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Features

Mechanisms of Long COVID Remain Unknown but Data Are Rolling In
Mechanisms of Long COVID Remain Unknown but Data Are Rolling In
Sruthi S. Balakrishnan | Sep 1, 2021
A year and a half into the pandemic, the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection are garnering more research attention as millions of long COVID patients emerge.
SARS-CoV-2’s Wide-Ranging Effects on the Body
SARS-CoV-2’s Wide-Ranging Effects on the Body
Diana Kwon | Sep 1, 2021
Researchers’ painstaking examinations have begun to reveal how the virus wreaks havoc in multiple organs and tissues.

Editorial

Delta Blues
Delta Blues
Delta Blues
Humanity was hoping to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic this year. But viruses have plenty of tools at their disposal, and we should plan for a long-term future in which SARS-CoV-2 is a persistent threat.

Speaking of Science

Ten Minute Sabbatical
Ten Minute Sabbatical
Ten Minute Sabbatical
Take a break from the bench to puzzle and peruse.

Critic at Large

Opinion: The Pandemic and the RNA Sequencing Gap
Opinion: The Pandemic and the RNA Sequencing Gap
Opinion: The Pandemic and the RNA Sequencing Gap
RNA sequencing technology lags far behind researchers’ ability to decode and understand DNA. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted this dangerous shortcoming.

Notebook

Classroom Science Leads to Revision of Megalodon’s Size
Classroom Science Leads to Revision of Megalodon’s Size
Classroom Science Leads to Revision of Megalodon’s Size
A handful of high schoolers prompt scientists to develop a new approach for calculating the size of the ancient behemoth.
New Chernobyl Initiative Aims to Boost Research on the Area
New Chernobyl Initiative Aims to Boost Research on the Area
New Chernobyl Initiative Aims to Boost Research on the Area
Sergii Mirnyi, one of the people who helped clean up after the 1986 disaster, says he founded Chornobyl University to promote much-needed interdisciplinary research on the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Modus Operandi

Yeast “Mini Labs” Help Researchers Probe Histone Modifications
Yeast “Mini Labs” Help Researchers Probe Histone Modifications
Yeast “Mini Labs” Help Researchers Probe Histone Modifications
By harnessing a unique property of yeast, scientists can synthesize histones and the enzymes that modify these proteins, which spool DNA and influence gene expression.

The Literature

Fish Species’ Y Chromosomes Diverged Even Without Recombination
Fish Species’ Y Chromosomes Diverged Even Without Recombination
Fish Species’ Y Chromosomes Diverged Even Without Recombination
Researchers discover surprisingly high levels of genetic diversity among the colorful male morphs of a freshwater fish.
Mechanosensory Protein Helps Tendons Stiffen After Exercise
Mechanosensory Protein Helps Tendons Stiffen After Exercise
Mechanosensory Protein Helps Tendons Stiffen After Exercise
Researchers identify a role for PIEZO1 in tendon adaptation, and show that people with certain versions of the Piezo1 gene tend to be better jumpers.

Scientist to Watch

Shane Campbell-Staton Dissects the Anthropocene
Shane Campbell-Staton Dissects the Anthropocene
Shane Campbell-Staton Dissects the Anthropocene
The Princeton University evolutionary biologist studies how animals are changing due to human activity.

Careers

When Researchers Sound the Alarm on Problematic Papers
When Researchers Sound the Alarm on Problematic Papers
When Researchers Sound the Alarm on Problematic Papers
Finding and reporting an irregularity in a published study can lead people down an unexpected path.

Reading Frames

Opinion: What the History of Blood Transfusion Reveals About Risk
Opinion: What the History of Blood Transfusion Reveals About Risk
Opinion: What the History of Blood Transfusion Reveals About Risk
Every medical intervention—even one with a centuries-long history—brings dangers, some of which become clear only later.

Foundations

Posies, Poison, and Periods, Early 1920s
Posies, Poison, and Periods, Early 1920s
Posies, Poison, and Periods, Early 1920s
Centuries of folklore backed by scientists in the early 1900s have perpetuated the idea that menstruating women can exert dangerous forces.

Infographics

Infographic: Bodily Systems Affected by Long COVID
Infographic: Bodily Systems Affected by Long COVID
Infographic: Bodily Systems Affected by Long COVID
Symptoms documented in cases of long COVID are wide ranging and variable.
Infographic: The Havoc SARS-CoV-2 Wreaks on the Body
Infographic: The Havoc SARS-CoV-2 Wreaks on the Body
Infographic: The Havoc SARS-CoV-2 Wreaks on the Body
COVID-19 affects far more than just the lungs. Researchers are actively documenting the damage the disease causes to the heart, brain, liver, and much more.
Infographic: A Yeast Model for Studying Histone Modifications
Infographic: A Yeast Model for Studying Histone Modifications
Infographic: A Yeast Model for Studying Histone Modifications
The methodology involves modifying histones and displaying them on the cell surface for analysis.