Slava Epstein Professor of Biology s.epstein@neu.edu 617.373.4048 Expertise biotechnology, diversity, microbial ecology Slava Epstein in the Press A sponge is the perfect environment to host various types of bacteria, study says The results provide an understanding of the microbial point of view where “distances and spaces are dramatically different” from a human’s point of view, said Slava Epstein, a professor of microbiology at Northeastern University, who was not involved with the study. By studying the distance between cells, which is measured in microns, researchers are better […] Science Magazine New ‘reverse genomics’ method brings previously hidden bacteria to life Although other groups recently have reported other techniques that isolate and grow novel microbes starting from sequences, Slava Epstein, a microbiologist at Northeastern University in Boston who specializes in cultivating previously uncultivable organisms, says this new work stands apart. “Their approach is targeted, and all the others rely on statistics,” Epstein says. “That’s a new […] PBS NewsHour Drug companies aren’t making new antibiotics. Is there an economic cure? As drug-resistant infections proliferate, financial barriers are preventing the pharmaceutical industry from investing in new drugs to fight off superbugs. Economics correspondent Paul Solman, in a series of reports with science correspondent Miles O’Brien, explores how researchers, including Northeastern professor Slava Epstein, could be incentivized to develop new antibiotics. PBS NewsHour The financial barrier to developing antibiotics? No big payday for drug companies Northeastern University professor Slava Epstein joins PBS NewsHour to discuss the hunt for new drugs, and why the market for creating them has just about collapsed. The New Yorker The unseen Once a year, when Slava Epstein was growing up in Moscow, his mother took him to the Exhibition of the Achievements of the National Economy, a showcase for the wonders of Soviet life. The expo featured many things—from industrial harvesters to Uzbek wine—but Epstein, who began going in the nineteen-sixties, when he was eight or […] The Verge New method for building antibiotics could produce ‘thousands’ of drug candidates Kim Lewis, director of the antimicrobial discovery center at Northeastern University, also questions the utility of these compounds in overcoming antibiotic resistance. The best way to avoid resistance is to create entirely new kinds of antibiotics, he says. However, in this case, the method yields variants of macrolides, which might be useful for medicine in […] A radically simple idea may open the door to a new world of antibiotics Slava Epstein works in aggressively low-tech quarters at Northeastern University. You might expect otherwise, given the extraordinary work that he and his colleagues are doing, discovering new kinds of antibiotics that are fundamentally different than the ones doctors prescribe today. And yet, when I paid Epstein a visit recently, we sat down amid a veritable […] The Scientist Lost colonies “It’s a significant intellectual teaser,” says Slava Epstein, a microbial ecologist at Northeastern University in Boston, “why, after 150 years of the sweat and blood of smart, talented people, we can cultivate only a small proportion of microbes.” Science Magazine The drug push This past January, microbiologists Kim Lewis and Slava Epstein reported the discovery of teixobactin, a compound that in lab dishes kills several antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Media outlets heralded the discovery, announced in Nature, as a new solution to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. A White House press release mentioned teixobactin, which Lewis and […] Antibiotic discovery: Soil secrets Researchers in Boston have made a literally ground-breaking discovery, which could lead to the development of a new generation of antibiotics. The BBC’s Fergus Walsh has been talking to members of the team at Northeastern University, who are creating new drugs by cultivating individual bacterial cells from samples of ordinary soil. Slava Epstein for Northeastern Global News Researcher develops technology to advance antibiotic discovery Researcher develops technology to advance antibiotic discovery NU’s Slava Epstein will give a talk on his contributions to the search for beneficial microorganisms in places both close to home and remote. Researchers on fast track to combat antibiotic resistance Researchers on fast track to combat antibiotic resistance The marriage of two technologies—one developed by Northeastern’s Slava Epstein—could accelerate both the discovery of new antibiotics. Northeastern receives $9M grant to fast track the discovery of new antibiotics Northeastern receives $9M grant to fast track the discovery of new antibiotics A team led by University Distinguished Professor of Biology Kim Lewis received a five-year, $9 million grant from the National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to launch a novel platform for developing antibiotics that kill pathogens without encountering resistance. Northeastern research the buzz of 2015 Northeastern research the buzz of 2015 Groundbreaking research published by Northeastern researchers topped the list of the 100 scientific articles receiving the most media buzz. Groundbreaking Northeastern research sweeps the globe Groundbreaking Northeastern research sweeps the globe Northeastern University Distinguished Professor Kim Lewis and his team’s pioneering research presenting a new antibiotic that kills pathogens without encountering any detectable resistance has captured headlines worldwide and drawn widespread praise from the scientific community. Northeastern research draws global attention Northeastern research draws global attention News outlets worldwide and the scientific community have taken notice of new breakthrough research from Northeastern and collaborators in the U.S. and Europe that presents a new antibiotic that eliminates pathogens without encountering any detectable resistance. Newly discovered antibiotic kills pathogens without resistance Newly discovered antibiotic kills pathogens without resistance The discovery of this novel compound challenges long-held scientific beliefs and holds great promise for treating an array of menacing infections, says Northeastern University Distinguished Professor Kim Lewis. Report shows Northeastern spinoffs help fuel economic growth Report shows Northeastern spinoffs help fuel economic growth Three Northeastern spinoffs were highlighted in a new report from The Science Coalition as examples of how federally funded university research and the companies created from that work can boosts the U.S. economy. Manipulating the microbiome Manipulating the microbiome In collaboration with the J. Craig Ventor Institute, biology professor Slava Epstein will study the roles of microbial species in model bacterial communities of Northern Greenland. Scouting for novel bacteria Scouting for novel bacteria Biology professor Slava Epstein proposes a new theory to explain why some bacteria are so hard to grow in the lab.
