News

Blue and pink DNA helix and human lungs on a blue background.

Nanoparticles Breathe New Life into Lungs

Sneha Khedkar | Oct 15, 2024 | 4 min read

Lipid nanoparticles deliver CRISPR tools directly to lung stem cells, offering new therapeutic avenues for treating genetic diseases.

3D illustration of a yellow DNA polymerase binding to a blue strand of DNA.

DNA Polymerase Works in Short Bursts Rather than One Long Stretch

Shelby Bradford, PhD | Oct 14, 2024 | 4 min read

The enzyme that copies and repairs DNA is more dynamic than originally thought.

Image of the monocled cobra, a venomous cobra species.

pH-Engineered Venom-Fighting Antibodies

Laura Tran, PhD | Oct 11, 2024 | 4 min read

A combinatorial approach enabled researchers to develop antibodies with improved catch-and-release abilities against snake venom toxins.

Some pills strewn about next to an alarm clock on a blue background.

Why Timing Matters When Taking Medicines

Sneha Khedkar | Oct 10, 2024 | 4 min read

Human liver cells follow their own circadian rhythms, which regulate drug metabolism and infection.

Black and gold sketch of David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper.<strong > </strong>

Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Work on Proteins

Sneha Khedkar | Oct 9, 2024 | 3 min read

David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper share this year’s Chemistry award for their research on protein design and structure prediction.

A greyscale micrograph of a Ly6G+ macrophage, showing a kidney-shaped nucleus and many elongated cell-surface protrusions

Disappearing Act: Novel Population of Transient Macrophages Repair Lungs After Illness

Rebecca Roberts, PhD | Oct 9, 2024 | 4 min read

Initially mistaken for neutrophils, a population of atypical macrophages appears in the lungs after severe viral infection, orchestrates tissue repair, and then vanishes.

An illustration of a person getting a semaglutide injection, surrounded by imagery representing an abstract concept of diabetes management.

The Unexplored Effects of Weight-Loss Drugs on the Brain

Sahana Sitaraman, PhD | Oct 8, 2024 | 4 min read

Popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic are used to treat obesity and diabetes. Now, researchers found that these drugs also affect rodent brains in other ways.

Black and gold sketch of Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, the 2024 Nobel Prize laureates.

Nobel Prize for microRNA

Danielle Gerhard, PhD and Sneha Khedkar | Oct 7, 2024 | 4 min read

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won this year’s Physiology or Medicine award for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

Image of carpet squares drying in the sun.

In Search of Microbes That Weave Colors into Moroccan Carpets

Laura Tran, PhD | Oct 7, 2024 | 5 min read

A scientist’s quest for microbes that produce purple pigments led her to the vibrant world of natural dyes, where biology and traditional artistry intertwine.

A light micrograph image shows a green oblong organism with flagella. Inside it is a circular structure.

The First Nitrogen-Fixing Eukaryotic Marine Alga Discovered

Karen Kelley Perkins, PhD | Oct 7, 2024 | 5 min read

What scientists thought was an endosymbiont in algae turned out to be an organelle.

A wooden table carrying an assortment of various food items.

Previously Unidentified Microbes Detected in Food

Sneha Khedkar | Oct 7, 2024 | 3 min read

A new database with more than 2,500 food metagenomes gives scientists a glimpse into the microbial diversity of the human diet.

Close up view of a border collie’s nose on a white background.

Dogs Engage in Scent-sational Science to Sniff out Staphylococcus Bacteria

Iris Kulbatski, PhD | Oct 3, 2024 | 5 min read

Researchers take the guesswork out of infection detection by training dogs to recognize the scent of bacterial biofilm biomarkers.

An illustration of a purple and blueribosome using mRNA as a template to synthesize a red protein chain.

A Small RNA with a Big Impact on Cell Aging

Kamal Nahas, PhD | Oct 1, 2024 | 4 min read

Proteins that trigger cell senescence occupy much of the literature on aging, but a small RNA moves into the limelight.

A man in a blue shirt holds a pinkish paper cut out of a pair of lungs.

Genetic Engineering Hides Donor Organs from Host Immune System

Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Sep 30, 2024 | 5 min read

Antigen knockdown prevented organ rejection in minipigs, even in the absence of immunosuppression.

Blue immune cells with yellow spheres of protein surrounding them and landing on them.

Innate Immune Cells Develop Memory with a T Cell Marker

Shelby Bradford, PhD | Sep 30, 2024 | 4 min read

Human innate immune cells that “remember” previous stimulation could provide new insights into chronic inflammatory diseases.

A wooded ecosystem with mammoths alongside modern species such as arctic hares

Scientists Unearth the Oldest DNA Ever Found

Katherine Irving | Sep 27, 2024 | 3 min read

The 2.4-million-year-old environmental DNA fragments collected from permafrost in northern Greenland unlock insights into an ancient ecosystem.

The image shows a ball python curled up on top of a tree trunk in the wild.

How Pythons Adapt Their Hearts After a Big Meal

Claudia Lopez-Lloreda, PhD | Sep 26, 2024 | 4 min read

Python heart muscles ramp up their force to sustain metabolic activity to maintain increased metabolism during feeding.

A man in a green shirt gives a woman a piggyback ride outdoors, both are smiling.

A Deep Dive into Dopamine: Detox, Depression, and Beyond

Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Sep 25, 2024 | 4 min read

Dopamine is a nuanced molecule that not only plays important roles in bad habits but also in behaviors that are necessary for survival and well-being.

Image of the small intestines and colon within a person with three circular callouts, highlighting different microbes.

Unlocking the Human Microbiome Mysteries: From Cancer to COVID-19

Laura Tran, PhD | Sep 24, 2024 | 4 min read

The microbiome is a dynamic environment that can give researchers the inside scoop on health and disease.