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Sunday, October 20, 2019
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Saturday, October 19, 2019
Biological engineer Paul Blainey creates new tools to advance biomedical research
Microfluidics — the science of manipulating tiny amounts of fluid through channels — has been widely used in fields such as genomics, where it has helped to enable high-speed sequencing. Several years ago, Paul Blainey started to wonder why microfluidics was not used for drug screening, another application that requires analyzing huge amounts of samples quickly.
That question led him and his students to develop a new type of microfluidics platform in which droplets are sealed within tiny wells, overcoming the problem of drug leakage that had stymied previous efforts. This system worked well for screening drugs, but it also ended up being useful for many other applications, far beyond what Blainey had originally envisioned.
“That’s one of the things I love about science — you can have a thought about why doesn’t microfluidics do more for chemistry, and then you develop something that turns out to have all these really exciting uses and applications that no one imagined,” says Blainey, a member of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and a newly tenured associate professor in the Department of Biological Engineering.
Blainey’s lab takes a wide-ranging approach to solving technological problems, resulting in the development of many cutting-edge tools over the past several years, with applications in fields from genomics to diagnostics and drug development. He credits his students with helping to come up with ideas for novel technologies, and pursuing alternative directions until they find something that works.
“The major research directions and technology platforms that the lab is known for today came out of this process where the students or I had a crazy idea, and then the lab executed on it, with all the twists and turns along the way,” he says.
Drawn to engineering
Growing up in Seattle, the son of a phone company technician and a nursing professor, Blainey had a natural affinity for engineering. “I was always that kid who was into building models,” he recalls. However, he began his academic career in the sciences, majoring in chemistry and mathematics at the University of Washington. He went on to earn a PhD in physical chemistry at Harvard University, but while pursuing his degrees, he was drawn to the aspects of science most closely related to engineering.
“I really liked analytical chemistry, which is very much like an engineering discipline because it’s focused on instrumentation, measurement, and the quantitative aspects of chemistry,” he says.
After finishing his PhD, he went to Stanford University to work as a postdoc in the lab of Stephen Quake, a professor of bioengineering. There, he worked with one of the first high-speed, next-generation genome sequencing machines installed in an academic lab, in 2007.
“The result was that I learned sequencing technology and genomics, I learned a little bit of bacterial genetics, I learned microfluidic technology, and I really started to appreciate how these things could play together,” Blainey says.
At Stanford, he performed single-cell genome sequencing of environmental microbes, but he wanted to turn his research focus toward biomedicine and studying human cells, so he applied for a faculty position at the Broad Institute. Before coming for his interview, he thought he would prefer living on the West Coast, but his visit to MIT changed his mind.
“Despite having been at Harvard for graduate school, I knew very little about the Broad and very little about MIT,” he says. “I took the trip to Boston, which exceeded my expectations. The scientific and collaborative potential at the Broad Institute and surrounding institutions jumped out so clearly.”
When Blainey became a member of the Broad Institute, he also joined MIT’s Department of Biological Engineering, renewing his longstanding interest in engineering. He launched his lab with the goal of developing biotechnologies that could strongly impact biomedical research and be broadly disseminated.
“We were interested in identifying opportunities to develop technology that would fill crucial gaps in the life science research portfolio,” he says. “We had the opportunity to talk with people, see what the needs were, see where biological research was being well-served by technology, and try to find gaps that might overlap with our toolkit or new things we could invent.”
Filling the gaps
One area where Blainey saw a need for new technology was in screening potential drug compounds. One of the big challenges in screening drugs is making sure there is enough of each compound to test it against a huge number of single cells. Researchers weren’t using microfluidics to help with these screens because drug molecules tend to leak out of the tiny droplets used in microfluidic devices.
One of Blainey’s graduate students, Tony Kulesa, came up with an idea for a new way to solve the problem, which was to seal nanoliter droplets into an array of tiny wells on a microfluidic chip. This prevented the drugs from leaking out, and enabled large-scale screens.
This technology turned out to be very useful for screening individual drugs and also combinations of drugs. In a paper published in 2018, the researchers showed that this system could be used to identify compounds that help existing antibiotics to work better. The Broad Institute is now launching a new center funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where this platform will be used to search for additional compounds with antimicrobial activity.
