Maybe you have a headache, or a stuffy nose, or a sore throat, or a cough. You might feel fatigued, achy, or a bit feverish. After the last year and a half, you might immediately think that you have COVID-19.
But those symptoms also describe the flu.
Autumn marks the beginning of flu season. That’s why flu testing has been integrated into Northeastern’s symptomatic COVID-19 testing protocols.
People who are experiencing flu- and COVID-like symptoms get tested at the Huntington Testing Center, where their swabs are now tested for COVID-19, influenza A, and influenza B. They don’t need to get two separate tests for COVID-19 and the flu. People without symptoms who are on the Boston campus are tested at the Cabot Testing Center once a week; their swabs are not part of this program.
Read more on News@Northeastern.
Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University.
This third installment of the Fall 2021 pop-up seminar explores the development of resilient systems for a changing environment. Featured guest speakers are Steve Flynn, Director of Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern. Maria Cimilluca, Vice President of Facilities Management.
This open seminar is also available to enroll in as a pop-up, for-credit course (INPR 2183). For more details on the different options for course engagement please visit the course website. This class can be attended IN-PERSON in 305 Shillman Hall or VIRTUALLY via Zoom. Register here:
Weekly Topics:
9/14 – Sustainability, Resilience, and Climate Change
9/21 – Energy Efficiency and Energy Management
9/28 – Energy Resilience
10/5 – Climate Justice
10/12 – Sustainable Food Systems
10/19 – Recycling, Waste, and Materials Reduction
10/26 – Campus Ecology
For more details on each seminar, visit the course website
The second installment of this sustainability pop-up seminar focuses on reducing energy use and preparing our energy systems for decarbonization. This lecture features Michael Kane, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Joe Lalley, Associate Vice President of Operations in Facilitates Management.
This open seminar is also available to enroll in as a pop-up, for-credit course (INPR 2183). For more details on the different options for course engagement please visit the course website. This class can be attended IN-PERSON in 305 Shillman Hall or VIRTUALLY via Zoom. Register here:
Weekly Topics:
9/14 – Sustainability, Resilience, and Climate Change
9/21 – Energy Efficiency and Energy Management
9/28 – Energy Resilience
10/5 – Climate Justice
10/12 – Sustainable Food Systems
10/19 – Recycling, Waste, and Materials Reduction
10/26 – Campus Ecology
For more details on each seminar, visit the course website
This first installment of this pop-up seminar is an ntroduction and overview of sustainability, resilience, and climate justice at Northeastern. This week's speakers include: Jennie Stephens, Professor, and Director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, and Kathy Spiegelman, Vice President of Campus Planning and Real Estate.
This open seminar is also available to enroll in as a pop-up, for-credit course (INPR 2183). For more details on the different options for course engagement please visit the course website. This class can be attended IN-PERSON in 305 Shillman Hall or VIRTUALLY via Zoom. Register here:
Weekly Topics:
9/14 – Sustainability, Resilience, and Climate Change
9/21 – Energy Efficiency and Energy Management
9/28 – Energy Resilience
10/5 – Climate Justice
10/12 – Sustainable Food Systems
10/19 – Recycling, Waste, and Materials Reduction
10/26 – Campus Ecology
For more details on each seminar, visit the course website
With clenched fists thrust into the air, beaming smiles, and high-fives, white-coated lab technicians at Northeastern on Tuesday celebrated a landmark achievement in the university’s efforts to promote safety during the pandemic—the processing of the one millionth coronavirus nasal swab test.
At Northeastern’s state-of-the-art Life Sciences Testing Center in Burlington, Massachusetts, staff shared in the thrill of the accomplishment with confetti poppers and a chocolate sheet cake that had “One Million Samples” written in icing. Numerical mylar balloons arranged in “1000000” hung from the ceiling.
“The testing center has been instrumental in keeping Northeastern open and safe,” said Jared Auclair, who oversees the testing facility. “Because of our stringent testing regime—every three days for students—we can catch those positive samples early.”
Read the full story at News@Northeastern.
The fight to end the pandemic has become a race against formidable opponents: variants.
Variants of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, are already proliferating around the world, complicating the fight to subdue the pandemic. In the U.S., a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus is now the dominant strain, and it’s helping drive a surge in cases of COVID-19 across the nation. Other, more transmissible variants are also spreading in the U.S., and public health experts have warned that more variants may still yet emerge.
Although the vaccines being administered offer hope, it’s not yet time to stop and celebrate, says Neil Maniar, associate chair of the Department of Health Sciences at Northeastern. “We’re not at the finish line yet.”
Read the full story at News@Northeastern
Northeastern’s Life Sciences Testing Center is now processing COVID-19 samples for K-12 schools across Massachusetts.
As the commonwealth strives to bring students of all ages back into the physical classroom safely this spring, Massachusetts has launched a coronavirus testing program in public K-12 and special education schools. It’s the first statewide program like this in the country, and Northeastern’s lab is becoming a vital part of that effort. The university has partnered with Ginkgo Bioworks, the Boston-based biotech company contracted by the state to provide testing services to approved schools.
“This is going to be an important strategy to keep the schools open and keep them safe,” says Jared Auclair, director of Northeastern’s testing lab. “It’s basically mimicking the higher education model at the primary schools.”
