Independent
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Grapevines that spent a year in space may help researchers breed crops better suited for climate change
Researchers in France are studying a dozen bottles of French wine and hundreds of snippets of grapevines that returned to ...

Heated copper mesh face masks that kill viruses may soon be available
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have submitted a patent for a prototype mask with a heated copper mesh, a news ...

Skull of two-million-year old human cousin found in South Africa illustrates how ancient species adapted to new challenges
Academics from La Trobe University’s Archaeology Department in Melbourne, Australia led the excavation and reconstruction of the large-toothed rare skull from the Drimolen ...

Stream music directly to your brain? Elon Musk’s new Neuralink gadget
[Elon] Musk confirmed that Neuralink’s technology would allow people to “listen to music directly from our chips.” He also said ...

Mysterious Brazilian virus made largely of genes never seen illustrates ‘how much we still need to understand’ about microorganisms
Viruses are some of the world’s smallest life-forms – and the jury is still out as to whether they actually ...

‘Bee safe’ pesticides that replaced neonicotinoids may harm pollinators, activist-funded study finds
New pesticides regarded as “bee safe” could actually be causing harm to these vital pollinators when combined with other chemicals ...

Far from ape-like: Neanderthals walked upright, just like us
Neanderthals walked with an upright posture just like modern humans, according to a new analysis. Over the years, reconstructions of ancient ...

Federal regulators ask biotech experts if GMO trees should be deployed to save ‘dying’ US forests
Plans are under way to plant swathes of genetically engineered trees across the ailing forests of North America in a bid to save them ...

Using AI to predict evolution of cancer tumors could lead to stronger treatments
Scientists have used artificial intelligence to predict how cancers will progress and evolve, which could help doctors design the most effective treatment for each ...

Ancient human species with orange-sized brain could have possessed modern human intelligence
An ancient species of human with a brain no larger than an orange may have possessed intelligence to rival that ...

Ancient art may have been created by people with autistic traits, study suggests
Much of the world’s earliest great art is likely to have been created by gifted early humans on the autism ...

Leukemia defense: Y-chromosome offers ‘extra layer of protection’
Scientists have discovered the first example of a gene that is only found in one sex and provides protection against ...

Estonia launches genetic-testing program for 8% of its population
The Estonian government is to collect the DNA of 100,000 citizens to provide them with personalised health and lifestyle advice ...

Double mastectomy improves prospects for patients with BRCA1 mutation but not BRCA2, study finds
Women with a mutant gene that increases their risk of breast cancer can increase their life expectancy with a radical ...

Immunotherapy mystery: Drugs treat ovarian cancer ‘when they should not have’
[Four women with rare ovarian cancer], strangers to one another living in different countries, asked their doctors to try new ...

Lab-grown human eggs may offer hope for the infertile
In a landmark development, scientists have been able to replicate the process where egg cells mature in the ovaries outside ...

CRISPR could be the answer to genetic engineering’s prayers
Since its introduction four decades ago, genetic engineering has been a source of high hopes for health, agriculture, and industry ...

How living GMO algae could electrify rural Africa
Fuel cells powered by living algae that are five times more efficient than current models, have been designed by scientists ...

Why are children picky eaters? Genetics may play key role
Children who are picky eaters may have their genetics to blame, a study claims. Researchers from the University of Illinois in ...

How our autistic ancestors helped shape human evolution
[W]hen we talk about the autism spectrum – we are all “a bit autistic” – and we all fit somewhere ...

New rice variety that grows in salty water could feed millions in China
Scientists in China have developed several types of rice that can be grown in seawater, potentially creating enough food for ...

Breast cancer linked to 65 newly-found genetic variants
Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer have double the chance of developing it themselves. But the ...

Alzheimer’s memory loss may be reversible, after all
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s affecting patient’s memories could be reversed, new research from MIT indicates. It might be possible to break down the ...

Man’s best friend: Evolutionary history of dogs could shed light on cancer, epilepsy in both species
An evolutionary tree of more than 161 dog breeds has been mapped out by geneticists, showing which types are closely ...

Unreliable science? Scores of mice studies may be tainted because of standard handling practice
Scores of scientific studies based on mice are being called into question because their behaviour is affected by the way ...

Evolutionary tradeoffs: Genes linked to autism may persist because they make us smarter
Autism genes may have been conserved during human evolution because they make us smarter, say scientists. More inherited genetic variants ...

Tired of overeating? ‘Fullness’ gene could lead to appetite-supressing drug
Scientists claim to have discovered a gene that triggers a feeling of fullness and could help prevent the urge to ...

Want a better workout? Company says DNA profiling could help, but scientists skeptical
[Genetic information] is being harnessed to help both athletes and the average Joe achieve their fitness potentials. ... [H]ealth firm ...