It later turned out that this system could be useful for a variety of experiments that involve testing the interactions of many different combinations of cells or molecules.
In one project, Blainey worked with Jeff Gore, an MIT associate professor of physics, to combine different strains of bacteria in droplets and study how they interact with each other. He also used it to create a new version of a CRISPR-based diagnostic technology called Sherlock, previously developed by several other labs at the Broad Institute. The droplet array platform allows the test to be carried out on many samples at a time, and to simultaneously test for many different diseases.
Another technique Blainey recently developed, known as optical pooled screening, allows researchers to examine how genes affect complex cellular processes, with spatial and temporal resolution. This technique, described in Cell on Oct. 17, combines large-scale pooled genetic screens with image-based analysis of cell behavior.
Blainey’s lab continues to seek out new areas that could benefit from technological innovation, while also pursuing potential applications for the tools they have already developed.
“Our antennae are sensitive to these general types of technical barriers where if you can come up with robust and general solutions, it really unlocks a lot of stuff. But we’re also excited to dig further into the biology using tools we’ve already developed,” he says. “It’s a bit like grassroots politicking — you really have to get out there and pound the pavement and show how it can be used in different ways.”
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Daniel Kaluuya bringing beloved purple dinosaur ‘Barney’ to the big screen
Daniel Kaluuya is better known for his groundbreaking role in Jordan Peele’s Get Out and also in Black Panther, but he’s taking a moment for the kids by collaborating with Mattel Films to produce a live-action movie based on ‘Barney the Dinosaur’, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The British star will produce the movie about the tyrannosaurus rex through “his newly formed 59% banner” with Rowan Riley and Amandla Crichlow, David Carrico, Adam Paulsen and Bobby Hoppey. Kevin McKeon will represent for Mattel.
Barney & Friends aired between 1992 to 2009. The legendary children’s television series holds a special place in many people’s hearts since the dinosaur taught viewers many life lessons about friendship, love and caring for others, through fun and games.
“Barney was a ubiquitous figure in many of our childhoods, then he disappeared into the shadows, left misunderstood,” said Kaluuya, 30. “We’re excited to explore this compelling modern-day hero and see if his message of ‘I love you, you love me’ can stand the test of time.”
READ MORE: Ryan Coogler to produce Fred Hampton biopic starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield
Mattel is excited about working with Kaluuya and they believe his insight will provide a refreshing freshing and new imagined outlook about the purple dinosaur.
“Working with Daniel Kaluuya will enable us to take a completely new approach to Barney that will surprise audiences and subvert expectations,” added Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner. “The project will speak to the nostalgia of the brand in a way that will resonate with adults while entertaining today’s kids.”
Barney joins the list of other properties under the toy company that will have features including Hot Wheels and Barbie.
A studio for the film has not been decided, but those involved are looking forward to its production.
“Barney is a dinosaur from our imagination, and we can’t wait to get ‘I love you, you love me’ stuck in heads everywhere, yet again,” Carrico said.
Kaluuya’s next role will be in the upcoming Lena Waithe thriller Queen & Slim, due out Nov. 27.
WATCH: Daniel Kaluuya is on the run in ‘Queen & Slim’ trailer
The post Daniel Kaluuya bringing beloved purple dinosaur ‘Barney’ to the big screen appeared first on theGrio.
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Video shows missing girl, Kamille ‘Cupcake’ McKinney, just before disappearance
The disappearance of a toddler in Avondale, Ala., has a community scrambling to find her, while police are questioning two persons of interest seen in a security cam video.
Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney was reported missing on Oct. 12, according to Birmingham station WIAT. Police issued an AMBER alert after she was picked up at a birthday party by an unknown person in an SUV.
ALEA has issued an AMBER alert. If you know the whereabouts of or have recently seen the person or vehicle described here, immediately call 911. If you have other information about this missing person, contact the Birmingham Police Dept (205) 254-0841. pic.twitter.com/Js97w9FbgG
— AL Missing Person Alerts (@AMBERAlert_AL) October 13, 2019
READ MORE: New $25K reward offered in search for abducted 3-year-old girl
Surveillance obtained by police shows two individuals walking past two small children around the time the abduction took place. The video reportedly shows the two kids following one of the individuals, according to the news site.
