For more than 40 years, German gynecologist and legendary science writer Fritz Kahn (1888-1968) captured the imagination of an international audience with hundreds of wildly inventive illustrations and more than a dozen popular science books. 

Around the turn of the 20th century—before sunscreens hit the market and the damaging effects of UV radiation were widely appreciated—physicians saw the sun mostly as a source of healing. 

Gabriele Sorci discusses how invaders can band together to more effectively infect hosts.

By Cristina Luiggi Parasites Unite! Gabriele Sorci discusses how invaders can band together to more effectively infect hosts.Any given mammalian immune system mixes it up with trillions of individual microorganisms, viruses, and macroparasites on a regular basis. These foreign invaders can cooperate with each other to create conditions favorable for the colonization of their host. University of Bourgogne evolutionary ecologist and Faculty of 1000 Member, Gabriele S

By Cristina Luiggi Light Therapy, circa 1939 Around the turn of the 20th century—before sunscreens hit the market and the damaging effects of UV radiation were widely appreciated—physicians saw the sun mostly as a source of healing. Sunlit spas nestled high in the mountains became very popular among those who could afford them, and color lamps for treating a variety of illnesses were common fixtures in many rooms. Experiments on microorganisms, animals, and

A snapshot of the most highly ranked articles in biochemistry, from Faculty of 1000

By Cristina Luiggi Bacterial Glue Mélanie Hamon talks about bacteria that hijack the host’s cell-renewal process. Courtesy of Mélanie Hamon The intestinal epithelium is continually renewing itself. This is bad news for bacteria such as Shigella flexneri, which infects cells that line the gut and causes dysentery in humans. Pasteur Institute microbiologist Mélanie Hamon chats about a paper that describes how this stomach bug has evolved a wa

By Cristina Luiggi Jeremy Reiter: Hunting for Cilia Michael Winokur Photography Assistant professor of biochemistry, University of California, San Francisco. Age: 39In late summer of 2005, budding developmental biologist 1 and an offer for tenure at UCSF quickly followed.RESULTS: Reiter’s passion for research was ignited during the PhD half of his MD/PhD training at UCSF, when he worked in Didier Stainier’s lab studying zebrafish he

Assistant professor of biochemistry, University of California, San Francisco. Age: 39

Need a last minute gift? Try a calendar of stem cell scientists, which will also support the research

New research from the frontlines of the modENCODE Project reveals the most comprehensive genomic picture of the worm and the fruit fly

A new report suggests that hybridization between species may put the future of Arctic populations at risk