Sarah CP Williams
@sarahcpwilliams.bsky.social
science writer- biology, medicine, chemistry, engineering- for universities, institutions, foundations, alumni mags. also mom to 3, and occasional microfiction author.
When UV light hits ice—whether in Earth's polar regions or on distant planets—it triggers a cascade of chemical reactions that have long puzzled scientists. Now, @uchicagopme.bsky.social researchers have simulated how ice's crystal structure changes with UV exposure. pme.uchicago.edu/news/quantum...
Quantum calculations expose hidden chemistry of ice
The new theoretical research by UChicago PME and ICTP researchers has implications for melting permafrost and climate change
pme.uchicago.edu
November 25, 2025 at 2:10 PM
When UV light hits ice—whether in Earth's polar regions or on distant planets—it triggers a cascade of chemical reactions that have long puzzled scientists. Now, @uchicagopme.bsky.social researchers have simulated how ice's crystal structure changes with UV exposure. pme.uchicago.edu/news/quantum...
@columbiamed.bsky.social researchers are achieving transplant tolerance: patients receiving new kidneys without lifelong immunosuppression. The same science could soon enable pig-to-human organ transplants, offering hope to 100,000 people waiting for organs. www.vagelos.columbia.edu/about-us/col...
A New Era in Organ Transplantation
Columbia researchers are stretching the limits of what is possible for kidney, heart, and liver transplants, pioneering ways to expand the organ supply and avoid lifelong immunosuppressant drugs.
www.vagelos.columbia.edu
November 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM
@columbiamed.bsky.social researchers are achieving transplant tolerance: patients receiving new kidneys without lifelong immunosuppression. The same science could soon enable pig-to-human organ transplants, offering hope to 100,000 people waiting for organs. www.vagelos.columbia.edu/about-us/col...
50,000 students. Thousands of sequenced phage genomes. Nearly 50 patients treated for antibiotic-resistant infections. For @pnas.org, I spoke to @ghatfull.bsky.social of @hhmi.org about how strudent-driven research became a pipeline for phage therapy. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
QnAs with Graham F. Hatfull | PNAS
QnAs with Graham F. Hatfull
www.pnas.org
November 19, 2025 at 7:38 PM
50,000 students. Thousands of sequenced phage genomes. Nearly 50 patients treated for antibiotic-resistant infections. For @pnas.org, I spoke to @ghatfull.bsky.social of @hhmi.org about how strudent-driven research became a pipeline for phage therapy. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
“This mouse model provides some of the most compelling evidence to date for how mitochondrial dysfunction can cause typical late-onset Parkinson’s disease,” @gladstoneinst.bsky.social Investigator Ken Nakamura told me about his lab's new study in @science.org Advances. gladstone.org/news/evidenc...
Evidence Builds for Disrupted Mitochondria as Cause of Parkinson’s
A new study from Gladstone Institutes strengthens the links between energy breakdown in cells and the onset of Parkinson’s, potentially illuminating new paths for treatment.
gladstone.org
November 17, 2025 at 8:37 PM
“This mouse model provides some of the most compelling evidence to date for how mitochondrial dysfunction can cause typical late-onset Parkinson’s disease,” @gladstoneinst.bsky.social Investigator Ken Nakamura told me about his lab's new study in @science.org Advances. gladstone.org/news/evidenc...
FOXP3—identified decades ago in work that won this year's @nobelprize.org—prevents autoimmune disease.
Now @marsonlab.bsky.social & colleagues at @gladstoneinst.bsky.social @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social have mapped how immune cells fine-tune FOXP3 levels. gladstone.org/news/researc...
Now @marsonlab.bsky.social & colleagues at @gladstoneinst.bsky.social @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social have mapped how immune cells fine-tune FOXP3 levels. gladstone.org/news/researc...
Researchers Reveal Intricate Control System for Key Immune Gene
Scientists learn to fine-tune a gene that is centrally involved in regulating the immune system, offering potential clues for future autoimmunity and cancer treatments.
gladstone.org
November 14, 2025 at 7:10 PM
FOXP3—identified decades ago in work that won this year's @nobelprize.org—prevents autoimmune disease.