Read the full story at News@Northeastern
We hope you are doing well. We are writing to invite you to attend our first College of Science Bioinformatics Employer Information Session to discuss our Professional Master’s in Bioinformatics program on Monday, March 22 at 4:00PM EST over Zoom. This is an opportunity to hear from Bioinformatics alum, faculty, and co-op Employers about our program and how our co-op program can be a pipeline for talent as you build or grow your organizations and departments. Learn how we set our students up for success through co-op and beyond during this information session.
How To Sign Up: To attend, please click here
When Northeastern began outlining its COVID-19 testing plan last spring, Jared Auclair, director of Northeastern’s testing lab, had a hunch: The university needed a monitoring system that could adapt to inevitable mutations of the virus in the future.
As the pandemic unfolded, viral mutations were top-of-mind for Auclair, whose background in drug resistance in HIV patients prepared him for the havoc mutations could wreak, disguising viruses in diagnostic tests and negating the effects of medication.
Considering these possibilities, Auclair helped Northeastern design a system that detects positive cases of COVID-19 by scanning for three of the virus’s genes, a more thorough system than most labs, which usually monitor for only one or two genes.
Read the full story at News@Northeastern
What motivated you to pursue a PlusOne master’s degree?
I joined Northeastern in the biochemistry program on a 5-year, 3-co-op plan. I already had an interest in bioinformatics, but the Bioinformatics PlusOne program had not been approved yet. During my third year, I wanted to learn more technical skills, so I briefly switched to the “Biology and Computer Science” combined program.By the beginning of my fourth year, I learned that the Bioinformatics PlusOne had been approved. I also learned that I could finish the BS Biology/MS Bioinformatics PlusOne in the same amount of time and credits as my 5-year undergraduate program.
My choice to join the program came after consultation with a variety of members of the faculty and staff. Professor Steve Vollmer initially told me about the program, and I also received thoughtful advice and guidance from Professors Veronica Godoy-Carter and Erin Cram, academic advisors Amy Carmack and Mark Bresnihan, and program assistant Melisa Brown, among others.
Can you tell me about your overall experience as a participant in the PlusOne program?
The two biggest benefits for me were in teaching and co-op. I spent my PlusOne year as a TA for BINF6308 and BINF6309, the two core introductory courses in the Bioinformatics curriculum. As a graduate TA, I was given much more independence and responsibility than as an undergraduate TA. I felt really lucky to be able to practice teaching and curriculum development, and that experience solidified my interest in continuing to teach after finishing the program.
I also completed a 6-month co-op through the PlusOne program, where I worked as a student in the Silver Lab at Harvard Medical School. In the Silver Lab, I was given a lot more freedom and independence as a graduate student than as an undergraduate. My experience during my co-op helped to convince me that I was ready to join a Ph.D. program and further develop my ability to conduct research independently.
Would you recommend PlusOne to other students?
For me, the PlusOne program was a relatively clear choice because it took the same amount of time and money as a 5-year undergraduate degree program. Since I knew that I was interested in Bioinformatics (and not, for example, software development), and there was no undergraduate Bioinformatics program, the PlusOne program also meshed very well with my academic and professional interests.
Other students may have a more complex decision to make, especially since the PlusOne program usually requires additional tuition costs. In broad terms, the PlusOne Bioinformatics program is likely a good investment for students looking to immediately join the workforce as bioinformaticians. Students who prefer software development or intend to complete a Ph.D. are less likely to benefit from the program. I highly recommend that any student considering the program weigh their options carefully with help from family, academic advisors, and faculty mentors.
How did PlusOne and COS help shape your interests and/or prepare you for your future?
COS as a whole has played a huge role in shaping my interests and plans.
My research in COS, advised by Professor Javier Apfeld and supported by the Honors Program and Undergraduate Office of Research and Fellowships, was undoubtedly the activity that had the largest impact on my interests and future. In conjunction, advice and mentorship that I received from faculty and staff like Professors Sue Powers-Lee, Erin Cram, and Veronica Godoy-Carter (to name just a few), academic advisors like Danielle Massey, and my friends and classmates were invaluable.
The PlusOne program itself also helped to shape my interests. It gave me a year to focus on my skills in bioinformatics and computational biology and to hone my specific research interests before beginning my Ph.D. Through the program, I spent a year splitting my time between learning, teaching, and conducting research, which helped convince me that I would be comfortable continuing to learn, teach, and conduct research during my Ph.D. and beyond.
What do you plan on doing post-graduation?
Right now (Summer 2020), I am working as a software engineering intern for the R Project for Statistical Computing (funded by Google Summer of Code). In the fall, I will join the Biology Ph.D. program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I hope to continue teaching and conducting increasingly-independent research professionally.
Best of luck in your future endeavors, Julian, from everyone at the College of Science! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.
Alex Susienka received an MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Western Michigan University. He supports and mentors graduate students studying bioinformatics and biotechnology by connecting them to impactful co-op opportunities and providing career guidance. Alex also manages the Pathways to Professional Success course for COS graduate students across the global university system and coordinates onboarding for new Graduate Co-op faculty and staff.
Come join us in a relaxing night of food, fun and great company. It will be a evening of socializing with the Northeastern community and your life sciences peers in the Bay Area.
This is a perfect opportunity to expand your own professional network in the Bay Area region. Whether you are just getting started with your career, a seasoned industry professional or an entrepreneur, this mixer offers the perfect occasion to create new meaningful connections.
Friends and family are welcome!
Food and drinks will be provided.
Free parking is available onsite.