By blocking the action of a single protein, scientists have extended the average life span of the mice in their experiment by around 25%. This recent finding has raised the question of whether such a treatment could ever work for people, and so far, there are some promising early hints that it might. In the … Read more
For the first time, scientists have tested a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine in a patient with a deadly form of brain cancer — and it triggered a strong immune response. The vaccine, which was described in a study published on May 1 in the journal Cell, was created by extracting genetic material called RNA from … Read more
You’re alone, and you suddenly have the sneaking suspicion that someone’s there. Maybe you watched a scary movie or read the latest thriller novel and wonder if there’s a killer lurking in your room. You look around and open the closet door, but no one’s there. So why does your mind make you feel as … Read more
For the first time, scientists have generated functional human brain tissue using a 3D printer. Scientists printed the tissue to be less than 0.01 inch (0.02 centimeter) thick, and it contains both nerve cells and supporting cells called glia. All of these cells can communicate with one another and form networks, as they would in … Read more
Officially, the colony was called the Mortality-Inhibiting Environment for Mice. Unofficially, it was called mouse heaven. Biologist John Calhoun built the colony at the National Institute of Mental Health in Maryland in 1968. It was a large pen—a 4½-foot cube—with everything a mouse could ever desire: plenty of food and water; a perfect climate; reams … Read more
Before the year has even come to a close, climate experts are certain that 2023 will be the hottest year in recorded history. And while several factors are impacting this year’s record heat, researchers say human-caused climate change is overwhelmingly responsible. On Dec. 6, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) — part of the European … Read more
High-powered infrared laser weapons could be on the horizon after scientists figured out how to make lasers nine times more powerful. Militaries have already deployed laser-powered weapons, as popularized by films like “Star Wars,”, but they’re much weaker than those seen on screen and can only disable small airborne targets. The light In these current … Read more
Scientists have unearthed 188 previously unknown types of CRISPR systems buried in the genomes of simple microorganisms. Best known as a powerful gene-editing tool, CRISPR actually comes from an inbuilt defense system found in bacteria and simple microbes called archaea. CRISPR systems include pairs of “molecular scissors” called Cas enzymes, which allow microbes to cut … Read more
Lab-grown meat, made from chicken cells cultured in steel tanks, can now be produced and sold in the U.S. for the first time. Two California-based companies — Upside Foods and Good Meat, a subsidiary of Eat Just — became the first in the nation to get approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to … Read more
Two children who experienced intense, insatiable hunger that drove them to overeat have rare, never-before-seen genetic mutations that interfere with leptin, a key hormone that helps tell the body when it is full, a new case report says. After white fat cells make leptin, it plugs into the brainstem and hypothalamus, brain regions that help … Read more
