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Person standing in front of long way of opened doors, indicating an environment where scientists thrive in an atmosphere that allows them to pursue serendipitous observations.
| 5 min read
Serendipitous observations have shaped science for centuries. What happens to such discoveries when the academic atmosphere leaves no room for detours?

Penicillin

Cheese wheels with moldy rinds on a wooden plank

Deleting a Gene Quells a Pesky Cheese-Destroying Fungus

X-ray crystallography of penicillin

Crystal-Clear Penicillin, 1945

Barbara Low, Trailblazing Woman in X-Ray Crystallography, Dies

How Bacteria Eat Penicillin

Image of the Day: Fungal Forms

Secrets from Neanderthal Tooth Plaque

Sex and Drugs

Old Ocean Mold

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The Discovery of Penicillin, circa 1928

Trending

A team of cartoon scientists studying a giant pancreas.

Prolonged GLP-1 Exposure Remodels Gene Expression in the Pancreas by Flipping a Molecular Switch

A drawing of men and women holding boxes, resigning en mass from their jobs as editors.

Editors Mass Resign from Elsevier Journal After Editor-in-Chief Let Go

Image of a Diploptera punctata cockroach.

Cockroach Milk Proteins Churn Out an Ig Nobel Win

Photo of John Calhoun crouches within his rodent utopia-turned-dystopia

Universe 25 Experiment

Multimedia

Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

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Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

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The Scientist Digest cover September 2026
September 2026

Multiplex Microscopy Becomes Easier with Encoded Antibodies

A new system that enables researchers to uniquely tag monoclonal antibodies for use in microscopy could help simplify complex imaging studies.

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Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

EpiCypher Logo
Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Alamar Biosciences logo
Engineering CAR-Neutrophils In Vivo to Target Glioblastoma

Engineering CAR-Neutrophils In Vivo to Target Glioblastoma

Miltenyi
Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Bio-Rad

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Single cells in suspension

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CellBrite® Steady Membrane Stain: Cell surface staining built for real-time imaging

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Monod Bio Licenses AI-designed Protein Technologies to SignalChem Biotech for Custom Discovery Assays