Enough to start working on a canoe?
Painting by Elaine Farmer, the Amherst, N.H., based painter who owns White Birch Fine Art.
Birchbark canoe at Abbe Museum, in Bar Harbor, Maine
— Photo by Billy Hathorn
At the Amherst, N.H., common, with the sort of Civil War statute you see in so many New England towns.
New England Council update on the response to COVID-19
Beth Israel Deaconess, in Boston, is teaming up with Johnson & Johnson to work on COVID-19 vaccine.
From The New England Council (newenglandcouncil.com):
BOSTON
“As our region and our nation continue to grapple with the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, The New England Council has been heartened to learn of the incredible steps that so many of our member businesses and organizations are taking to address the crisis and its impact in our communities. If there is one thing that we have learned over the years, it is that in times of crisis, the New England business community never fails to step up to the plate and to draw on its knowledge and expertise to develop innovative strategies and solutions to address the problem at hand.
“And so, we will be using our blog as a platform to highlight some of the incredible work our members have undertaken to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak. Each day, we’ll post a round-up of updates on some of the initiatives underway among Council members throughout the region. We’ll also be sharing these updates via our social media, and encourage our members to share with us any information on their efforts so that we can be sure to include them in these daily round-ups.
“Check back here each day for new updates and you can follow us on Twitter @NECouncil, where we will post a link to the daily update, as well as individual stories.
“Here is the March 16, 2020 roundup:
Beth Israel Teams up with Johnson & Johnson on Novel Coronavirus Vaccine; Provides Glossary of Terms – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is partnering with the drug-producing branch of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Pharmaceutical) to develop a potential vaccine for the new coronavirus. Using a common cold virus that delivers coronavirus antigens to stimulate an immune response, BIDMC hopes it will be successful in developing a vaccine for the virus. Read more in the Boston Globe.Also from BIDMC, Doctor Kathryn Stephenson of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research provided a comprehensive glossary of terms used in describing the novel coronavirus.
Jackson Laboratory Becomes Crucial in Developing Treatments – Jackson Laboratory (JAX) in Bar Harbor, ME, has been “overwhelmed with requests” for mice that produce the protein that the virus is using to enter cells. Originally bred for SARS research, the mice born at Jackson Labs are in high demand, with around 50 labs from around the world ordering more than 3,000 mice for use in their efforts to combat COVID-19. Nature has more.
South Shore Health Provides Information on Exposure to the Virus – South Shore Health has been updating its patients on how those who have been exposed to the virus are notified and how they’re working to keep their patients and community healthy.
Boston Hospitals Prepare for COVID-19 – Boston hospitals—from Beth Israel to Massachusetts General to Tufts Medical Center—are training workers, readying rooms, monitoring supplies in preparation for the continued spread of the novel coronavirus. “We really have been preparing for an outbreak like this for the last five years or more,” one doctor said.
Sanofi Also Ramps up to Begin Testing Drug to Treat COVID-19 – Sanofi, along with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, is testing whether or not drugs used for patients with immune disorders already on the market—such as their own arthritis drug—can be effective in treating the novel coronavirus.
Northeastern Lab Uses Location as a Case Study in American Response – At Northeastern University’s Emergent Epidemics Lab, researchers are using Boston’s unfortunate status as one of the major sites of novel coronavirus infection to begin early predictions on the scope of the virus’ spread and aid hospitals in estimating what supplies they’ll need as infections spread
“Have your own news you’d like us to highlight? Please email eheisig@newenglandcouncil.com with information.’’
Maine lab sends mice to space station
Jackson Laboratory, in Bar Harbor
From The New England Council (newenglandcouncil.com):
”Jackson Laboratory will send a group of their ‘custom-designed mice’ to the International Space Station to help scientists better understand muscle and bone loss in both space and on Earth. Based in Bar Harbor, Maine, Jackson Laboratory is a nonprofit biomedical research institute focused on improving health care through analyzing the unique genetic makeup of each individual.
The study, designed by Jackson’s Se-Jin Lee, will examine the effects of microgravity on astronauts’ bones and muscles during space flight, and explore ways to prevent it. In addition, the study’s results may also yield information that can help the elderly, bedridden, and those with muscle-wasting conditions. The strain of mice that will be used in this study are referred to as “mighty mice” by the Jackson Lab, which engineered them to be without the gene responsible for producing a muscle growth inhibitor named myostatin. Without the gene, the lab’s mice grow skeletal muscles twice the normal size.
Mr. Lee traveled to the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, to deliver a group of 10-week-old mighty mice for their Dec. 4 departure to the International Space Station, where they will spend 40 days. Upon their return, Mr. Lee will continue the research alongside his team and students from two Connecticut public high schools.
“Our discovery suggested blocking myostatin activity in livestock and aquatic species could be an effective strategy for dramatically improving meat/fish yields to help meet the shrinking world food supply,” he said. “Inhibiting myostatin activity may represent a new strategy for increasing muscle growth and regeneration.”