Science News

They are wise-cracking companions, able to communicate in more than six million languages. Others are bent on enslaving or destroying humanity, deeming themselves better, more rational caretakers of the Earth in light of...

Mosquito saliva influences transmission of viruses to a bitten mammalian host. For example, it contains factors that dampen the host immune response and so facilitate infection. A study reports on a saliva protein with t...

Genetic testing of mitochondrial DNA could reveal otherwise unknown ancestry that can influence a person's risk for certain types of breast cancer, a new study finds.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a leading genetic cause of child death. Existing proposed treatments require injection direct into the spine, a barrier to widespread use. Pip6a-PMO can be injected into a vein - a simple...

Data from the first 5,000 UK Biobank participants taking part in the world's largest health imaging study has been released for health researchers worldwide to use in their own research. Researchers unearthed some rather...

New research suggests the 3-D structure DNA forms as it crams into cells may provide an additional layer of gene control.

A fungus has been identified as a key factor in the development of Crohn's disease, an international team of researchers has identified for the first time.

This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital ...

Scientists looking for traces of E. coli O157:H7 contamination in foods soon could have a new detection method on their hands -- turning off the lights to see if the bacteria glow in the dark.

A system that can compare physical objects while potentially protecting sensitive information about the objects themselves has been demonstrated experimentally at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Ph...

Wearable devices that monitor physical activity are not reliable tools for weight loss, says a new study. The study specifically investigated whether regular use of commercially available activity trackers is effective f...

When it comes to low-frequency sound waves, traditional sound-absorbing materials tend to be undesirably bulky, heavy or thick.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a newer type of weight loss surgery that reduces the stomach size by about 75 percent, is a safe procedure with a low morbidity rate, researchers have concluded after analyzing informatio...

The predominance of the hormone testosterone in males may explain why women are up to 10 times more likely than men to injure the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in their knees, new research suggests following a mice st...

A new explanation for some of the symptoms of fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability, has been proposed by researchers. Their explanation suggests new targets for treatment.

A promising new target for future drugs to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been uncovered by researchers. The study also indicates that another protein, protein kinase C (PKC) ?/?, may serve as a biomarker of ...

Inherited methylation--a form of epigenetic regulation passed down from parents to offspring--is far more dynamic than previously thought and may contribute to changes in the brain and other tissues over time. This findi...

Cells use specific proteins that help the cell remember what collection of genes needs to be turned on again after cell division. Removing these transcriptional bookmarks may be a key to better reprogramming of human fib...

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may reduce levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream, according to a new study.

Children and teenagers who are obese have different microorganisms living in the digestive tract than their lean counterparts, according to a new study.

Researchers are beginning to shed light on the ingredients of boredom, and some studies may even hint at ways to fight it.

Imagine that a highly-toxic pollutant is released in the middle of Manhattan on a windy day. What is the appropriate response? Evacuate one square block? Ten square blocks? The whole city? How much time do patients at a ...