Headshot of Sophie Fessl

Sophie Fessl, PhD

Sophie Fessl is a freelance science journalist. She has a PhD in developmental neurobiology from King’s College London and a degree in biology from the University of Oxford. After completing her PhD, she swapped her favorite neuroscience model, the fruit fly, for pen and paper.

Articles by Sophie Fessl, PhD

An artist’s rendition of transcription inside a nucleus

Hypertranscription by Tumors Is Linked to Poorer Cancer Outcomes: Study

Three white mice

High-Fat Diet in Mice Affects Social Behavior Across Generations

Microscopy image of the cnidarian <em>Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus&nbsp;</em>with cell nuclei stained blue and oocytes stained yellow

Ancient Immunoglobulin Genes Help Cnidarians Decide to Fight or Fuse

A photo of King Charles III, then formally Prince of Wales, wearing a dark suit, shown from the shoulders up.

The Unscientific King: Charles III’s History Promoting Homeopathy

artistic representation of jumping gene

Jumping Genes Can Cause Movement Disorder: Study

illustration of many DNA strands

Doppelgängers Similar in Looks and DNA: Study

A close up of filing folders with tabs that read "funding," "grants," and "projects"

Agreement Reached on Research Assessment Reforms

Close-up of a mosquito antenna with hair-like protrusions and fluorescently labeled glomeruli as green circles on the shaft

The Neuroscience Behind Why Mosquitoes Always Find You

black-and-white brain scan showing tumor

Glioblastoma Cells Imitate Immature Neurons to Invade the Brain

genome sequence text on screen&nbsp;

Q&A: Whole Genomes of 150,000 Britons Reveal Novel Genetic Variants

Artist&rsquo;s 3D rendering of malignant cancer cells, illustrated in pink, as it would appear under a scanning electron microscope.

Underdog Enzyme Likely Responsible for Mutations in Most Cancers

an artistic rendering of CRISPR/Cas9

Ten Years of CRISPR

mouse nose peeking out from between two yellow objects

Not-so-Mellow Yellow: Pregnant Mice’s Urine Stresses Out Males

A white lab mouse peers over the wall of a sprawling maze

Bacterial Metabolite May Regulate Cognition in Mice

A cockroach clings to the inside of a white mug.

Injecting Cockroaches with CRISPR Gene Edits Their Offspring

May digest 2025 cover
May 2025, Issue 1

Study Confirms Safety of Genetically Modified T Cells

A long-term study of nearly 800 patients demonstrated a strong safety profile for T cells engineered with viral vectors.

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TaqMan Probe & Assays: Unveil What's Possible Together

Meet Aunty and Tackle Protein Stability Questions in Research and Development

Meet Aunty and Tackle Protein Stability Questions in Research and Development

Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

Detecting Residual Cell Line-Derived DNA with Droplet Digital PCR

How technology makes PCR instruments easier to use.

Making Real-Time PCR More Straightforward

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