West Nile Virus and Climate Change: It’s Complicated

A new, more diverse group of researchers is being appointed take over the stalled investigation.

Justifying science funding through the lens of global competition risks fostering racial bias and discrimination.

The Scientist spoke with Chapman University’s Yu Zeng about his lab’s finding that the slime-producing cells of the slippery marine fish vary with the creature’s size, which may be an adaptation to thwart different predators.

If the immune system makes mistakes—reacting late or getting the target wrong—it can amplify the damage wrought by SARS-CoV-2.

This year’s winners are Dieter Oesterhelt, Peter Hegemann, Karl Deisseroth, Drew Weissman, Katalin Karikó, and David Baltimore.

Both of the mRNA vaccines available in the US are highly effective against severe COVID-19, but recent studies suggest that Moderna’s elicits a stronger immune response and might be better at preventing breakthrough infections.  

Researchers excavated human footprints out of a small bluff next to a dried-up playa lake and radiocarbon-dated embedded seeds to around 23,000 years ago. Their results suggest that people entered the Americas thousands of years earlier than the accepted estimate.

A study probes how genetic duplications that can swell protein length influence human traits such as height and kidney function.

Correcting misinformation and providing reliable data are collective responsibilities of the research community.