Amber Dance

Amber Dance is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

All Stories by Amber Dance

  1. microscope image of Haemophilus influenzae type b bacteria
    Health & Medicine

    A deadly bacteria has been infecting children for more than 1,400 years

    DNA from a 6th century boy’s tooth reveals signs of the earliest known Haemophilus influenzae type b infection, shedding light on the pathogen’s history.

  2. Anisakis parasites on a salmon fillet
    Animals

    Parasitic worm populations are skyrocketing in some fish species used in sushi

    Fishes worldwide harbor 283 times the number of Anisakis worms as fishes in the 1970s. Whether that’s a sign of environmental decline or recovery is unclear.

  3. vase depicting women weaving
    Humans

    Textile archaeologists use ancient tools to weave a tapestry of the past

    Using tools leftover from ancient spindles and looms, textile archaeologists are starting to understand the fabrics of the past.

  4. Trichomonas vaginalis
    Health & Medicine

    How an obscure sexually transmitted parasite tangos with the immune system

    Scientists are working out how Trichomonas vaginalis, one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections, causes problems in women and men.

  5. Koolau mountain range
    Agriculture

    How plant microbes could feed the world and save endangered species

    Scientists have only scratched the surface of the plant microbiome, but they already believe it might increase crop yield and save species from extinction.

  6. brown bat
    Animals

    Bat brain signals illuminate navigation in the dark

    New lab technologies that let bats fly freely allow scientists to track nerve cell signals as the animals dodge and weave.

  7. underwater shipwreck
    Animals

    How bats could help tomato farmers (and the U.S. Navy)

    The way bats navigate their environs inspires engineers to develop better sonar and robots that can estimate crop yield or deliver packages

  8. fish
    Animals

    Venomous fish have evolved many ways to inflict pain

    Fish venom shows great diversity and is being studied to treat pain, cancer and other diseases.

  9. cornea transplant
    Health & Medicine

    Cornea donation may have sex bias

    Women receiving a corneal transplant do better when their donors are female, new research finds.