News

Our paper on the resurrection of an extinct gene in coyote tobacco—revealing a remarkable story of the evolutionary dynamics of plant cyclic peptides—is out today. Here’s the news release from Northeastern Global News.

Our lab’s research on peanut allergies and plant-human interactions was featured in Sampan.org. The article dives into our interdisciplinary work combining plant science and AI to tackle food allergies and beyond. Read the full article here.

We’re excited to share that our recent research on TAS2Rs has caught the attention of the French science magazine Sciences et Avenir! Their article highlights how our work could pave the way for new insights into tackling food allergies, drawing inspiration from an unexpected source—frogs. Curious to learn more? Check out the full story here.

Our recent collaboration with Dr. Seth Rakoff-Nahoum at Boston Children’s Hospital, focusing on mapping the biogeography of plant food-human interactions relevant to food allergies, has been highlighted by Northeastern Global News. Click here to read more.

Our study on the vertebrate bitter taste receptor family has been published. Read the paper in PLOS Genetics, and the news release from Northeastern Global News.

Former Weng Lab PhD student Colin Kim, now a postdoc in the Ryan Nett Lab at Harvard University, has been named a 2024 Hanna Gray Fellow. The HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program provides up to $1.5 million in support to each fellow over a period of up to eight years. Congratulations, Colin! Read the news release here, and a spotlight article about Colin here.

The Weng Lab at Northeastern University and the Rakoff-Nahoum Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital are joining forces to develop a groundbreaking method for precisely tracing food molecules as they travel through the human body, paving the way for new insights into food-host interactions and improved disease prevention and treatment. Please see the news piece here.

Our collaborative project “Redefining the link between food and human health” with Dr. Seth Rakoff-Nahoum at Boston Children’s Hospital was selected for funding through the 2024 Pew Innovation Fund. Here is the news release.

Wellesley College is pleased to announce an upcoming lecture by Dr. Jing-Ke Weng titled “Decoding the Chemical Language of Plants” on October 21, 2024, from 12:45 PM to 2:15 PM at Collins Cinema. This talk will be held in conjunction with the Davis Museum’s current exhibition, “Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature.” Dr. Weng’s presentation offers a scientific complement to McEwen’s artistic exploration of plant life. While McEwen’s watercolors on vellum capture the visual essence of plants, Dr. Weng’s research delves into their chemical intricacies. The timing of this lecture provides a unique opportunity for attendees to experience the intersection of art and science in the study of nature. Visitors can explore McEwen’s detailed botanical paintings, which showcase his distinctive modernist approach to plant portraiture, and then gain insights into the complex chemical processes occurring within these same subjects. “Rory McEwen: A New Perspective on Nature” features 85 of McEwen’s works, alongside pieces by his historical influences and contemporary artists continuing his legacy.

Rory McEwen, Tulip ‘Julia Farnese’ rose feather, 1976, Watercolour on vellum, ©Estate of Rory McEwen

Jing-Ke Weng recently spoke with Dustin Grinnell on his podcast series ‘Curiously’ about using modern approaches to study plant natural products and plant-derived medicines. Take a listen.