All Stories by John Travis
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Nerve connections come ready to assemble
Nerve cells seem to package key components of synapses—the specialized complexes than connect the nerve cells—and collectively ship the material to points where these complexes take shape.
- Health & Medicine
Loosen Up
Bacterial toxin may lead to less painful treatments for diabetes and brain cancer.
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Milestones for Malaria: Parasite, mosquito genes decoded
Unraveling the DNA of a malaria-causing parasite and of a mosquito that carries it may suggest new ways to combat the deadly disease.
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Trashed proteins may help immune system
Up to 30 percent of a cell's proteins get recycled as soon as they roll off the cellular assembly line.
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A Man’s Job
Sperm contain an unexpected payload of RNA, a discovery offering insight into infertility, cloning, and contraception.
- Health & Medicine
New Drugs Beat Old Flu: Antiviral agents counter deadly 1918 influenza
After partially recreating a deadly influenza virus that swept the globe from 1918 to 1919 and killed millions of people, researchers have shown that available flu drugs could probably prevent a new pandemic of the 1918 influenza strain or a similar flu.
- Health & Medicine
Immune gene linked to prostate cancer
An immune-cell gene plays a role in predisposing men to prostate cancer.
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Get Rid of the Bodies
Scientists are learning how organisms safely clear out cell corpses.
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Cloned pigs, down on the corporate farm
A biotech company announced the first cloning of pigs.
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Gender Gap: Parasites’ bias for big animals gives female mammals longevity
Parasites infect male mammals more often than females, possibly contributing to the tendency among mammals of males to die earlier than females.
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Novel enzyme provides sperm’s spark of life
A molecule in sperm triggers a fertilized egg to begin developing.
- Health & Medicine
RNA interferes with cancer-cell growth
To curb the growth of cancer cells, scientists are silencing genes by introducing small strands of RNA.
