Health & Medicine
- Health & Medicine
Explainer: What is asthma and how is it treated?
This chronic narrowing of lung airways can make it hard to breathe. Fortunately, drugs can widen those airways — even in people with severe asthma symptoms.
- Health & Medicine
Dad’s backyard lessons inspired this hearing scientist to learn
A. Catalina Vélez-Ortega researches how proteins can protect against hearing loss.
- Humans
Biological sex is more complex than just male or female
Trying to define sex with just two options fails to reflect the wide range of natural variation in human genetics, hormones and biology.
- Environment
More and more, microplastics are collecting in our brains
Over eight years, the mass of microplastics in human brains increased by some 50 percent. There are growing hints that internal microplastics may harm us.
- Animals
Mosquitoes taste you before they decide to bite
Mosquitoes seem to prefer some flavors over others. Knowing what they like — and hate — could lead to better ways to prevent bites.
- Health & Medicine
This Indigenous herb may improve therapy for muscle disorder
Treating weakened fruit flies with an herb-drug combo was more effective than the usual drug-only treatment.
- Artificial Intelligence
AI-designed proteins target toxins in deadly snake venom
The current way to produce antivenoms is outdated. In lab tests, AI-designed proteins could save mice from a lethal dose of snake toxin.
- Health & Medicine
2025’s Texas measles outbreak is a lesson in the value of vaccines
The outbreak shows that a near absence of once-common childhood diseases — like measles — is not evidence that vaccines are unnecessary.
- Brain
Explainer: How our body deals with stress
Our autonomic nervous system balances two natural responses. If stressed or overwhelmed, simple techniques can help to restore that balance.
- Brain
Could the magic of memory manipulation ever become real?
Someday, technology might be able to help people better hold onto memories or forget bad ones.
- Genetics
This young biologist looked for links between diet and dyslexia
Thermo Fisher JIC finalist Giselle Drewett wanted to know how lifestyle might influence a gene related to dyslexia.
- Plants
Microbes give plants a way to make ‘meaty’ nutrients
Enzymes from animals helped a test plant make two nutrients essential for a balanced diet. Normally, those nutrients would only be found in meat.
