Explore the latest scientific discoveries, science news, breakthroughs and developments from around the world.
Two new studies from Johns Hopkins University are providing scientists with an unprecedented view of how human cells repair one of the most dangerous forms of genetic damage: a break that severs both strands of the DNA double helix.
Advocates and scientists warn that giving political appointees power over research grants would “upend” U.S. science
Where is Earth's center of mass? The answer seems trivially obvious. It's right in the middle of the planet. Ah, but that kind of thinking won't get you a paper in the Geophysical Journal International. It's also not a trivial question. Knowing Earth's center of mass to within millimeters reveals some interesting facts about our planet.
Researchers have engineered a drug treatment that shows rapid effectiveness against endometriosis in early testing, laying the foundation for a potential therapy for an incurable, chronic disease that affects 1 in 10 women. The targeted nanotherapy, developed by a team of scientists at Washington State University, reduced endometriosis symptoms and disease progression after a single dose in a mouse model.
The ubiquitous plastics of modern life are degrading into tiny fragments and littering Earth's landscapes and waterways. Scientists are starting to examine and measure this phenomenon to better understand how microplastics move through the environment and ultimately affect human and environmental health. A new study focuses on the Truckee River, which stems from the clear blue waters of Lake Tahoe and traverses Reno and Sparks, Nevada, before reaching Pyramid Lake. The research sought to illuminate the concentrations and types of plastics accumulating throughout the river—which supplies drinking water to nearly half a million people.
The ability of cells to move and change position is essential for various processes in our bodies. Immune cells move to sites of action, epithelial cells migrate during wound closure, and neurons extend their axons for signal transmission over long distances. In metastasis, cancer cells employ their motile machinery to spread throughout the body.
When Martin Wiernsperger was a graduate student, he and fellow student Mackenzie Feinberg realized they both had family members in the health care field—and both had heard relatives complain about lower-performing employees getting more opportunities for training and professional development than their higher-performing peers.
The sun's magnetic fields are a twisty, curvy, ever-changing mess. In particular, our star's polar regions host areas called polar coronal holes, which contain invisible magnetic highways that stretch into interplanetary space. But there's a lot we don't know about how those highways actually work, particularly how they give the particles that form the fast solar wind an extra "kick" that sends them zooming at hundreds of kilometers per second.
Radicals, atoms or molecules that readily react with other substances to form new bonds, are useful tools for building complex substances such as pharmaceuticals. But even when a radical is generated efficiently, the reaction cannot continue unless the catalyst returns to its original state.
At first glance, a farm field doesn't seem all that complicated. It's just dirt and crops.
A tiny wild cat hidden away in the cloud forests of Bolivia has become an unlikely tourist attraction, drawing a stream of visitors hoping for a glimpse of the animal that scientists have identified as a brand new species.
Scientists built a swallowable paper battery that can power medical devices inside the body and then gradually break down after its job is done.So far, the battery has been tested only in pigs, in which it powered devices for up to three days. If proven safe and effective in people, the battery could someday power temporary devices inside the gut while avoiding surgery to retrieve a conventional battery from the body when the device is no longer needed."I'm very excited about this work," said Reza Ghodssi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maryland who was not involved in the study. "The battery is one component that takes up most of the space in an inge...