A new spinal cord implant was used to heal a severed spine, offering hope that these types of injuries can one day become treatable. Trauma and injury to the spinal cord can…
Category: Features
3D laser printing inside synthetic cells
3D-printed structures can be built inside synthetic cells without opening or damaging them. What is synthetic life? This question is at the center of the burgeoning field of bottom-up synthetic biology, where…
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…
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,…
Are stem cells just hype?
While stem cell therapies have been touted as “miracle cures”, data indicates that there are still hurdles keeping them out of the clinic. Stem cells have the unique ability to develop into…
Perpetual loneliness linked to a lack of trust
Loneliness has been linked to detrimental and sometimes deadly health effects, and so researchers are seeking a biological answer to help prevent and treat it. Image adapted from PoseMuse on Pixabay The…
Fridge-free COVID-19 vaccine candidates offer hope to billions
Two vaccines in early development are stable under high temperatures and could be game changers in global vaccine equity. Image credit: Mat Napo on Unsplash Last year, scientists achieved what many thought…
Soft robots in space – Advanced Science News
Although the idea of soft robots in space exploration is still far from becoming a reality, there are obvious advantages that are driving researchers to pursue the possibility. Illustration by Guo Zhan…
Pioneers in Science: Kitasato Shibasaburō
A pioneer in preventative medicine well known for his isolation of the bacteria behind the bubonic plague, Shibasaburō helped establish our understanding of infectious diseases and made inroads into the first vaccines….