All Stories by John Travis
- Health & Medicine
Do-It-Yourself: Virus recreated from synthetic DNA
In an experiment with implications for bioterrorism, scientists have used poliovirus' widely known genetic sequence to synthesize that virus from DNA and other chemicals.
- Health & Medicine
Dynamite discovery on nitroglycerin
Scientists have found a long-sought enzyme that may be behind nitroglycerin's dilation of blood vessels.
- Health & Medicine
Kill or Be Killed: Tumor protein offs patrolling immune cells
Many human cancers may evade surveillance by exploiting a protein normally found on certain immune cells.
- Health & Medicine
Survivors’ Benefit?
Smallpox outbreaks throughout history may have endowed some people with genetic mutations that make them resistant to the AIDS virus.
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Obesity hormone tackles wound healing
The hormone leptin, which seems to have many roles in the body including regulating fat storage, may speed the healing of wounds.
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Evolutionary Shocker?
A specific protein may help plants and animals store genetic variation and release it at times of stress.
- Health & Medicine
New clue stirs up lithium mystery
Lithium and two other mood-stabilizing drugs may all work by depleting nerve cells of a chemical that the cells use to signal each other.
- Health & Medicine
Boning Up
Biologists have discovered a mechanism for communication between two types of bone cell, and they're exploring the possible bone-growth-stimulating effect of popular cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.
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For geneticists, interference becomes an asset
A new method of disrupting genes, called RNA interference, works in mouse cells.
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Ironing out underarm odor
Chemicals that deprive bacteria of iron may improve deodorants.
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Bacterial genes and cell scaffolding
A bacterium may have revealed the origin of a key cell structure.
