TANGLED The brain of a person with Alzheimer’s disease symptoms (right) is laden with tau protein (red), while a person with no symptoms (left) has little tau.
Matthew R. Brier
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Magazine
In the Sept. 30 SN: Smog's health woes, secrets of the bat brain, slug slime inspires surgical glue, wild beer, Neandertal tar recipes, the sun's recent flare-ups and more.
Genes & Cells
Topic Image Rail
OFFENSIVE MEASURES A combination of powerful antibodies might be able to stop HIV (yellow) before it infects, as is happening to a T cell (blue) in this colorized micrograph.
NIAID/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
EMBRYO, INTERRUPTED A 5-day-old human embryo is usually composed of about 200 cells in a hollow ball configuration called a blastocyst (left). Embryos edited to remove the OCT4 gene (right) fail to make normal blastocysts.
K. Niakan/Nature 2017
Genes & Cells
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Genetics
News
In a first, human embryos edited to explore gene function
In groundbreaking research, CRISPR/Cas9 used to study human development for the first time.ScicuriousTwo artificial sweeteners together take the bitter out of bittersweet
Some artificial sweeteners are well known for their bitter aftertastes. But saccharin and cyclamate are better together, and now scientists know why. -
Cells
News
Immune cells play surprising role in steady heartbeat
Immune system cells called macrophages help heart cells rhythmically contract, maintaining the beat of mice’s hearts.Science Visualized
Cells’ stunning complexity on display in a new online portal
A new online explorer tool from the Allen Institute for Cell Science shows 3-D models of cell interiors. -
Development
News
Embryos kill off male tissue to become female
Female embryos actively dismantle male reproductive tissue, a textbook-challenging study suggests.News
How bearded dragons switch their sex
RNA editing might affect reptile sex determination at temperature extremes. -
Physiology
Feature
A healthy old age may trump immortality
Despite disagreements about what aging is and isn't, scientists have reached a radical consensus: It can be delayed.ScicuriousWomen in sports are often underrepresented in science
More and more women are taking up recreational and competitive sports. But when it comes to exercise science, the studies don’t reflect that trend. -
Immune Science
News
When a fungus invades the lungs, immune cells can tell it to self-destruct
Immune system resists fungal infection by directing spores to their death.News
When it comes to the flu, the nose has a long memory
Mice noses have specialty immune cells with long memories. -
Microbiology
The Science Life
This biochemist brews a wild beer
Wild beer studies are teaching scientists and brewers about the tropical fruit smell and sour taste of success.Science & the PublicWild yeasts are brewing up batches of trendy beers
Wild beer studies are teaching scientists and brewers about the tropical fruit smell and sour taste of success. -
Epigenetics
News
Proteins that reprogram cells can turn back mice’s aging clock
Proteins that reprogram adult cells to an embryonic-like state can rejuvenate prematurely aging mice.News
Epigenetic marks may help assess toxic exposure risk — someday
Exposure to things in the environment may change chemical tags on DNA and proteins, but it’s still unclear how to use that data to assess health risks. -
Molecular Evolution
Editor's NoteJumping genes are part of all that makes us human
Ask 10 people what makes humans human and you’ll probably get 10 different answers — and then some.News
Ancient enzymes adapted to a cooler Earth to keep life’s chemical reactions going
Ancient enzymes kept their speed at lower temperatures.
