Category Archives: News

Hundreds of different bacterial species are living inside your mouth. Some are highly abundant, while others are scarce. A few of these oral bacteria are known pathogens. Others are benign, or even beneficial. Scientists know the genetic makeup of about 70 percent of oral bacteria. What they don’t know is which species would live the…

The prospect of a root canal induces dread in almost anyone. More than 41,000 people undergo the notoriously painful procedure each day. But what if there was a treatment that used the body’s own cells to reverse decay and prevent the need for a root canal altogether? In a study published recently in Frontiers in Immunology,…

Could plaque in our gums be linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease? That’s the finding from a new study published recently in the journal Science Advances, in which researchers examined brain tissue samples from 53 patients with Alzheimer’s. The research team was looking for toxic enzymes known as gingipains. Gingipains are secreted by bacteria called P. gingivalis, which…

ForsythKids was recently featured on WCVB Channel as part of the 5 for Good series, which highlights uplifting stories around the Boston area. Watch the video here!

Take a deep breath through your nose or mouth. As air enters your nose, mouth, sinuses, throat, and even the esophagus—collectively known as the aerodigestive tract—it comes into contact with bacteria that live on the surfaces of these body sites. Scientists at the Forsyth Institute have now identified and named the species of bacteria that…

The Neanderthals were close cousins of humans who went extinct approximately 40,000 years ago, during the last ice age. Many questions remain about their lives and how they coped with the extreme environments and glacial periods of Eurasia. Now, by analyzing the teeth of two Neanderthal children from southern France, scientists have discovered new information…

The Forsyth Institute was selected to receive a Cambridge Chamber of Commerce 2018 Visionary Award. This award celebrates innovation, discovery and visionaries in the Cambridge community.  Forsyth was selected because of the collaborative STEM program Forsyth Student Scholars, and because of Forsyth’s local and global efforts in working with communities to promote oral and overall…

A type of ultra-small bacteria called TM7 is common in many different environments, including the human mouth. Scientists believe it may play a role in gum disease. But in order to better understand TM7, researchers need to isolate it and study it in the lab, away from its human host. Back in 2014, Dr. Xuesong…

The Forsyth Institute has its roots in groundbreaking dental research, from establishing the first pediatric dental hospital in the world, to defining the practice of removing plaque and putting fluoride in toothpaste. Dr. Wenyuan Shi, now in his second year as Forsyth’s CEO and chief scientific officer, sees that as the foundation for a new…

A group of scientists gathered last week in the Forsyth Institute’s microbiology lab. But instead of running experiments, they were providing dental plaque samples. Forsyth’s inaugural symposium, titled “the Uncultivable Bacteria,” convened researchers from all over the world to discuss a persistent challenge. Scientists want to understand the role of bacteria in the environments they…