Researchers are abolishing an ancient epidemic — and trying to prevent the next one before it starts
Read now →Using machine learning tools and viral sequences, researchers are trying to better understand disease transmission
I’m a PhD student in Biological Engineering at MIT. Around two billion people in the world are infected with a microscopic bug called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Despite this, only a fraction develop tuberculosis. And a fraction of those infected – almost 5,000 a day – die. I put on Stranger Things-esque protection equipment and probe these bacteria to ask, what allows them bacteria to win this tug-of-war? To understand this variation, I look at how both human and bacteria cells change on a genetic level in response to each other, as a member of the Blainey Lab, located in the Broad Institute, and Bryson Lab, located in the Ragon Institute and MIT.
A patient was cured of HIV. What should you expect in the future?
Read now →Scientists are buoyed and see a path to future medicines
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Vaccines aren't yet using our immune system's full potential
Read now →The most important invention in medicine could save even more lives
Why there probably won't be a 'magic bullet' for cancer
Read now →Researchers increasingly view the disease as a sprawling, evolving metropolis of cells
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Why do the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines need to be kept so cold?
Read now →The Pfizer and Moderna vaccine cold chains, explained
Humanity's viral stowaway is now a defense against our greatest diseases
Read now →Engineered viruses may be the key to HIV and tuberculosis vaccines
Earth's weirdest creatures are genetic treasure chests
Read now →From the axolotl's regenerating limbs to naked mole rat cancer resistance, new sequencing is uncovering new possibilities
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What are the advantages of an mRNA vaccine for COVID-19?
Read now →They're easier to manufacture than traditional vaccines, but scientifically their history is checkered
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Knowing more about how sneeze droplets spray can help prevent disease
Read now →Big and small droplets have different physics and even different pathogenic potential
Haven't heard of RNA therapy yet? You will
Read now →After a decade of painstaking progress, the underdog is on the brink of treating a broad range of diseases
How scientists are mapping the building blocks of life
Read now →A microscopic moonshot hopes to revolutionize biology
How dogs are helping us understand human allergies
Read now →If your dog has allergies, chances are you do too. Thanks, microbes
Billionaires are rushing into biotech. Inequality is following them into science
Read now →'Free-market philanthropy' raises yet more questions about the future of American public research
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Did these scientists just create the first lab-grown human breast milk?
Read now →Meet the two women recreating mother nature’s baby formula.
Exosuits can restore mobility in stroke patients and soldiers alike
Read now →And they're customizable for different types of bodies, gaits, and speeds