A sponge is the perfect environment to host various types of bacteria, study says The results provide an understanding of the microbial point of view where “distances and spaces are dramatically different” from a human’s point of view, said Slava Epstein, a professor of microbiology at Northeastern University, who was not involved with the study. By studying the distance between cells, which is measured in microns, researchers are better […]
Science Magazine New ‘reverse genomics’ method brings previously hidden bacteria to life Although other groups recently have reported other techniques that isolate and grow novel microbes starting from sequences, Slava Epstein, a microbiologist at Northeastern University in Boston who specializes in cultivating previously uncultivable organisms, says this new work stands apart. “Their approach is targeted, and all the others rely on statistics,” Epstein says. “That’s a new […]
PBS NewsHour Drug companies aren’t making new antibiotics. Is there an economic cure? As drug-resistant infections proliferate, financial barriers are preventing the pharmaceutical industry from investing in new drugs to fight off superbugs. Economics correspondent Paul Solman, in a series of reports with science correspondent Miles O’Brien, explores how researchers, including Northeastern professor Slava Epstein, could be incentivized to develop new antibiotics.
PBS NewsHour The financial barrier to developing antibiotics? No big payday for drug companies Northeastern University professor Slava Epstein joins PBS NewsHour to discuss the hunt for new drugs, and why the market for creating them has just about collapsed.
The New Yorker The unseen Once a year, when Slava Epstein was growing up in Moscow, his mother took him to the Exhibition of the Achievements of the National Economy, a showcase for the wonders of Soviet life. The expo featured many things—from industrial harvesters to Uzbek wine—but Epstein, who began going in the nineteen-sixties, when he was eight or […]
The Verge New method for building antibiotics could produce ‘thousands’ of drug candidates Kim Lewis, director of the antimicrobial discovery center at Northeastern University, also questions the utility of these compounds in overcoming antibiotic resistance. The best way to avoid resistance is to create entirely new kinds of antibiotics, he says. However, in this case, the method yields variants of macrolides, which might be useful for medicine in […]
A radically simple idea may open the door to a new world of antibiotics Slava Epstein works in aggressively low-tech quarters at Northeastern University. You might expect otherwise, given the extraordinary work that he and his colleagues are doing, discovering new kinds of antibiotics that are fundamentally different than the ones doctors prescribe today. And yet, when I paid Epstein a visit recently, we sat down amid a veritable […]
The Scientist Lost colonies “It’s a significant intellectual teaser,” says Slava Epstein, a microbial ecologist at Northeastern University in Boston, “why, after 150 years of the sweat and blood of smart, talented people, we can cultivate only a small proportion of microbes.”
Science Magazine The drug push This past January, microbiologists Kim Lewis and Slava Epstein reported the discovery of teixobactin, a compound that in lab dishes kills several antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Media outlets heralded the discovery, announced in Nature, as a new solution to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance. A White House press release mentioned teixobactin, which Lewis and […]
Antibiotic discovery: Soil secrets Researchers in Boston have made a literally ground-breaking discovery, which could lead to the development of a new generation of antibiotics. The BBC’s Fergus Walsh has been talking to members of the team at Northeastern University, who are creating new drugs by cultivating individual bacterial cells from samples of ordinary soil.