The girl was reportedly with her mother at the party, but children at the event say they saw a man drive up and put her in the car, then leave.
“From what we’ve been able to determine so far, this is the last known location that we could determine where she was,” Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith said during a press conference this week.
READ MORE: Stepfather arrested in connection to kidnapping of 4-year-old stepdaughter
They are two people of interest police believe are tied to the little girl’s abduction. One person of interest is Patrick Devone Stallworth, 39, and the other is Derick Irisha Brown, 29.
Both men were reportedly arrested for charges not tied to the child’s kidnapping. CBS 42 reports that Stallworth was released on Thursday after posting bond, but Brown still remains in jail.
Although there are currently two persons of interest, Smith believes that other individuals are tied to the case.
“Everyone is a person of interest at this point in the investigation,” Smith said.
Fortunately, the second child in the surveillance video has been identified, but police have decided not to release the child or family’s identity.
Smith revealed that a motive behind the abduction has not been determined, but he did reveal that he believes that the incident was organized in advance. He thinks that it was planned 20 minutes before the girl disappeared, according to WIAT.
“We’re hoping that someone will see this video and recognize the individual on there or he himself will say ‘Hey, that’s me,’ and whatever information they can provide will be greatly appreciated,” Smith said.
At $25,000 reward has been offered for information leading to finding Kamille. Meanwhile, a community search has been organized for Sunday to get neighbors in the area where she disappeared involved in finding her.
The post Video shows missing girl, Kamille ‘Cupcake’ McKinney, just before disappearance appeared first on theGrio.
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The Best Way for Black Professionals to Explore Berlin
Is “Explore Berlin” an item on your travel bucket list?
Boasting a population of more than 3 million people, Berlin is the capital of Germany and is the largest city in the country.
German is the official language of Berlin. But there’s a fair amount of people in tourist areas who speak English. If you want to learn the basics, download a foreign language app before your trip to help you better interact with the locals.
Whether you are going to Berlin to explore the city’s top attractions, gain new entrepreneurial inspiration, or take advantage of a career opportunity, here’s how you can make the most of 48 hours.
Get a Berlin Welcome Card
There’s so much to do in Berlin and so many ways to do it in this big city. If you’re looking to explore some of the city’s historic sites and most visited attractions, don’t forget to check out the Berlin Welcome Card!
With the Berlin Welcome Card, you’ll get free access to public transportation. That’s a bonus in any major city! Then, you’re free to roam around the city and use your Berlin Welcome Card to get discounts at local restaurants, premium bars, galleries, and museums.
Plan ahead to find out what attractions qualify for discounted rates.
Hop on the City Circle sightseeing bus
When you’re in a city for a short period of time, it’s important to create an efficient schedule. The best way to maximize your time as you explore Berlin is on the City Circle hop-on/hop-off sightseeing tour buses. You can see the best of Berlin in less than 4 hours!
The City Circle sightseeing bus takes you around the city on a narrated tour. You will get to see historic buildings, museums, and shopping centers all from one ride. Just hop off at one stop and hop back on when you’re ready to see another part of the city.
The bus leads you to more than 10 stops of attractions including Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, Charlottenburg Palace, and Potsdamer Platz. Buses run every 10 minutes so you’ll be able to make the most of your time in between landmarks.
Tour Museum Island
Museums are filled with artifacts that tell the story of the past. Some of Berlin’s most remarkable moments are captured in exhibits found on Museum Island.
Take the City Circle sightseeing bus to Museum Island and you’ll be in the middle of some of the biggest exhibits that the capital has to offer. You can check out some of the top museums including the German Historical Museum and Museum of Natural History.
If you’re a lifelong student of art and history, Museum Island will be food for your soul.
Stay in the center of the city
If you’re only going to be in Berlin for a couple of days, you want to stay as close to the action as possible. Grimm’s Postdamer Platz Hotel is a cozy, fairy-tale themed hotel that gives you the type of enchantment that you see on television. Throughout the hotel, you’ll catch glimpses of the popular story of the Brothers Grimm through the vibrant colors and wall decor.
