For four days in February 2019, some 30 synthetic biologists and ethicists hunkered down at a conference center in Northern Virginia to brainstorm high-risk, cutting-edge, irresistibly exciting ideas that the National Science Foundation should fund. By the end of the meeting, they’d landed on a compelling contender: making “mirror” bacteria. Should they come to be,
No one’s sure if synthetic mirror life will kill us all Read More »
On a snowy night in 2021, four shivering scientists in Michigan set down their shovels and studied a hand-drawn map by flashlight. The map led to a secret location. They traveled in the dark so no one would spy where they were going. If they dug in the right place, they expected to find a
These ultra-long experiments outlive their scientists — on purpose Read More »
Bacteria can have superpowers. Some flourish in almost any environment. Others can transform toxic materials into harmless sludge. A bacterium called Shewanella oneidensis can do both. But this microbe also has a much rarer superpower: It absorbs and produces electricity. In fact, new research suggests, these bacteria may be able to use energy collected from wind or
Genes point to how some bacteria can gobble up electricity Read More »
Last October, a team of marine explorers sent Hercules — a remote-controlled vehicle — to the bottom of the ocean. Its mission: to visit an octopus neighborhood. It was off the coast of central California, near an undersea volcano. Late one night, after scanning a long stretch of empty seafloor, Hercules’ spotlight and camera revealed a parade of
Whales get a second life as deep-sea buffets Read More »
Like other structural biologists, Eva Nogales works in extraordinary times. The University of California, Berkeley, faculty member now has the tools to tackle important questions about cells’ molecular machinery that would have been impossible to answer just a few years ago. A recent project with Berkeley colleague Jennifer Doudna, the molecular biologist who co-pioneered the
Let the structural symphony begin Read More »
In the muck beneath the ocean floor, there’s something alive. Lots of somethings. But don’t worry: You’ll never see them. Instead, these tiny, one-celled germs are content to hunker down in very old clay, for a very long time, eating just enough to stay alive. “These organisms are so different from anything we
Living Long Beneath the Sea Read More »
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, reminding us once again of the deadly threat icebergs can pose to life. Still, the bad reputation icebergs sometimes have isn’t entirely deserved — even if the scientists who study these floating islands of ice are the first to admit just how risky th
Icy inns at Earth’s end Read More »
Randy Watnickʼs pursuit of a better drug against metastatic cancer began late at night in early 2005. His infant daughter had woken up in tears at their home in Newton, Mass., near Boston. The molecular biologist climbed out of bed, scooped up the sobbing baby, and helped her get back to sleep. Normally able to
Interrupting cancer’s travel plans Read More »
Oriental wasps turn ultraviolet light into energy, say researchers from Tel Aviv University. Listen to this show from the Loh Down on Science to learn more.
For a person who has the rotten luck to get bitten by a poisonous snake, every second counts. That’s because venom can spread quickly from the site of the bite to the rest of the body, causing pain, suffering — even death. Australian scientists now have found a way to give snakebite victims more time
Lotion takes a bite out of snake venom Read More »
