading experts from across the field presented new insights to more than 1,000 registrants worldwide, with over 400 participants joining live.
Postdoctoral fellows are the lifeblood of research institutions, yet their contributions are often underrecognized. At the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), postdocs enter the scientific workforce with passion, vision, and advanced training – bringing the fresh ideas that fuel discovery.
Researchers at ISB have developed personalized models to predict C. diff colonization risk and test targeted probiotics. This approach could prevent infection before it starts and paves the way for precision microbiome therapies tailored to individual gut ecosystems.
ISB scientists have developed a simple, low-cost method to measure the total amount of bacteria in the gut using existing sequencing data. This breakthrough could speed up microbiome research and unlock new insights into health and disease.
ISB’s Gibbons Lab developed a breakthrough method that analyzes food-derived DNA in fecal metagenomes, allowing for data-driven diet tracking without the need for burdensome questionnaires.
ISB has been selected as a winner of the 2024 Amazon Web Services (AWS) IMAGINE Grant. The grant will support ISB’s continued development of My Digital Gut, an online decision-support platform that will help make microbiome-informed nutrition and healthcare personalized, predictive, and preventive.