Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine on Hold in Some Countries
Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine on Hold in Some Countries
Rollouts of the shot have ground to a halt following reports of blood clots, but health authorities say that these fears are unfounded and vaccination programs should continue.
Rollouts of the shot have ground to a halt following reports of blood clots, but health authorities say that these fears are unfounded and vaccination programs should continue.
safety
Some Coronavirus Researchers Are Running Low on Masks
Katarina Zimmer | Apr 1, 2020 | 7 min read
A large-scale shortage of respirators and face shields threatens progress in some labs that are currently trying to ramp up their studies of SARS-CoV-2.
Variation in Cannabis Testing Challenges a Young Industry
Katarina Zimmer | Mar 1, 2020 | 10 min read
The US lacks standardized methods to assess products for potency and safety. That’s a big problem for the labs tasked with doing the testing.
CDC Shuts Down Army Lab’s Disease Research
Shawna Williams | Aug 6, 2019 | 2 min read
The agency cites lapses in biosafety procedures at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Maryland.
Is Kratom Safe During Pregnancy? Researchers Start to Investigate
Katarina Zimmer | Jul 26, 2019 | 8 min read
Recent reports of babies born with opioid withdrawal symptoms after their mothers used kratom during pregnancy have generated much concern about the medicinal herb.
Opinion: Ethical Boundaries Needed on the Uses of Synthetic DNA
John D. Loike and Robert Pollack | Mar 1, 2019 | 4 min read
A newly expanded genetic alphabet that includes four synthetic nucleotides highlights the need for strict boundaries on their use.
FDA Cracks Down on “Bad Actors” in Dietary Supplement Market
Shawna Williams | Feb 12, 2019 | 2 min read
The agency sends warning letters to makers of products that claim to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s and other diseases, and announces changes to its enforcement practices.
Gas Cylinder Explosion Kills Researcher at Indian Laboratory
Ashley P. Taylor | Dec 7, 2018 | 2 min read
Two professors have been arrested for negligence in connection with the blast.
No Regulatory Exemption for Gene-Edited Products in EU
Catherine Offord | Jul 25, 2018 | 2 min read
The European Court of Justice has decided that organisms made with precision techniques such as CRISPR will be subject to the same rules as transgenic plants or animals.
Chair of Chemical Safety Board to Step Down
Ashley Yeager | May 25, 2018 | 2 min read
Vanessa Allen Sutherland will resign next month, leaving the agency with just three members of what should be a five-person board.
FDA Seeks to Block Two Unregulated Stem Cell Clinics
Jim Daley | May 11, 2018 | 2 min read
Two patients became legally blind after receiving treatments at the facilities.
Vision Restored: The Latest Technologies to Improve Sight
Anna Azvolinsky | Apr 10, 2018 | 5 min read
Cell implants, gene therapy, even optogenetics are making headway in clinical trials to treat various forms of blindness.
FDA Report on BPA’s Health Effects Raises Concerns
Ashley Yeager | Feb 27, 2018 | 2 min read
The pre-peer review assessment finds the compound has “minimal effects,” but endocrinologists and others say key data have yet to come out.
Federal Ban Lifted on Studying Most Dangerous Pathogens
Kerry Grens | Dec 19, 2017 | 1 min read
Only a few labs will earn funding for such “gain-of-function” research on SARS, MERS, and other deadly diseases.
Artificial Tissues Implanted Without Regulatory Approval, Investigation Reports
Ashley P. Taylor | Oct 3, 2017 | 2 min read
Tissue recipients were treated as “guinea pigs,” says investigation leader.
Women Lose Vision After Stem Cell Treatment
Kerry Grens | Mar 17, 2017 | 2 min read
The adipose-derived cells were injected into the patients’ eyes to treat age-related macular degeneration.
Opinion: Preparing for Potential Disasters
Larissa Paschyn | Jan 25, 2017 | 3 min read
How to increase the resiliency of biotechnology organizations in the face of emergency risks
Thirty Years of Lab Safety
Michal Barski | Oct 1, 2016 | 3 min read
From mouth pipetting to automated liquid handling, life-science labs have gotten much safer over the past three decades.
Effects of BPA Substitutes
Kerry Grens | Apr 11, 2016 | 4 min read
Two studies add to the evidence that replacements for the plastic additive affect cells and animals in the same, untoward ways as bisphenol A.
Diagnostics Group Refutes FDA’s Concerns
Kerry Grens | Dec 17, 2015 | 1 min read
The Association for Molecular Pathology finds fault in the agency’s report on safety issues associated with certain lab tests.