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NIH Record - National Institutes of Health
Pink twisted strands, the DNA double helix, with white dots on either side showing the insertions. Parts of 2 orange-colored DNA strands flank either side, along with a bright dot at the end showing DNA editing.

January 21, 2022

  • Tabak and Collins smile, seated at the ACD meeting table

    123rd ACD Session Focuses on Maintaining Momentum

    By Carla Garnett

    The advisory committee to the director (ACD) convened virtually for its 123rd meeting on Dec. 9-10. It was the fourth straight online-only session, due to the global pandemic. For 2 days the group learned of progress against some of the nation’s toughest issues. The session also featured a finale by Dr. Francis Collins, who stepped down as NIH director on Dec. 19.
  • Dr. Johnson

    Sphingolipids Play Key Role in Microbiome

    By Eric Bock

    A class of lipids named sphingolipids play an important, yet not well understood, role in how microbes interact with tissues in the gut, said Dr. Elizabeth Johnson, during a recent Judith H. Greenberg Early Career Investigator Lecture. “It’s been really exciting to understand how bacterial sphingolipids work and figure out their exact mechanisms [of action],” she said.
  • A screenshot shows a smiling Dr. Francis Collins in his home office, OD's Darla Harris in her home and OD's Lauren Higgins along with other NIH'ers listening in.

    Collins Thanks IMOD, CIT

    By Amber Snyder

    In his final gratitude stop last year, then-NIH director Dr. Francis Collins virtually thanked hundreds of support staff from OD CIT and the Immediate Office of the Director.
  • Spahn speaks during a Zoom presentation

    Peace Corps, CFC Celebrate 60 Years of Service

    By Mariah Felipe

    In March 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed two executive orders establishing both the Peace Corps and the effort that grew into the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). To mark the 60th anniversary for both service-oriented institutions, the Fogarty International Center recently hosted a virtual fireside chat with Carol Spahn, Peace Corps chief executive officer.
Pink twisted strands, the DNA double helix, with white dots on either side showing the insertions. Parts of 2 orange-colored DNA strands flank either side, along with a bright dot at the end showing DNA editing.

On the Cover

CRISPR-Cas9 is a customizable tool that lets scientists cut and insert small pieces of DNA at precise areas along a DNA strand. This lets scientists study our genes in a specific, targeted way.

Photo: ERNESTO DEL AGUILA III, NHGRI

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