Within a few minutes of walking, you’ll find areas filled with shopping, attractions, and restaurants. There’s never a dull moment around Grimm’s Hotel. But you’re far enough away from it all so that you’ll be able to easily unwind after a day of exploring.
Cool off at the Berlin Icebar
Have you ever wanted to drink from a real ice glass? You’ll have the best stories to tell your clients and co-workers after having a drink at the Angiyok – ICEBAR BERLIN.
You’ll be given a coat and gloves as you head down under to a bar where everything is made of ice! Immerse yourself in temperatures around -10 degrees Celsius as you sit on ice sculptures and take pictures before your fingers start to freeze. This is probably the coolest experience you’ll find in Berlin (literally!).
Are you planning a trip to explore Berlin soon? If so, make sure you check out some of these places to make the most of your trip.
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Fetty Wap charged with battery after brawl with security guard in Las Vegas
Rapper Fetty Wap has been charged with one count of misdemeanor battery after getting in a fight with security at Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last month.
The 28-year-old artist, whose given name is, Willie Maxwell II, was charged for hitting a security guard in the head, according to TMZ.
Surveillance video shows Fetty throwing two punches in the casino parking lot before additional security guards took him down. The site reports that security made a citizen’s arrest before Las Vegas Metro Police Department took him into custody.
READ MORE: Fetty Wap arrested in Las Vegas after punching valet at The Mirage
In related news, The “Trap Queen” rapper was also accused of inappropriately touching a woman at a party earlier this year. The woman, who he met at a video shoot, filed a police report against him.
Fetty has not yet been charged by the report made by the alleged victim, but the Los Angeles Police Department are reportedly still investigating revealed that the
The victim filed a report but the hip-hop star has yet to be charged with a crime for the alleged assault as the Los Angeles Police Department is said to still be investigating the incident.
Despite his legal woes, Fetty just recently celebrated his marriage to his wife Leandra K. Gonzale earlier this year.
The couple had two wedding ceremonies in Toronto, Canada, which is Leandra’s home town and the other in ceremony was held in North Bergen, New Jersey, according to Bossip.
The new wife posted a photo of their marriage license on her Instagram stories and included the caption “Mrs. Maxwell,” iHeartRadio reports. She also shared two posts to confirm the rumors about them getting married.
“Out for a late birthday dinner with my girls. Even tho he all the way in Germany , my husband managed to send me 300 Roses. I f**king loveeeee you@fettywap1738❤️😍🤟🏾,” Leandra wrote on Instagram after the couple got married. For her second post, she simply captioned a picture that showed the “300 Roses” Fetty gifted her: “wife life.”
The post Fetty Wap charged with battery after brawl with security guard in Las Vegas appeared first on theGrio.
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‘Sunday Service’ goes irie as Kanye West takes event to Jamaica
Kanye West isn’t keeping his popular Sunday Service performances stateside. Instead, he could be thinking globally.
The rap artist took his gospel-oriented event to Jamaica on Friday and held a free, public service supported by the Jamaica Tourist Board, according to The Source. The service was held just a week after West made a surprise visit to Washington, D.C. to perform at Howard University’s homecoming.
READ MORE: Kanye West brings Sunday Service to Howard University, warns crowd to avoid ‘slave nets’
West and his 120-person choir held a show at the Emancipation Park in Kingston on Friday evening performing songs such as “Prince of Peace,” Damian Marley’s “Welcome to Jamrock” and “Jesus Walks,” during his two-hour show, Highsnobiety reports.
Jamaican artist and “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” star, Spice shared her experience at West’s Sunday Service in a series of posts on her Instagram page to give fans a glimpse of what took place.
Spice also shared the Jamaican-themed merchandise created by West in an Instagram video. The rapper and his team wore “City of Kingston” clothing during the performance which is currently is being sold online.
Despite the praise, many people are criticizing West for both profiting off his Jamaican-themed clothing and his ministry. Religious leaders in Jamaica have criticized West’s intentions behind his Sunday Service and the message he is trying to send.
“I don’t know [Kanye] as a Christian and someone who is being led by the Holy Spirit,” Pastor Stephen Blake of Acts of the Holy Spirit Ministries International told the Jamaica Star. “We have to examine the motive here.”
