Recent Blog Posts
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Now Accepting: Applications for PNRI’s 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Internship
PNRI’s Summer Undergraduate Research Internship (SURI) is an exciting opportunity tailored for undergraduates passionate about biomedical sciences. This nine-week intensive, paid program offers a dive into research projects, scientific symposiums, and career development activities, giving aspiring researchers a platform to flourish.
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The Hidden Heroes in Your DNA: Retrocopies and Their Role in Fighting Viruses
Research from PNRI’s McLaughlin Lab has found that our genomes harbor retrocopies of a specific family of genes called APOBEC3, which play a crucial role in restricting viral infections. What’s more, these retrocopies are capable of fighting off viruses when tested in the lab.
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PNRI’s Hagopian Lab: A 25-Year Legacy
PNRI says farewell to William Hagopian, MD, PhD, who, as PNRI’s Director of Diabetes Programs, is moving on from PNRI after spearheading research on type 1 diabetes at our institute for more than 25 years.
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Bold Breakthroughs: PNRI’s Night of Celebration, Science, and Hope
In late October, PNRI celebrated recent achievements and ongoing innovation in the field of genetic research with our event: Bold Breakthroughs, an enthusiastic return to in-person events for the institute after a four-year hiatus from our classic annual fundraiser, Evening of Wine. Bold Breakthroughs represented a fresh and energizing adaptation of that classic and was…
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Unlocking the Secrets of Complex Genomic Rearrangements in Disease
In a pair of recent studies, PNRI’s Carvalho Lab is making significant strides in unraveling the intricate relationship between our genes and their structure, shedding new light on the genetic underpinnings of specific diseases.
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The New York Times Covers PNRI’s Breakthrough Research on Ancient Cancer in Clams
The New York Times featured Dr. Michael Metzger’s groundbreaking research on transmissible cancer in clams in: Bizarre Cancer Has Been Spreading Among Shellfish for Centuries, Studies Find.
Recent Media Coverage

Bizarre Cancer Has Been Spreading Among Shellfish for Centuries, Studies Find
Carl Zimmer from The New York Times interviewed PNRI’s Dr. Michael Metzger about a study just published in the journal Nature Cancer. Dr. Metzger and a global team of scientists uncovered a transmissible cancer lineage in soft-shell clams more than 200 years old. Their findings not only reshape our understanding of how cancer evolves but offer insights that could help develop novel strategies for blocking cancer in humans and other species.

COVID Cleared of Increasing Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in Kids?
In a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers from PNRI’s Hagopian Lab and TEDDY Study colleagues found no evidence to suggest a link between COVID-19 and the development of type 1 diabetes in children. Their findings stand in contrast to other recent studies that suggested a link between the virus and the disease.

Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency with Aimée Dudley, Andrea Gropman, and Tresa Warner
In this podcast episode, PNRI Senior Investigator Dr. Aimée Dudley joins Dr. Andrea Gropman, Chief of Neurogenetics and Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics at Children’s National Hospital, and Tresa Warner, a parent of a child living with OTC deficiency and the President of the Board of Directors of the National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation, to discuss a novel genetic screening tool that offers hope to babies born with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTC deficiency), a life-threatening metabolic disorder.

Tribe, Partners Discover Cancer in Cockles
The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission describes how the Suquamish Tribe and PNRI’s Metzger Lab are working together to better understand how a cancer affects the local cockle population – a traditional food for tribal members that started to disappear over the past few decades.

Researchers discover transmissible cancers in several shellfish species on the east and west coasts
KING-5 News spotlights the collaboration between PNRI’s Metzger Lab, the Suquamish Tribe and other partners to collect and analyze marine bivalves impacted by cancer to understand the spread and try to stop it.

Researchers Studying Cancer in Wildlife Grapple With Why Some Get the Disease While Others Don’t
Voice of America reporter Deborah Block showcases what PNRI’s Metzger Lab is discovering about a virus-like cancer affecting some of nature’s smallest creatures – shellfish.
Media Requests
Please visit our Media Inquiries page to contact us with your request.