MIT engineers develop electrochemical sensors for cheap, disposable diagnostics

Electrodes coated with DNA could enable inexpensive tests with a long shelf-life, which could detect many diseases and be deployed in the doctor’s office or at home.

Anne Trafton | MIT News • mit
July 1, 2025 ~6 min

New method combines imaging and sequencing to study gene function in intact tissue

The approach collects multiple types of imaging and sequencing data from the same cells, leading to new insights into mouse liver biology.

Whitehead Institute • mit
June 30, 2025 ~9 min


A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains

There’s no solid evidence that thimerosal harms children. It was removed from almost all vaccines more than 20 years ago out of an abundance of caution, but RFK Jr.’s hand-picked vaccine advisory committee is looking into it.

Terri Levien, Professor of Pharmacy, Washington State University • conversation
June 25, 2025 ~8 min

MIT engineers uncover a surprising reason why tissues are flexible or rigid

Watery fluid between cells plays a major role, offering new insights into how organs and tissues adapt to aging, diabetes, cancer, and more.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News • mit
June 20, 2025 ~7 min

Ticks carry decades of history in each troublesome bite

Changes to forests, and how close people and their livestock live to them, have changed tick habitats and the risks humans face of Lyme disease and other illnesses.

Sean Lawrence, Assistant Professor of History, West Virginia University • conversation
June 18, 2025 ~9 min

Sleep loss rewires the brain for cravings and weight gain – a neurologist explains the science behind the cycle

Even one night of inadequate sleep can shift your hunger into overdrive, setting off a chain reaction in the brain. But one or two nights of solid sleep can help reset metabolism.

Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
June 16, 2025 ~7 min

Data on sexual orientation and gender is critical to public health – without it, health crises continue unnoticed

The Trump administration’s CDC data purge means researchers can no longer effectively track and address health issues affecting LGBTQ+ people – and ultimately society as a whole.

John R. Blosnich, Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Southern California • conversation
June 13, 2025 ~6 min

RFK Jr’s shakeup of vaccine advisory committee raises worries about scientific integrity of health recommendations

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guides the CDC’s hand on vaccine policy, but some of its new members have voiced anti-vaccine views.

Santosh Kumar Gautam, Associate Professor of Development and Global Health Economics, University of Notre Dame • conversation
June 12, 2025 ~11 min


Can a sleeping pill protect against Alzheimer’s damage?

A common sleep aid restores healthier sleep patterns and protects mice from the brain damage seen in neurodegenerative disorders.

Julia Evangelou Strait-WUSTL • futurity
June 11, 2025 ~8 min

A common parasite can decapitate human sperm − with implications for male fertility

If you’ve handled cat litter or eaten raw meat or unwashed produce, there’s a chance you might have a permanent toxoplasmosis infection spread throughout your body.

Bill Sullivan, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University • conversation
May 28, 2025 ~9 min

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