Taconic Biosciences News

Winners have been selected for cycle 1 of the Academic Grant Program In May 2021, Taconic Biosciences invited scientists from the nonprofit sector to participate in a new Academic Grant Program. The Program invited applications for projects focusing on key questions related to four model categories: NASH, the NOG Portfolio, humanized immune system (HIS) mice, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Each applicant was tasked with crafting a...  Read More

Hundreds of thousands of donors and blood drive hosts like Taconic Biosciences have responded to the call to support this lifesaving mission. As part of our ongoing commitment to community service, Taconic has been partnering with the American Red Cross to host these blood drives and contribute to crucial care for patients for the past few years. In Q4 2020, Taconic earned a Certificate of Outstanding Service...  Read More

In the wake of COVID-19, investigators in the commercial and nonprofit sectors are facing heightened pressure to accelerate drug discovery and speed time to market with efficacious therapies, while maintaining high quality and operating within constrained budgets. In an article in International Biopharmaceutical Industry, Dr. Austin Jelcick of Taconic Biosciences reviews the post-COVID trends reshaping the drug discovery landscape, how research organizations are pivoting, and the model...  Read More

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are highly efficacious in some cancer patients, but not others, and they can induce unintended immune activation that results in neurotoxicity or other adverse events. In this Q&A with the editor of Drug Discovery World, Taconic Biosciences' Dr. Courtney Ferrebee discusses the risks and limitations of T-cell based immunotherapies and the importance of considering target activation of a broader range of other immune cell...  Read More

Rodent Models Originating in China Can Be Imported Into Virtually Any Academic Vivarium Without Quarantine Rensselaer, NY — May 27, 2021 - Rensselaer, NY, - May 27, 2021 - Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in providing drug discovery animal model solutions, announces a significant enhancement to the Taconic-Cyagen Model Generation Alliance allowing seamless importation of new genetically engineered models originating in China under the TruIMPORT™ umbrella. Researchers...  Read More

After recovering from COVID-19 infection, many people experience a diverse range of lingering symptoms that have perplexed both physicians and scientists. In a conversation with Dr. Terina Martinez, Nature writer Vivien Marx explores the underpinnings of long COVID and how mouse models, like those offered by Taconic, are evolving to support studies on this puzzling phenomenon: “...we do know from other viruses that viruses can trigger auto-immune...  Read More

Millions of people who've been infected by COVID-19 battle lingering and often puzzling symptoms, including fatigue, joint pain, respiratory problems, and "brain fog." A recent article in Nature Methods reviews the complexities of long COVID, how researchers are working to identify its causes, and the role that mouse models are playing in this vital investigatory work. The article provides details on several Taconic COVID-19 models available or...  Read More

The demand for models to support SARS-CoV-2 research has evolved since the onset of the pandemic, continually shifting as investigators learn more about the mechanisms of the virus. A recent article in Lab Animal reviews how model providers like Taconic Biosciences are responding to the urgent, ever-changing need for mouse models uniquely suited to COVID-19 research. Taconic models discussed in the article include hACE2 lines originally developed...  Read More

Given the diverse portfolio of technologies available to generate genetically engineered models, how do you select the optimal technique for a given research project? In an article in Drug Discovery World, Taconic Biosciences' Dr. Caroline Horizny answers the question by reviewing the different technologies used to genetically modify a model. This comparison of each technique's advantages, disadvantages, and most appropriate applications can aid investigators in making the...  Read More

Certain of the body's immune cells, like macrophages, are particularly good at finding and destroying cancerous cells. But they also have the potential to switch gears and instead promote tumor cell growth. In an interview with Nature Methods, Taconic Biosciences' Dr. Paul Volden discusses the role of humanized immune system mouse models in exploring immune cell plasticity. Dr. Volden also reviews how Taconic's huNOG-EXL mouse is helping...  Read More