Duke researchers discover cellular ‘release valve’ that could strengthen bones and cartilage
Scientists have identified a long‑sought enzyme that controls a fundamental chemical process critical for healthy bones and cartilage, according to a study accepted to Nature Chemical Biology. The enzyme, MESH1, regulates levels of PAPS, the chemical “fuel” cells use to add sulfate tags to proteins and other molecules. The researchers found that MESH1 breaks down PAPS, reducing sulfation; when sulfation is too low, cartilage and bone don’t form properly, contributing to skeletal disorders and possibly osteoarthritis. Lowering MESH1 activity boosted sulfation and improved bone density in a mouse model with a sulfation defect. By also solving the enzyme’s 3D structure bound to PAPS, the study opens the door to drug development, suggesting that inhibiting MESH1 could help restore sulfation in patients with related diseases.
Locking viruses out: A new approach to infection prevention
Duke University School of Medicine researchers led by Nicholas Heaton, PhD, are studying a new way to prevent viral infections by modifying how human lung cells interact with viruses.
Anushka Peer receives Goldwater Scholarship
Undergraduate student Anushka Peer has been awarded a 2026 Goldwater Scholarship. She is among 454 scholarship recipients nationwide.
The Brain’s Blueprint Maker
Debra Silver, PhD, is pursuing one of neuroscience's biggest questions: What makes a human brain human? She researches it with the same mix of precision and adventure she brings to her passion for scuba diving.
CIFAR renews international program exploring fungi’s risks and benefits
An international research initiative co-led by Joe Heitman, MD, PhD, has secured a five‑year renewal to advance scientific understanding of fungi and their global impact. The CIFAR-funded program, Fungal Kingdom: Threats and Opportunities, brings together experts from multiple disciplines to investigate the complex roles of fungi as both emerging threats to human health and vital contributors to environmental and technological systems.
The genes that help TB survive
Researchers have uncovered a set of bacterial survival genes activated only inside TB’s hard‑to‑study granulomas, revealing new clues to how the pathogen endures our immune defenses.
Antifungal drug effort springs from Heitman led Fungal Kingdom
Antifungal drug effort springs from Heitman‑led Fungal Kingdom program.
Alumni Spotlight on Stephanie Diezmann: When Doors Open, Go Through
Stephanie Diezmann, PhD, who received her doctoral degree from Duke in 2009,
Miao and Derbyshire elected to the American Academy of Microbiology
Two faculty in the Duke University School of Medicine have been elected as fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology. Ed Miao, MD, PhD, Duke Health Distinguished Professor of Integrative Immunobiology, and Emily Derbyshire, PhD, Eads Family Professor of Chemistry, who has a secondary appointment in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, are among 63 new fellows elected for 2026.