Now @marsonlab.bsky.social & colleagues at @gladstoneinst.bsky.social @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social have mapped how immune cells fine-tune FOXP3 levels. gladstone.org/news/researc...
Now @marsonlab.bsky.social & colleagues at @gladstoneinst.bsky.social @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social have mapped how immune cells fine-tune FOXP3 levels. gladstone.org/news/researc...
Creating thin metal films for electronics usually takes months of trial and error. @uchicagopme.bsky.social researchers built a "self-driving" lab that does it autonomously, using robotics and AI to run experiments, measure results, and adjust parameters. pme.uchicago.edu/news/self-dr...
Self-driving lab learns to grow materials on its own
UChicago PME researchers built a fully automated system to optimize physical vapor deposition—a process used to make thin films for electronics.
pme.uchicago.edu
November 7, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Creating thin metal films for electronics usually takes months of trial and error. @uchicagopme.bsky.social researchers built a "self-driving" lab that does it autonomously, using robotics and AI to run experiments, measure results, and adjust parameters. pme.uchicago.edu/news/self-dr...
How does the placenta form in early pregnancy? Scientists at @scripps.edu reported in @pnas.org how sugar molecules pull placental cells together. Understanding this process could eventually help prevent complications like preeclampsia & restricted fetal growth. www.scripps.edu/news-and-eve...
Scripps Research team identifies sugar molecules that trigger placental formation
www.scripps.edu
November 6, 2025 at 12:23 PM
How does the placenta form in early pregnancy? Scientists at @scripps.edu reported in @pnas.org how sugar molecules pull placental cells together. Understanding this process could eventually help prevent complications like preeclampsia & restricted fetal growth. www.scripps.edu/news-and-eve...
"Sugar feeds cancer" is an anxiety-inducing message for cancer patients. Is it true? A @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social oncology dietitian sets the record straight: You can't starve cancer w/ diet. Cancer cells will find fuel regardless. Focus on nourishing your body. med.stanford.edu/news/insight...
The sugar-cancer connection: Five things you should know
“The phrase ‘Sugar feeds cancer’ is a dangerous statement,” says Stanford Medicine oncology dietitian Erika Connor. “It switches people’s anxiety on and sets them up for misinformation and panic.”
med.stanford.edu
October 23, 2025 at 2:11 PM
"Sugar feeds cancer" is an anxiety-inducing message for cancer patients. Is it true? A @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social oncology dietitian sets the record straight: You can't starve cancer w/ diet. Cancer cells will find fuel regardless. Focus on nourishing your body. med.stanford.edu/news/insight...
Scientists have long known an extra chromosome 21 causes heart defects in Down syndrome, but not which gene was responsible. Now they know: HMGN1. Removing extra HMGN1 in mice eliminated heart defects, @gladstoneinst.bsky.social scientists reported in @nature.com.
gladstone.org/news/scienti...
gladstone.org/news/scienti...
Scientists Pinpoint a Key Gene Behind Heart Defects in Down Syndrome
After decades of mystery, Gladstone researchers identify a gene that can derail heart formation—and show that fixing it prevents the problem in mice.
gladstone.org
October 22, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Scientists have long known an extra chromosome 21 causes heart defects in Down syndrome, but not which gene was responsible. Now they know: HMGN1. Removing extra HMGN1 in mice eliminated heart defects, @gladstoneinst.bsky.social scientists reported in @nature.com.
gladstone.org/news/scienti...
gladstone.org/news/scienti...
1 in 100 people have celiac disease, but there's no perfect test to diagnose it. Now, researchers at @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social have developed a glowing molecule that illuminates a celiac protein, eliminating the guesswork & paving the way for new treatments. stanmed.stanford.edu/innovations-...
Innovations to help chronically ill people thrive
Stanford Medicine experts are developing innovative approaches to preventing, diagnosing and treating chronic diseases so people can live healthier lives.
stanmed.stanford.edu
October 14, 2025 at 1:49 PM
1 in 100 people have celiac disease, but there's no perfect test to diagnose it. Now, researchers at @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social have developed a glowing molecule that illuminates a celiac protein, eliminating the guesswork & paving the way for new treatments. stanmed.stanford.edu/innovations-...
