Genetics
- Neuroscience
Cilia in the brain may be busier than previously thought
A hairlike appendage sticking out of brain cells may be much more important in the brain than scientists realized.
- Anthropology
Hunter-gatherer lifestyle could help explain superior ability to ID smells
Hunter-gatherers in the forests of the Malay Peninsula prove more adept at naming smells than their rice-farming neighbors, possibly because of their foraging culture.
- Health & Medicine
Not all strep infections are alike and it may have nothing to do with you
Add-on genes in some bacteria shape the way strains interact with the immune system.
- Genetics
CRISPR gene editor could spark immune reaction in people
Immune reactions could shut down CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.
- Genetics
50 years ago, synthetic DNA made its debut
Synthetic DNA has come a long way since it arrived on the scene half a century ago.
- Animals
Specialized protein helps these ground squirrels resist the cold
A less active cold-sensing protein explains, in part, why some hibernating ground squirrels are more tolerant of chilly conditions than the animals’ nonhibernating kin.
- Science & Society
2017 delivered humility, and proved our potential
Acting Editor in Chief Elizabeth Quill reflects on some of the top scientific stories of 2017.
- Genetics
CRISPR gene editing moved into new territory in 2017
Scientists edited viable human embryos with CRISPR/Cas9 this year.
- Life
Not all of a cell’s protein-making machines do the same job
Ribosomes may switch up their components to specialize in building proteins.
- Genetics
CRISPR/Cas9 can reverse multiple diseases in mice
A new gene therapy uses CRISPR/Cas9 to turn on dormant genes.
- Genetics
Bats in China carry all the ingredients to make a new SARS virus
Viruses infecting bats could recombine to re-create SARS.
- Science & Society
Parents may one day be morally obligated to edit their baby’s genes
The CRISPR debate is moving from “should we or shouldn’t we?” to “do we have to?”
