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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., December 2 —  Forsyth today announced that Diane MacDonald has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO), a new position at the Institute. In this role, she will oversee core administrative functions at the world-leading oral health research organization.  MacDonald most recently led financial and administrative operations at the Broad Institute as Chief Financial…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., DATE —  Scientists at Forsyth and Virginia Commonwealth University have developed a new book focused on the application of high throughput analysis to advance studies of the microbiome.  Published by Elsevier under the Academic Press imprint, this book, Metagenomics for Microbiology offers insight on the design and analysis of omics studies. It provides resources for…

Cambridge, MA — October 15, 2014 — Today the Forsyth Institute officially opened its new Salivary Diagnostics Center in Cambridge, MA. The new facility will focus its efforts on revolutionizing medical diagnostics and replacing blood-based tests with tests that use saliva. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) awarded Forsyth a $4.2 million grant in 2013…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 22, 2014 —  A team of scientists has made an important discovery about the molecular interactions that occur between generally benign species of Propionibacterium bacteria and the pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, the cause of most “staph” infections. These bacterial species are commonly found in the human nostrils and, also, on human skin. S. aureus is a potential pathogen…

Alexandria, Va., USA – The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) will present Floyd Dewhirst with the 2014 IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Research in Oral Biology. He will be recognized during the Opening Ceremonies of the 92nd IADR General Session & Exhibition, held in conjunction with the IADR Africa/Middle East Regional Meeting, June 25,…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 24, 2014 — Scientists have applied a new technique to comprehensively analyze the human oral microbiome—providing greater knowledge of the diversity of the bacteria in the mouth. For the first-time, scientists can provide high-resolution bacterial classification at the sub-species level. This work will enable researchers to more closely examine the role of bacterial…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 11, 2014 — Scientists have announced results from a large-scale study that uses saliva as a tool for identifying children who are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. This team of investigators found significantly altered levels of salivary biomarkers in obese children.  By testing this non-invasive approach to the study of…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 19, 2014 — Scientists at Forsyth, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health have developed a new protocol for collecting saliva and stool samples for genomic and transcriptomic analyses. This method eliminates the need for specialized personnel and facilities while keeping the sample intact. It also provides critical insight…

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 24 — Scientists at Forsyth, along with a colleague from  Northwestern University, have discovered that the protein, Transglutaminase 2 (TG2), is a key component in the process of gum disease. TG2 is widely distributed inside and outside of human cells. The scientists found that blocking some associations of TG2 prevents the bacteria Porphyromonas…

Forsyth researchers Floyd E. Dewhirst, DDS, PhD, and Bruce J. Paster, PhD, have pioneered not only the identification of the totality of the oral microbial universe, but the development of powerful tools so scientists can share information about them. These innovations are significant achievements with broad application to oral health, general medicine, biomedical science, public…