Female fertility decline isn't just about egg quality--it's about the entire ovarian environment. New study in @science.org from @UCSF, @chanzuckerberg.bsky.social team follows ovaries with age. Understanding the changes could extend fertility & healthspan.
www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/10...
www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/10...
Why Does Female Fertility Decline So Fast? The Key Is the Ovary
New research shows that the surrounding cells and tissues of the ovary play a crucial role in how eggs mature and how quickly fertility wanes.
www.ucsf.edu
October 10, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Female fertility decline isn't just about egg quality--it's about the entire ovarian environment. New study in @science.org from @UCSF, @chanzuckerberg.bsky.social team follows ovaries with age. Understanding the changes could extend fertility & healthspan.
www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/10...
www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/10...
How do cells move, divide, & sense their surroundings? The answer lies in the cytoskeleton--and when it malfunctions, cancer & birth defects follow. @alushinlab.bsky.social at @rockefeller.edu is developing new tools to probe this tiny, dynamic cell scaffolding.
www.rockefeller.edu/news/38446-h...
www.rockefeller.edu/news/38446-h...
How cells move and change shape—and why it matters for our health - News
Inside each of your cells, there’s a microscopic scaffolding that helps determine what the cell looks like, how it moves, and how it responds to its surroundings. This internal structure, called the c...
www.rockefeller.edu
October 9, 2025 at 11:54 AM
How do cells move, divide, & sense their surroundings? The answer lies in the cytoskeleton--and when it malfunctions, cancer & birth defects follow. @alushinlab.bsky.social at @rockefeller.edu is developing new tools to probe this tiny, dynamic cell scaffolding.
www.rockefeller.edu/news/38446-h...
www.rockefeller.edu/news/38446-h...
Chemical biologist Laura Dassama of @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social @stanfordchemistry.bsky.social is on a personal mission to design a simpler, more affordable sickle cell therapy. stanmed.stanford.edu/innovations-...
Innovations to help chronically ill people thrive
Stanford Medicine experts are developing innovative approaches to preventing, diagnosing and treating chronic diseases so people can live healthier lives.
stanmed.stanford.edu
October 8, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Chemical biologist Laura Dassama of @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social @stanfordchemistry.bsky.social is on a personal mission to design a simpler, more affordable sickle cell therapy. stanmed.stanford.edu/innovations-...
70 women are diagnosed with #ovariancancer daily in the U.S. Researchers like @chiappinellilab.bsky.social and Ed Seto at @gwcancercenter.bsky.social are developing epigenetic therapies that alter cancer's instructions without changing DNA—offering new hope.
researchmagazine.gwu.edu/rewriting-ca...
researchmagazine.gwu.edu/rewriting-ca...
Rewriting Cancer’s Script | GW Research Magazine | The George Washington University
GW researchers are discovering new ways that aggressive cancers hijack healthy cells to fuel their growth. Their findings could lead to new cancer treatments.
researchmagazine.gwu.edu
October 7, 2025 at 1:50 PM
70 women are diagnosed with #ovariancancer daily in the U.S. Researchers like @chiappinellilab.bsky.social and Ed Seto at @gwcancercenter.bsky.social are developing epigenetic therapies that alter cancer's instructions without changing DNA—offering new hope.
researchmagazine.gwu.edu/rewriting-ca...
researchmagazine.gwu.edu/rewriting-ca...
What if vaccines and cancer therapy could be applied topically?
Hertz Fellow Michael Fischbach of Stanford modified harmless skin bacteria to teach the body to fight disease—eliminating cancer in mice with just a cream.
www.hertzfoundation.org/news/reimagi...
Hertz Fellow Michael Fischbach of Stanford modified harmless skin bacteria to teach the body to fight disease—eliminating cancer in mice with just a cream.
www.hertzfoundation.org/news/reimagi...
