No one’s sure if synthetic mirror life will kill us all
For four days in February 2019, some 30 synthetic biologists and ethicists hunkered down at a conference center in Northern…
Tag: biology
These ultra-long experiments outlive their scientists — on purpose
On a snowy night in 2021, four shivering scientists in Michigan set down their shovels and studied a hand-drawn map…
Genes point to how some bacteria can gobble up electricity
Bacteria can have superpowers. Some flourish in almost any environment. Others can transform toxic materials into harmless sludge. A bacterium…
Whales get a second life as deep-sea buffets
Last October, a team of marine explorers sent Hercules — a remote-controlled vehicle — to the bottom of the ocean. Its mission:…
Let the structural symphony begin
Like other structural biologists, Eva Nogales works in extraordinary times. The University of California, Berkeley, faculty member now has the…
Living Long Beneath the Sea
In the muck beneath the ocean floor, there’s something alive. Lots of somethings. But don’t worry: You’ll never see…
Icy inns at Earth’s end
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, reminding us once again of the deadly threat icebergs…
Interrupting cancer’s travel plans
Randy Watnickʼs pursuit of a better drug against metastatic cancer began late at night in early 2005. His infant daughter…
Green Hornets
Oriental wasps turn ultraviolet light into energy, say researchers from Tel Aviv University. Listen to this show from the Loh…
Lotion takes a bite out of snake venom
For a person who has the rotten luck to get bitten by a poisonous snake, every second counts. That’s because…