Illustration by Kieran O’Brien From the Big Bang to intelligent life, how did the universe come to be? This is a question John Mather, senior astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center…
Author: Carolyn Gramling
What scientists hope to learn with the new James Webb Space Telescope
Image credit: NASA/Desiree Stover Three decades in the making, NASA’s successor to the famous Hubble telescope will launch next week, and the excitement is building. A joint program between NASA, the European…
Researchers develop Raman barcodes to keep track of SARS-CoV-2 variants
A fast and efficient means of record keeping could improve the ability to trace structural differences in viral variants. A microscopic molecular Raman image of cells infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Image…
A new biomaterial for regenerating tissue
A new hydrogel supports living cells and can withstand dynamic environments to help repair tissue in the heart, muscles, and vocal cords. A rendered image of the vocal cord bioreactor for testing…
Omicron reduces vaccine efficacy, but boosters improve protection
Preliminary data indicates that booster shots improve antibody levels 25-fold compared to just two doses. Image credit: Mat Napo on Unsplash As fears continue to circulate around the possibility that mutations in…
An inhaled COVID-19 vaccine makes it to human trials
The aerosol platform promises broader protection against SARS-CoV-2, and is currently being trialed as a booster. Fiona Smaill and research coordinator Emilio Aguirre demonstrate the use of the nebulizer with a volunteer….
Antibodies active against SARS-CoV-2 found in 20-year-old library
Three potent antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 identified in healthy individuals decades ago raises interesting questions about their origins and evolution. Image credit: CDC on Unsplash As cases in COVID-19 spike around the world,…
A doomed alien planet has a 16-hour orbit around its star
TOI-2109b is the second hottest exoplanet discovered so far, with a year lasting just 16 hours. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Bacon Researchers have reported the discovery of a unique ultrahot Jupiter…
An alternative to adhesives helps cells better interact with their environment
A natural chemical tether helps researchers attach cells to inert biomaterials for better cell models and therapies. Building artificial tissues that mimic the intricacy of their living counterparts is tricky business. One…
How can bacteria “robots” improve cancer therapy?
Living machines made from drug-carrying bacteria target tumors to improve the effectiveness and safety of chemotherapies. Image credit: CDC on Unsplash Researchers have been developing some pretty creative ways of getting medicines…