Reimagining Microbes to Revolutionize Medicine
What if vaccines and cancer therapies could be applied to the skin like a simple cream? Hertz Fellow Michael Fischbach is working to make that idea a reality. By harnessing the power of genetically en...
www.hertzfoundation.org
October 6, 2025 at 2:11 PM
What if vaccines and cancer therapy could be applied topically?
Hertz Fellow Michael Fischbach of Stanford modified harmless skin bacteria to teach the body to fight disease—eliminating cancer in mice with just a cream.
www.hertzfoundation.org/news/reimagi...
Hertz Fellow Michael Fischbach of Stanford modified harmless skin bacteria to teach the body to fight disease—eliminating cancer in mice with just a cream.
www.hertzfoundation.org/news/reimagi...
Imagine being able to test your tap water for toxic PFAS chemicals at home, instantly. @uchicagopme.bsky.social scientists are making this possible with portable AI-designed sensors that work in minutes instead of weeks. pme.uchicago.edu/news/tiny-se...
Tiny sensors rapidly detect “forever chemicals” in water
The new portable test has the potential to distinguish different PFAS chemicals, including those on which the US Environmental Protection Agency recently put new limits
pme.uchicago.edu
September 26, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Imagine being able to test your tap water for toxic PFAS chemicals at home, instantly. @uchicagopme.bsky.social scientists are making this possible with portable AI-designed sensors that work in minutes instead of weeks. pme.uchicago.edu/news/tiny-se...
Prime editing, a precise form of gene editing, can correct the DNA mutations that cause alternating hemiplegia of childhood (ACH), a rare genetic brain disease, according to a new paper in @cellpress.bsky.social by David Liu of @broadinstitute.org. www.broadinstitute.org/news/prime-e...
Prime editing treats childhood brain disease in mice
Scientists use a precise form of gene editing called prime editing to correct the most common genetic mutations that cause alternating hemiplegia of childhood, a rare and severe neurological disorder ...
www.broadinstitute.org
July 21, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Prime editing, a precise form of gene editing, can correct the DNA mutations that cause alternating hemiplegia of childhood (ACH), a rare genetic brain disease, according to a new paper in @cellpress.bsky.social by David Liu of @broadinstitute.org. www.broadinstitute.org/news/prime-e...
The brains of people who stay sharp-witted in their 80s and 90s might hold clues to healthy aging for the rest of us. Emily Rogalski of UChicago is studying these "superagers" at the @haarccenter.bsky.social. I spoke with her for @uchicagomag.bsky.social mag.uchicago.edu/science-medi...
Aging against the odds
The brains of aging outliers hold lessons for neuroscientists.
mag.uchicago.edu
July 11, 2025 at 1:33 PM
The brains of people who stay sharp-witted in their 80s and 90s might hold clues to healthy aging for the rest of us. Emily Rogalski of UChicago is studying these "superagers" at the @haarccenter.bsky.social. I spoke with her for @uchicagomag.bsky.social mag.uchicago.edu/science-medi...
Sunscreen science 101. I chatted with a handful of @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social dermatologists to clear up misconceptions about sunscreen. Their consensus: sunscreen is a safe, essential tool for preventing skin cancer, but not all products are created equal. med.stanford.edu/news/insight...
What does science say about sunscreen? Stanford Medicine experts apply the facts
Somehow, the idea that we need to protect our skin from the sun has blurred in recent years — largely due to online misinformation. We asked dermatologists about the science on sunscreen products.
med.stanford.edu
June 25, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Sunscreen science 101. I chatted with a handful of @stanfordmedicine.bsky.social dermatologists to clear up misconceptions about sunscreen. Their consensus: sunscreen is a safe, essential tool for preventing skin cancer, but not all products are created equal. med.stanford.edu/news/insight...
My first time writing for a high school alum mag--a profile of the illustrious Mark Bear of @mit.edu @picowerinstitute.bsky.social for St. Stephen's St. Agnes School. It was a pleasure to hear him reminisce about his early years & connect the dots of his career. sssasmagazine.org/wired-for-di...
