Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Chemistry
Speeding up evolution to create useful proteins wins the chemistry Nobel
The three winners, which include the fifth woman to win the chemistry prize, pioneered techniques used to fashion customized proteins for new biofuels and drugs.
- Life
Lemur study suggests why some fruits smell so fruity
A new test with lemurs and birds suggests there’s more to fruit odors than simple ripening.
- Animals
Giraffes inherit their spots from their mothers
Africa’s tallest creatures get their characteristic patterns of spots from their moms, a new study finds.
- Health & Medicine
Discovery of how to prod a patient’s immune system to fight cancer wins a Nobel
Two scientists share the 2018 medicine Nobel for identifying proteins that act as brakes on tumor-fighting T cells.
- Plants
Gene editing can speed up plant domestication
CRISPR/Cas9 replays domestication to make better ground cherries and tomatoes.
- Genetics
Smuggling a CRISPR gene editor into staph bacteria can kill the pathogen
A new way fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria co-opts toxin-producing genes.
- Life
Cancer immunotherapy wins the 2018 medicine Nobel Prize
Therapies that unleash immune system brakes against cancer have earned the 2018 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
- Animals
Feral cats appear to be pathetic at controlling New York City’s rats
When cats are on the prowl, rats may become harder to see, but roaming cats actually killed only a few.
- Life
In China, a deadly strain of bird flu now easily infects ducks
H7N9 evolved the ability to infect ducks just as a vaccine for chickens came into use.
- Neuroscience
Survey raises worries about how screen time affects kids’ brains
A large study of U.S. children ties lots of screen time to lower thinking skills, but the relationship between the two is still unclear.
- Animals
Manta rays have an unusual mouth filter that resists clogging
Manta rays filter feed differently than other ocean creatures.
- Animals
A new species of high-altitude hummingbird may already be in trouble
Researchers have discovered a new species of hummingbird high up in the Ecuadorian Andes.
