Molecular biology

Microsoft Makes Breakthrough in the Quest to Use DNA as Data Storage

The world is producing more data than we can store, but a solution could be the very molecule that contains our genetic code.

Tech News Phillip Tracy Dec 2

What Is the Most Important Scientific Development of the Last 50 Years?

"That would surely be the discovery and proof of global warming."

Tech News Daniel Kolitz Aug 30

Genetically Modified Babies Are Still a Bad Idea, WHO Committee Concludes

The new guidelines are restrictive but offer ways to move forward with related research.

Biology George Dvorsky Jul 14

Man Blinded for 40 Years Has Sight Partially Restored Using Gene Therapy

Researchers say their experimental gene therapy was able to partially restore a man’s eyesight 40 years after he lost most of his vision. The findings are exciting, but the authors of the new study caution that more research will be needed to confirm the effectiveness of this treatment. Gene therapy has emerged as a promising…

Health Ed Cara May 24

Scientists Dive Into Axolotl Genome, Looking for Secrets to Regeneration

Its adorableness aside, the Mexican axolotl is a salamander of particular interest to scientists. On the molecular level, the animal seems to have a cheat code for life: It can regenerate its limbs and vital organs, an ability researchers are desperate to better understand for medical applications. Now, geneticists have gotten a clearer view of…

Biology Isaac Schultz Apr 9

Airborne DNA Could Help Scientists Find Elusive Animals

A UK-based team says they were able to pull genetic material from the air and correctly identify the species it belonged to, an exciting leap for the field of environmental DNA. The technique of sampling an environment for DNA to figure out what organisms inhabit it, known as environmental DNA or eDNA, is regularly used…

Biology Isaac Schultz Mar 31

Promising Gene Therapy Trials Suspended Over Potential Cancer Risk

On Tuesday, Biotech company Bluebird suspended its trials of gene therapy as a treatment for blood-related disorders over concerns of a possible increased risk of cancer. The company cited the recent discovery of two patients given the experimental treatment who developed a form of blood cancer, along with a similar case documented in 2018. At this…

Biology Ed Cara Feb 16

Highest-Resolution Images of DNA Reveal It’s Surprisingly Jiggly

Scientists have captured the highest-resolution images ever taken of DNA, revealing previously unseen twisting and squirming behaviors. Deoxyribonucleic acid, otherwise known as DNA, can be surprisingly active when crammed and contorted inside a cell, according to new research published in Nature Communications. These hidden movements were revealed by computer simulations fed with the highest-resolution images…

Biology George Dvorsky Feb 16

Common DNA Testing Method Has High False-Positive Rate for Rare Mutations, Study Finds

Consumer DNA testing remains a booming industry, but new research released Monday suggests that it has a glaring flaw in its predictive power. The findings indicate that a common method of testing used by many companies is awful at correctly identifying rare genetic mutations that could raise the likelihood of health problems like cancer. As…

Biology Ed Cara Feb 15

Viruses Make Us Question What It Means to Be Alive

As the world struggles to contain covid-19, we’re reminded of the ways viruses aren’t like other organisms. In fact, these tenacious microbes defy traditional notions of life itself. Fewer things are scarier than an unrelenting invisible enemy, but such is our predicament in the ongoing battle against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19. This ain’t…

Health George Dvorsky Apr 21

Paleontologists Are Skeptical About Baby Dinosaur Cells Supposedly Found in Fossil

With our deepest regrets to the Jurassic Park franchise, DNA does not preserve well, and no genetic data has ever been recovered for dinosaurs. Recent news suggesting that scientists have found dinosaur DNA certainly sounds exciting, but it’s an extraordinary claim that warrants skepticism. Fossils of baby duck-billed dinosaurs (Hypacrosaurus stebingeri) have yielded traces of…

Biology George Dvorsky Mar 2

Biggest X-Ray Laser Gun on Earth Opens in September

Even if you haven’t seen any James Bond films, you’re probably aware that the space laser battle depicted in Moonraker ranks among the stupidest scenes in the franchise’s history. But there’s a new laser gun in town that’s actually good and opening up for business. It is not a weapon. The European X-ray Free Electron…

Physics & Chemistry Ryan F. Mandelbaum Aug 30

Why Your Acid Trips Last So Very, Very Long

People who have “experimented” with LSD know that its mind-altering effects can last upwards of 18 to 24 hours, which is unusual for a hallucinogenic drug. After nearly 30 years of research, scientists have finally mapped the physical structure of this fascinating molecule, revealing why it tends to linger in the brain. New research published…