Wired for Discovery | SSSAS
sssasmagazine.org
June 23, 2025 at 3:51 PM
My first time writing for a high school alum mag--a profile of the illustrious Mark Bear of @mit.edu @picowerinstitute.bsky.social for St. Stephen's St. Agnes School. It was a pleasure to hear him reminisce about his early years & connect the dots of his career. sssasmagazine.org/wired-for-di...
How do nutrients, including vitamins and supplements, move into cells where they do their job? Kivanc Birsoy of @rockefelleruniv.bsky.social is trying to map out nutrient highways -- work that he says has implications for the $200 billion supplement industry. www.rockefeller.edu/news/37920-m...
Mapping how nutrients move through the body to treat cancer - News
When you swallow a vitamin or eat a meal, the nutrients you’ve ingested flow into your stomach, break down, and enter your bloodstream. But what happens next? How do nutrients move from your arteries ...
www.rockefeller.edu
June 18, 2025 at 3:24 PM
How do nutrients, including vitamins and supplements, move into cells where they do their job? Kivanc Birsoy of @rockefelleruniv.bsky.social is trying to map out nutrient highways -- work that he says has implications for the $200 billion supplement industry. www.rockefeller.edu/news/37920-m...
Stronger bones? A @cp-cellstemcell.bsky.social study by @drambrosi.bsky.social of @ucdavis.bsky.social, funded in part by @wutsaialliance.bsky.social, shed light on how skeletal stem cells change with age and how to boost their fracture-healing abilities. humanperformancealliance.org/news/skeleta...
Skeletal stem cells key to stronger bones, better healing - Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance
humanperformancealliance.org
May 23, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Stronger bones? A @cp-cellstemcell.bsky.social study by @drambrosi.bsky.social of @ucdavis.bsky.social, funded in part by @wutsaialliance.bsky.social, shed light on how skeletal stem cells change with age and how to boost their fracture-healing abilities. humanperformancealliance.org/news/skeleta...
A 55 cent, at-home device developed by a @uchicagopme.bsky.social team tracks levels of the hormone estradiol. The device could save time and money for IVF patients and others. pme.uchicago.edu/news/home-ho...
At-home hormone testing aims to transform fertility care
UChicago PME researchers developed a 55-cent home test that quantifies the female fertility hormone estradiol without specialized lab equipment
pme.uchicago.edu
May 23, 2025 at 3:19 PM
A 55 cent, at-home device developed by a @uchicagopme.bsky.social team tracks levels of the hormone estradiol. The device could save time and money for IVF patients and others. pme.uchicago.edu/news/home-ho...
One of my favorite projects each year is getting to help write the award announcement for the @broadinstitute.org Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology. This year, it went to an oh-so-deserving group of researchers who pioneered CAR T-cell therapy. www.broadinstitute.org/news/2025-me...
2025 Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology awarded to pioneers of CAR T-cell therapy
The winners are Carl June, Bruce Levine, Isabelle Rivière, and Michel Sadelain, who developed technology that reprograms patients’ immune systems to target cancer, leading to several FDA-approved trea...
www.broadinstitute.org
May 22, 2025 at 12:06 PM
One of my favorite projects each year is getting to help write the award announcement for the @broadinstitute.org Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology. This year, it went to an oh-so-deserving group of researchers who pioneered CAR T-cell therapy. www.broadinstitute.org/news/2025-me...
Scientists led by Shuolong Yang of @uchicagopme.bsky.social were studying a promising quantum material when they stumbled upon a surprise: within its crystal structure, the material naturally forms one of the world’s thinnest semiconductor junctions. pme.uchicago.edu/news/scienti...
Scientists discover one of the world’s thinnest semiconductor junctions forming inside a quantum material
The unexpected discovery could lead to new kinds of tiny, energy-efficient electronics
pme.uchicago.edu
May 21, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Scientists led by Shuolong Yang of @uchicagopme.bsky.social were studying a promising quantum material when they stumbled upon a surprise: within its crystal structure, the material naturally forms one of the world’s thinnest semiconductor junctions. pme.uchicago.edu/news/scienti...