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Studies The Scientist covered this year illustrate the expanding importance of genetic and genomic research in all aspects of life science, from ecology to medicine.

In a win for the US Department of Justice’s China Initiative, Charles Lieber was convicted of hiding his financial ties to China from federal agencies.

Unlike studies of antibody-rich transfusions in hospitalized patients, which overall have not found clear benefits, a new randomized trial finds that early convalescent plasma treatment cuts hospitalizations in half.

From Star Trek to ivermectin, we look back on some of the most notable about-faces in publishing this year.

Genes lacking a particular structure known as CpG islands tend to go haywire in older cells, a study finds, potentially contributing to key facets of aging. But it’s not yet clear if the relationship is causal.

A preprint reports that the new SARS-CoV-2 variant multiplies faster in human bronchial tissue but slower in lung tissue than the Delta variant, potentially explaining how it’s spreading from person to person so quickly.

In a statement issued by UK Research and Innovation, stem cell biologist Fiona Watt said she was devastated to learn of the impact of her actions and behavior on colleagues.

The Scientist spoke with physicist and microbial ecologist Idan Tuval, whose recent paper challenges the assumption that these single-celled organisms only communicate via chemical signals.

When observed under a microscope, guard hairs from mice resemble optical sensors used in thermal cameras to detect heat, according to a new study.

As Omicron induces a sense of deja vu at the close of the year, we look back at a few key ways in which our understanding has moved forward.

Lab studies link the oral bacteria Fusobacterium nucleatum to cancers from the gut to the head and neck. Could targeting the microbe tackle tumors?

A thermodynamic analysis of more than 400 chemical reactions that likely took place in the ancestor of all life finds most would spontaneously occur at hydrothermal vents, thanks to the hydrogen these geological formations emit.