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three black mice lined up next to each other. the one on the left, fed a low-fat diet, has one small bald patch, the middle mouse, fed fish oil, has a large bald spot across its shoulders and back, and the right mouse, fed cocoa butter, has no baldness.

Fish Oil in Diet Can Cause Hair Loss in Mice, Study Finds

Katherine Irving | Jan 19, 2023 | 3 min read

The oil’s omega-3 fatty acids accumulate in the mice’s skin, triggering an immune response that causes hair loss.

a hand reaches towards a pack of cigarettes

Newly Identified Neural Signature of Drug Craving Could Predict Drug Use

Katherine Irving | Jan 11, 2023 | 4 min read

The signature could one day be used to improve treatment planning for people with substance abuse disorders.

COVID-19: Lessons Learned

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 2 min read

An expert panel will discuss what researchers have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and what lessons remain for the future.

A black-and-white photo of a person’s hands holding a black-and-white barred chicken. The feathers of its breast have been pulled back to reveal a large tumor.

Transmissible Tumors, 1909

Katherine Irving | Jan 2, 2023 | 2 min read

Pathologist Peyton Rous made a groundbreaking discovery in the early 20th century, but his work wasn’t widely recognized until more than 40 years later.

Notable Science Quotes

The Scientist Staff | Dec 14, 2022 | 2 min read

Leaving Twitter, improving science communication, understanding the dangers of avian flu, and more

One Sequence, Many Variations

Van Andel Institute | 5 min read

Andrew Pospisilik explores the epigenetic changes that give organisms the plasticity to change in response to their environments.

a person pours whiskey into a glass held by another person, with a smoking cigar in a tray in front

Study of Millions Finds Genetic Links to Smoking and Drinking

Katherine Irving | Dec 9, 2022 | 3 min read

In the largest study of its kind, scientists find nearly 4,000 genetic variants that may predispose people to alcohol and tobacco use behaviors.

A woman wearing a gray sweater and a bright orange scarf and hat blows her nose vaguely in the direction of the camera. A snowy landscape can be seen behind her.

How Cold Weather May Help You Catch a Cold

Dan Robitzski | Dec 6, 2022 | 3 min read

Warm nasal cells mount stronger defenses against cold-causing coronaviruses and rhinoviruses than those exposed to cooler temperatures, an in vitro experiment finds.

Exposed: Environmental Echoes in Health - A Special Podcast Series

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team and Van Andel Institute | 2 min read

Epigenetic experts discuss how environment and diet leave lasting impressions on the human genome.

Diagram of the causes of mortality in the army in the east.

Diagrammatic War, 1858

Andy Carstens | Dec 1, 2022 | 3 min read

Pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale had an eye for creating memorable graphics that helped convince the general population that including sanitation reforms as part of public health policy would save British soldiers’ lives.

A vial labeled “RSV vaccine” on a reflective surface next to a syringe.

After Decades of Delays, RSV Vaccines Show Promise in Early Data

Dan Robitzski | Nov 1, 2022 | 3 min read

Both Pfizer and GSK have shared preliminary data suggesting that their experimental vaccines can protect older adults and newborn infants from the virus.

COVID-19 Vaccines Induce Better Long-Term Immunity than Infection

Jennifer Zieba, PhD | 3 min read

For the first time, researchers performed a head-to head longitudinal study comparing the immune response elicited by mRNA and traditional COVID-19 vaccines to primary infections.

In the 1920s, the Institute for Sexual Research in Berlin was a haven for queer people, many of whom came to the institute seeking to express their identities without fear of being imprisoned. This undated photo depicts a costume party at the institute; its founder, Magnus Hirschfeld (second from right, in glasses), can be seen holding hands with his partner, Karl Giese (center).

Trans Medicine, 1919

Natalia Mesa, PhD | Nov 1, 2022 | 3 min read

German physician and sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld founded a revolutionary clinic where transgender people could receive gender-affirming care, but he left behind a complicated medical and scientific legacy.

a person in a black shirt crouches on a dirt bank and cups water drawn from a river.

Cholera Outbreak Strikes 29 Countries, Highlights Vaccine Shortage

Katherine Irving | Oct 31, 2022 | 3 min read

The international group coordinating emergency vaccines recommends administering one dose instead of two to combat the “dire shortage” of cholera vaccines worldwide.

Long COVID: The Knowns and Unknowns

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read

Manali Mukherjee and Grace Lam discuss the presentation and implications of chronic, long-term COVID-19 infections.

Microscope visualization of Candida albicans in an esophageal sample from a rhesus monkey with thrush

Fungal Pathogens Flourish in the Pandemic’s Shadow

Christie Wilcox, PhD | Oct 25, 2022 | 3 min read

The World Health Organization’s first ever fungal priority pathogens list highlights the growing threat of fungal diseases and antifungal resistance.

A cross-section of a mouse hypothalamus, where cells of the arcuate nucleus are shown in bright green at the bottom.

Methylation in Young Brains May Be Key to Obesity: Mouse Study

Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Oct 19, 2022 | 4 min read

Epigenetic events, such as methylation, during early brain development in mice occur in genomic regions associated with BMI in humans, according to a new study.