Katarina Zimmer
Mystery of how COVID-19 ravages the brain deepens
That SARS-CoV-2, the culprit of the COVID-19 pandemic, is also associated with neurological symptoms isn’t entirely surprising, given some evidence ...
When ‘bones and stones’ are not enough: Genetics fills in the blanks in the story of human evolution
In recent years, a field that has traditionally relied on fossil discoveries has acquired helpful new tools: genomics and ancient ...
Why a poorly designed coronavirus vaccine could actually make infections worse
Antibodies created during a first-time infection could, under very specific circumstances, end up enhancing the disease rather than protecting against ...
Coronavirus ‘immunity passports’? Why it’s too early to know whether survivors are safe
Policymakers have another reason to scramble to deploy antibody tests: they could indicate whether someone is immune to SARS-CoV-2. With ...
Destroying inflammatory ‘zombie’ cells could slow age-related disease
For decades, scientists had ignored senescent cells—which are trapped in a long-term state of cell cycle arrest—dismissing them as artifacts ...
Viewpoint: Plagued with unreliable results, cannabis testing industry has a long way to go
Because cannabis is still considered illegal at the federal level, the responsibility of regulating cannabis and cannabis-derived products falls to ...
African swine fever decimates global pork production. Can a genetically engineered vaccine stop it?
In the fall of 2017, a year before an unfamiliar virus captured the world’s attention with an explosive outbreak in ...
Alzheimer’s link to herpes disputed in new study
Around 30 years ago, researchers in the UK discovered DNA strands of herpes simplex virus 1 in postmortem brain samples of Alzheimer’s ...
Time for an upgrade? Swedish study reveals thousands of genetic sequences not found in human reference genome
[I]t’s hard to study genetic sequences if they’re absent from the human reference genome, the product of the $2.7 billion ...
Blood test reveals epigenetic modifications that could predict life-threatening type 2 diabetes complications
Chronically high blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes can damage tissues throughout the body, such as the nerves, eyes, ...
Processed foods key factor in uptick in colorectal cancer among young adults?
Although still rare, affecting roughly 4 percent of adults over their lifetimes, according to the National Cancer Institute, colorectal cancer is becoming ...
Can these turtle embryos change their sex by finding warmer or cooler spots within their eggs?
At 27.9 °C, roughly equal numbers of female and male turtles will emerge from the nests of the Chinese pond ...
When cancer becomes contagious: Seeking better understanding of rare transmissible forms of the disease
The untrained eye likely wouldn’t have noticed, but doctoral student Ruth Pye immediately spotted something unusual about the way the cells were ...
Viewpoint: Is glyphosate safe? Question complicated by politics, murky science
On one side, activists and advocacy organizations have blamed glyphosate exposure for everything from autism to celiac disease. Agribusiness companies ...
Is there a difference in the toxic effects of glyphosate versus herbicides like Roundup that include surfactants?
Glyphosate is rarely used on its own in the field. Herbicide formulations as a whole include a variety of other ...
