Microbiology
The Man Who Saw the Pandemic Coming
Will the world now wake up to the global threat of zoonotic diseases?
Cracking the Case of the Norovirus
A pervasive, pernicious virus has evaded vaccine developers for decades. By getting a clear look at its protective shell, they might finally know how to defeat it.
Unscrambled Eggs: Self-Organization Restores Cells’ Order
To scientists’ surprise, blended mixtures of cytoplasm can reorganize themselves into cell-like compartments with working structural components.
The Non-Human Living Inside of You
Half of your genome started out as an infection; if left unchecked, some parts of it can turn deadly all over again.
Memories Can Be Injected and Survive Amputation and Metamorphosis
Experiments on snails and other creatures raise questions about how memories are really stored.
Nobel Prize Awarded for Discoveries on How Cells Adapt to Oxygen
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honors work elucidating how cells adjust to low oxygen levels.
Origin-of-Life Study Points to Chemical Chimeras, Not RNA
Origin-of-life researchers have usually studied the potential of pure starting materials, but messy chemical composites may kick-start life more effectively.
Immune Cells Measure Time to Identify Foreign Proteins
T-cells identify what belongs in the body by timing how long they can bind to it.
Scientists Discover Nearly 200,000 Kinds of Ocean Viruses
New work raises the estimated diversity of viruses in the seas more than twelvefold and lays the groundwork for a better understanding of their impact on global nutrient cycles.
What Defines a Stem Cell?
Our cells have more diverse regenerative capabilities than anyone expected.