Tech News George Dvorsky Jan 26

Poisonous Snail Goo Could Rescue Diabetics

Cone snails employ a fast-acting venom to paralyze their prey. But what is bad news for fish is good news for diabetics. New research suggests the “weaponized insulin” produced by these sea critters is far more efficient than conventional medicines used to treat high blood sugar. While hunting, some cone snails secrete insulin, along with…

Tech News George Dvorsky Sep 14

Genetic Analysis of 250 Burgers Reveals Some Unsavory Surprises

Last year, a biotech startup called Clear Labs performed DNA testing on a bunch of hot dogs and discovered that they often contain more than the label advertises. The same company has now used its arsenal of molecular technologies to break down America’s other favorite meat-on-a-bun product: burgers. Once again, there are some unsavory surprises.…

Tech News Maddie Stone May 10

Scientists Have a Wild Plan to Stop These Rhinos From Going Extinct

In a lush conservation park in central Kenya, the world’s last three northern white rhinos are unable to breed. When they die, the subspecies will go extinct. That is unless a complex, controversial plan involving tissue cryobanks and test tube embryos can actually work. After decades of poaching, a subspecies which once numbered in the…

Tech News Maddie Stone May 6

Bloodthirsty Ticks Have a Seriously Weird Genome

Ticks—those unbreakable, blood-lusting arthropods that haunt your summer camp memories—have some fascinating genetic secrets. The tick genome tells a tale of weaponized spit, expandable armor, and how to drink 100 times one’s body weight in blood. Strangest of all, it’s utterly enormous. “We knew the tick genome was going to be big going in, but…

Health Maddie Stone Feb 9

Clever Ebola Chip Will Help Doctors Detect Infected People Without Absurd Lab Equipment

In the highly unfortunate case you’re infected with Ebola, you really need to catch it ASAP so that you can quarantine yourself and get treated. That’s why scientists are now developing a portable ‘Ebola chip’ that optically analyzes fluid samples and sniffs out nasty virus particles within minutes. Ebola detection relies on a method called…

Health Maddie Stone Sep 25

Scientists Turn Skin Cells into Brain Cells, Using Alzheimers Patients

You are looking at freshly-made human neurons, or brain cells. But they used to be common skin cells. And their existence could change how we treat Alzheimers. Using a special mix of small molecules, two groups of scientists in China have successfully turned human skin cells into neurons. They hope that their technique could one…

Tech News Annalee Newitz Aug 6

The Plan to Feed the World by Hacking Photosynthesis

With the world population projected to soar past the 11 billion mark by 2100, we’re going to need to find some creative new ways of putting food on the table. The latest science-powered plan to feed the world? Hacking photosynthesis. Imagine if we could grow 30 to 60 percent more wheat in a field, using…

Tech News Maddie Stone Jul 4

Microsoft Makes Breakthrough in the Quest to Use DNA as Data Storage

What Is the Most Important Scientific Development of the Last 50 Years?

Genetically Modified Babies Are Still a Bad Idea, WHO Committee Concludes

Man Blinded for 40 Years Has Sight Partially Restored Using Gene Therapy

Scientists Dive Into Axolotl Genome, Looking for Secrets to Regeneration

Airborne DNA Could Help Scientists Find Elusive Animals

Promising Gene Therapy Trials Suspended Over Potential Cancer Risk

Highest-Resolution Images of DNA Reveal It’s Surprisingly Jiggly

Common DNA Testing Method Has High False-Positive Rate for Rare Mutations, Study Finds

Viruses Make Us Question What It Means to Be Alive

Paleontologists Are Skeptical About Baby Dinosaur Cells Supposedly Found in Fossil

Biggest X-Ray Laser Gun on Earth Opens in September

Why Your Acid Trips Last So Very, Very Long

Poisonous Snail Goo Could Rescue Diabetics

Genetic Analysis of 250 Burgers Reveals Some Unsavory Surprises

Scientists Have a Wild Plan to Stop These Rhinos From Going Extinct

Bloodthirsty Ticks Have a Seriously Weird Genome

Clever Ebola Chip Will Help Doctors Detect Infected People Without Absurd Lab Equipment

Scientists Turn Skin Cells into Brain Cells, Using Alzheimers Patients

The Plan to Feed the World by Hacking Photosynthesis

Artemis 2 Day 7: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Mysterious VHS Tapes May Herald the Release of a New Boards of Canada Project

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Sam Altman Says It’ll Take Another Year Before ChatGPT Can Start a Timer

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Rise and Shine and Grab the Breakfast Drugs: the ‘Rick and Morty’ Season 9 Trailer Is Here

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