Bacteria-Guided Evolution

The resurfaced conversation surrounding the idea that SARS-CoV-2 might have leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China, represents an opportunity to reexamine the confluence of science, politics, and public discourse.

Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

A broad and nimble sequencing program is necessary to track, anticipate, and quash SARS-CoV-2 and other dangerous pathogens that threaten humanity.

The Scientist checks in on scientists who switched gears to combat the pandemic.

A group of self-styled screamologists are sifting through the noisiness of nonverbal human vocalizations and finding previously undemonstrated forms of communication.

Lab-grown cells from the reef-building coral Acropora tenuis provide new opportunities to study bleaching, symbioses, and biomineralization.

Scientists show that an influx of noradrenaline can halt immune cells in mice.

A comparison of interferon-related genes across 20 primate genomes reveals differences in the speed at which they evolve and new targets for antiviral discovery efforts.

The University of Sheffield researcher devises new protocols to gain molecular-level insights.

Tired of dancing to the tunes of international funders, and doubtful that long-promised national grants will come, a handful of African biomedical scientists have turned to private investors to bankroll their dreams of autonomy in the lab.

Not only is the humble fluid a boon for keeping humans cool, it also contains a wealth of biological information.

A contaminated ham put bacteriologist Émile Pierre-Marie van Ermengem on the path to discovering the microbe that produces botulinum toxin.

Stable, long-term cell lines will enable scientists to study everything from coral bleaching to biomineralization, knowledge that may help protect corals from ongoing climate change.

Researchers are using experiments and observational studies to look for host genetic variation that could be partly determined by the gut microbiota.

More than a dozen vaccines for tuberculosis are currently being tested in clinical trials. Some use whole bacteria as BCG does, while others deliver protein subunits or genetic material carried by viral vectors.