Tina Hesman Saey

Tina Hesman Saey

Senior Writer, Molecular Biology

Senior writer Tina Hesman Saey is a geneticist-turned-science writer who covers all things microscopic and a few too big to be viewed under a microscope. She is an honors graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she did research on tobacco plants and ethanol-producing bacteria. She spent a year as a Fulbright scholar at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany, studying microbiology and traveling.  Her work on how yeast turn on and off one gene earned her a Ph.D. in molecular genetics at Washington University in St. Louis. Tina then rounded out her degree collection with a master’s in science journalism from Boston University. She interned at the Dallas Morning News and Science News before returning to St. Louis to cover biotechnology, genetics and medical science for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. After a seven year stint as a newspaper reporter, she returned to Science News. Her work has been honored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the Endocrine Society, the Genetics Society of America and by journalism organizations.

All Stories by Tina Hesman Saey

  1. Chemistry

    Prions are common, at least in yeast

    A new study of shape-shifting proteins in baker’s yeast reveals that prions are common and may help organisms survive in changing conditions.

  2. Life

    Genes help monarchs migrate

    At least 40 genes help monarch butterflies find their way to overwintering sites in Mexico.

  3. Life

    Dissing a loaded label for some unicellular life

    Prominent biologist calls ‘prokaryote’ outdated term.

  4. Health & Medicine

    Tired brain defaults differently

    Sleep deprivation may cause the brain to switch to default mode when it should be paying attention.

  5. Health & Medicine

    Junior moments

    A new study finds that young adults actually had more "senior moments" than did older people.

  6. Health & Medicine

    How deep brain stimulation works for Parkinson’s

    New studies in rodents show that methods that are less invasive than deep brain stimulation may help people with Parkinson's disease regain movement.

  7. Health & Medicine

    MicroRNAs provide telltale signature of organ rejection

    Levels of microRNAs in the blood and tissue distinguish rejected transplants from healthy tissue.

  8. Life

    Vive la cycles

    Researchers have identified a missing gear in the clock that helps plants tell night from day.

  9. Life

    Aphids support symbionts with borrowed DNA

    Aphids borrowed at least two genes from bacterial buddies, and those genes now support another bacterium that lives in the insects.

  10. Life

    Gene links autism, bellyaches

    Researchers have uncovered a genetic link between autism and gastrointestinal disorders in some families.

  11. Life

    Tastes like metal

    Scientists have discovered that proteins that help sense sweet and spice also help taste metals.

  12. Life

    Jumping genes provide unexpected diversity

    Mobile DNA elements have stuffed and shrunk the human genome, a comparison of two genomes reveal