What’s Happening Today!

Welcome to a new & exciting daily post from That Black Chemist! 

The DOORS Scholarship is now open for underrepresented undergrads in biotech! Promega and the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute are awarding $5,000 scholarships, personalized mentorship, and a spot at DOORS Scholars Day with biotech leaders. If you’re pursuing a life science major and want funding + industry exposure, apply by September 30 to take your research journey to the next level.

Next, NIST has just released the first publicly consented cancer genome, a massive multi-terabyte dataset from a pancreatic cancer patient. Researchers and AI developers can use this open-source treasure to train models, improve diagnostics, and uncover new cancer mutations.

And finally, scientists have developed a way to engineer CAR T cells inside the body using targeted lipid nanoparticles. This approach could transform cancer and autoimmune treatment by skipping the lab step and making cell therapy more accessible, scalable, and even reversible.

Upcoming Opportunities

🧬 $5,000 DOORS Scholarship for Underrepresented Students in Life Sciences

The D.O.O.R.S. (Diversification Of Our Research Scientists) Award, offered by the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute in partnership with Promega, provides $5,000 scholarships, mentorship, and a spot at DOORS Scholar’s Day to 10 undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds pursuing biotechnology-related majors.

No purchase or fees required. The program is open to U.S. students aged 18+ who are currently involved in biomedical or life sciences research. In addition to funding, recipients receive mentorship from Promega scientists and direct industry engagement with leaders in biotech.

📅 Program Details

• Award: $5,000

• Deadline: September 30, 2025

• Requirements: Personal statement, research summary, and 1 letter of recommendation

• Apply Here: [Website]

✅ Eligibility

• Undergraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds

• Must be studying a biotechnology-related major

• Must be at least 18 years old

⚠️ Bonus Opportunities You Should Know

• 🧪 NSF REU Summer Research Programs: List of funded undergrad research programs. (Search here)

• 🎓 Zintellect: List of scholarships, research fellowships, and internship opportunities funded by the U.S. government or private sector. (Search here)

• 💰 NASA OSTEM Internships: List of NASA Internships for high school and undergraduate STEM students. (More info)

• 🪖 Department of Defense (DoD) SMART Scholarship: $30,000-$46,000 scholarship awarded to top STEM students. (Link)

🌍 International Opportunities

• 🧲 Pathways to Science: List of upcoming internships, scholarships, and research programs hosted by any country [open to international students]. (Search here)

• 🔬 Amgen Scholars Program: Prestigious summer research program for undergraduate students in the U.S., Europe, or Asia. (More info)

• ⚛️ European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN): Search for any upcoming internships related to chemistry, physics, engineering, or data science! (Link here)

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Intrax Global Internships: STEM-focused internship program for international students hosted by the U.S. Department of State. (More info)

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Scientist’s Scroll

🧬 NIST Releases First Fully Consented Cancer Genome Dataset to Accelerate Research

For the first time, researchers now have access to a fully consented, high-resolution genomic dataset from a human pancreatic cancer cell line, thanks to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The donor, a 61-year-old patient, explicitly approved her genome being used for public research, indicating a landmark step in ethically advancing cancer science.

This massive dataset (several terabytes) was generated using 13 cutting-edge genome sequencing techniques. The data is intended to:

• Improve cancer diagnostics

• Train AI to identify mutations and treatment options

• Benchmark lab equipment and sequencing methods

• Support drug discovery and biotech development

This new resource removes ethical barriers while setting a new gold standard for genomic transparency. It’s already available through NIST’s Cancer Genome in a Bottle program, with more cancer types to follow.

🔗 Read the full article here —>

Tip of the Day

💡 Consistency > Occasional Hard Work

We often glorify all-nighters, heroic bursts of productivity, and intense cramming. But when it comes to learning, research, or building any meaningful skill, consistency wins every time. Here’s why:

• 📅 Small Steps Compound: Spending 30 focused minutes every day builds more knowledge (and better habits) than a 5-hour grind once a week.

• 🧠 Long-Term Retention: Brains retain information better when revisited regularly. Think spaced repetition, not crash memorization.

• ⚙️ Systems Beat Sprints: Systems built on daily practice keep your momentum going, even when you’re tired or unmotivated.

• ⚒️ Big Projects = Tiny Pieces: Research papers, business ideas, and mastering new subjects all come together through regular progress, not bursts of inspiration.

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Today’s Theme: What’s Happening Wednesday

This Week in Science: Engineering Immune Cells Inside the Body

🧫 Scientists Can Now Engineer Immune Cells with this New Technology

A groundbreaking study led by Capstan Therapeutics and the University of Pennsylvania shows that CAR T cells, powerful immune cells used to treat cancer, can now be created inside a patient’s body using targeted lipid nanoparticles (LNPs).

Traditionally, CAR T therapy is a complex and expensive process that involves removing T cells, engineering them in a lab, and reinfusing them. But this new method uses LNPs loaded with genetic instructions to reprogram T cells directly inside the body, making treatment cheaper, faster, and potentially safer.

Because these changes are temporary, they avoid the long-term risks of permanent gene editing. Capstan is now running a Phase 1 trial to assess safety and dosing, opening the door to next-gen cancer and autoimmune therapies that are off-the-shelf and scalable.

🔗 Read the full article here —>

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