Despite the backlash, West says he plans to visit other places outside the U.S. such as Africa, Europe and Asia.
The post ‘Sunday Service’ goes irie as Kanye West takes event to Jamaica appeared first on theGrio.
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Lupita Nyong’o Tackles Colorism in New Children’s Book, Sulwe
Lupita Nyong’o has released a children’s book to help kids be comfortable in the skin that they’re in.
“When I was younger, I had trouble accepting my skin,” the actress tells Good Morning America. “I grew up in Kenya around very many dark people, but I grew up with a lot of light skin on TV and in the books I read and it made me feel uncomfortable with my skin color.”
“I had a younger sister that was born a lot lighter than me and she got … told how pretty she was, and I realized that it was in the omission of those words when it came to me that made me feel unworthy and so it took a while for me to find my stride and learn to love the skin I’m in. So I wrote this book to help little kids get there a little faster.”
Now Nyong’o has released a book, Sulwe, which tackles the issue of acceptance among kids of color.
According to the book’s description, Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.
In celebration of the launch, Nyong’o took to Twitter to reminisce on what gave her the idea to write the book: “#Sulwe is out today & in honor of her debut, I wanted to take you back to the day she was born for me: Just days before the 2014 Oscars, I gave a speech at Essence Magazine‘s Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon. For a surreal, nerve-wracking five minutes, I spoke to a room full of Black women about my own struggle to find beauty in my dark skin… In the aftermath of this open-hearted public moment for me, I realized this message needed to be heard by our most vulnerable: the children.”
“Much like Sulwe, I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin,” Nyong’o said in a press release. “My goal in writing Sulwe is to provide young children with a path towards seeing their own beauty, regardless of what society tells them.”
The talented actress was born in Mexico and was raised in Kenya. She made her feature film debut in 2013 in 12 Years A Slave, which won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
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Understanding cry for justice, two pro athletes to pay for costs of Atatiana Jefferson’s funeral
In response to the emotional public outcry the family of Atatiana Jefferson is receiving assistance amid the difficulty of her slaying at the hands of a policeman.
Sacramento Kings forward, Harrison Barnes and Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle, Malik Jackson are paying for Jefferson’s funeral costs.
Barnes said he and his wife decided to pay for the expenses as a way to help the family since he has ties with Texas community after playing for the Dallas Mavericks after three years, according to PEOPLE. Jackson also decided to contribute shortly after.
READ MORE: Texas officer charged with Atatiana Jefferson’s murder, resigns after shooting
“My wife and I wanted to do something for that family,” Barne, 28, told reporters in a video by NBC Sports. “It was a tragic situation that happened. No one should be killed during a wellness check, but the biggest thing is, anytime someone has to go through that, the last thing you want to have to worry about is trying to come up with the money for a funeral.”
Lee Merritt, the attorney for the Jefferson family told the The Dallas Morning News that Barnes and his wife will pay for about 90 percent of the funeral and Jackson will cover the rest.
“They did it because they cared,” Merritt said, according to the news outlet. The attorney also emphasized that the players want to “keep their donations low-key.”
Jefferson, 28, was shot and killed by a white Fort Worth, Tex., police officer on Oct. 12, while babysitting her 8-year-old nephew at her home. The officer was responding to a welfare call made by Jefferson’s neighbor after he saw that her front door was open, but opened fire on her, apparently without identifying himself as a police officer, according to bodycam video.
READ MORE: Former police officer Aaron Dean, who killed Atatiana Jefferson, out of jail on $200K bond
That officer, Aaron Dean, resigned from the department, but was charged with Jefferson’s murder shortly after. Police are currently investigating the shooting.
Jefferson’s funeral was scheduled for Saturday, but according to a post on Merritt’s Instagram account, it has been postponed.
“This family, like most families, is dealing with internal disputes,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, due to the public outcry concerning Atatiana’s murder, they are being forced to go through this tragedy publicly. Please respect their privacy as the family resolves this conflict.”
The post Understanding cry for justice, two pro athletes to pay for costs of Atatiana Jefferson’s funeral appeared first on theGrio.
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