Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

09/10/2026

We’re sad to see it come to an end, but there’s so much to celebrate after the success of !

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make yesterday’s event such a meaningful experience. A special thank-you to our keynote speaker, Jeff Allen, Ph.D., President and CEO of Friends of Cancer Research, for sharing his insights with our community.

We’re also incredibly grateful to the dedicated team who worked behind the scenes to bring this event to life, along with our valued sponsors and partners: TEDCO, the Federal Laboratory Consortium, the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, Business in Frederick, and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Thank you for helping make a success. We’re excited to carry the conversations, connections, and momentum from this year’s event forward!

09/09/2026

Follow Jana as she takes you inside one of our labs, where she and her team evaluate emerging cryo-EM platforms and use them to study important cancer targets.

09/08/2026

Congratulations to our own Nathan Coussens, Ph.D., of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, and his collaborators on receiving the 2026 Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry!

The honor recognizes research that began with an unexpected discovery: crystals produced by a species of cockroach to nourish its developing embryos. As an undergraduate in Ramaswamy Subramanian’s lab, Nathan was among the first to suspect that the crystals were more than expected waste products. When he placed them in an X-ray beam, the results revealed something surprising – they were proteins.

That discovery launched years of collaborative research. Nathan continued studying the unusual crystals and co-authored the 2016 study that used advanced X-ray crystallography to determine their structure at atomic resolution, revealing an extraordinarily concentrated source of nutrition.

The Ig Nobel Prizes honor scientific achievements that “make people laugh and then think,” and for Nathan, the recognition speaks to something even bigger: the power of curiosity to inspire future scientists.

“The Ig Nobel Prize is recognition that our study remains a touchpoint to inspire young learners and to grow their curiosity and love for science,” Nathan said.

What started as an intriguing scientific question (and a memorable “cockroach milk” story) has become an internationally recognized example of where curiosity, persistence and collaboration can lead.

Congratulations to Nathan and collaborators Purdue University Biological Sciences professor Ramaswamy Subramanian, Dectris Ltd. Japan's Leonard Chavas and their many research colleagues on this well-deserved recognition!

09/01/2026

Registration closes after September 2 for the Technology Showcase on September 9, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, technology scouts and other biotech stakeholders for an afternoon of innovation, education and connection.

This year’s free event will feature:

⭐️ Cutting-edge National Cancer Institute and Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research technologies available for licensing or partnership
⭐️ A keynote from Jeff Allen, Ph.D., President and CEO of Friends of Cancer Research
⭐️ Expert panels on partnering with NCI and FNL and moving technologies through FDA review
⭐️ Quick pitches from funding agencies on how to strengthen your chances for consideration
⭐️ Exhibit tables, one-on-one partnering opportunities and plenty of time to network with potential collaborators, licensees and investors

The day begins with a networking lunch at 11:30 a.m., followed by presentations at 12:30 p.m.

Whether you’re looking for your next technology, collaborator, funding opportunity or connection in the biomedical innovation community, don’t miss it.

Registration is free, but required. Register by September 2: https://heyor.ca/t7yN4g

08/31/2026

RAS mutations are well known for their role in cancer, but inherited changes in pathway genes can also cause RASopathies, a group of genetic conditions affecting roughly 1 in 1,000 newborns. These conditions can impact development, heart health, and cancer risk.

Now, the National Cancer Institute's ART: Advancing RAS/RASopathies Therapies initiative is helping accelerate new treatment possibilities: https://heyor.ca/g1hFRN

The RAS Dialogue Blog posts are written by RAS experts sharing the latest research, updates, and scientific RAS news. The content is curated by the RAS Initiative.

08/27/2026

We're seeking qualified small business construction contractors capable of providing renovation, alteration, repair, and construction services under a Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. To get a sense of what we're after, the construction opportunities, and how to write the best possible proposal, register for our free Construction Small Business Conference on Sept. 21: https://heyor.ca/dLdvox

08/24/2026

THIS WEEK! Join fellow biotech and bioscience professionals on August 27 at our event for discussion centered on progress toward an HIV functional cure. Register now 👉 https://heyor.ca/CzJpv3

08/19/2026

Our Viral Oncology Section in the AIDS and Cancer Virus Program is one of the few U.S. laboratories that performs Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) testing. Led by Denise Whitby, Ph.D., a recognized global leader in the KSHV community, the team is leveraging its unique expertise to help the CDC investigate suspected donor-derived KSHV infections among organ transplant recipients.

The collaboration is also helping advance efforts to expand testing capacity and better understand how KSHV-related complications can be identified and mitigated in transplant recipients.

Read more about the collaboration and the lab’s uncommon testing capabilities: https://heyor.ca/V653KY

08/17/2026

🔬 Scientist Spotlight: Meet Daniel!

Daniel is a structural biologist in the Cancer Research Technology Program who specializes in X-ray crystallography – a technique that allows scientists to determine the three-dimensional positions of atoms within a protein.

To determine a structure, Daniel starts with purified proteins produced by the Protein Expression Laboratory and searches for the right conditions to turn them into tiny crystals. Using robotics, he can screen 1,000–2,000 crystallization conditions at a time.

When crystals form, they’re carefully collected under a microscope, frozen in liquid nitrogen and shipped to synchrotrons across the United States. A synchrotron is a type of particle accelerator that produces intense X-rays. Through the remote control of a robot, Daniel positions the crystals in the X-ray beam (typically at 2 a.m. in the morning) and collects images of the X-rays scattered by the protein crystals.

These structures give researchers a closer look at how proteins work, the roles they may play in human disease and how they could contribute to the drug discovery process.

Learn more about our Cancer Research Technology Program 👉 https://heyor.ca/GojktB

08/13/2026

Did you miss the Reproducibility in Science Symposium at Hood College? This event brought researchers together to explore practical solutions for strengthening reproducibility in science – focusing on progress and collaboration rather than pointing blame or criticism at the many ways it fails to occur. Read the full recap 👉 https://heyor.ca/Q9tcgr