6 important truths about COVID-19 vaccines

With the vaccines now being administered at sites around the US, it is important to address misinformation surrounding the effort.

Kanneboyina Nagaraju, Professor of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University, State University of New York • conversation
Feb. 18, 2021 • ~10 min

Male butterflies mark their mates with a stench to 'turn off' rival suitors

The stench was once thought to originate from plants, but scientists have now pin-pointed its true origin.

Kathleen Darragh, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of California, Davis • conversation
Jan. 28, 2021 • ~5 min

Nobel Prize for CRISPR honors two great scientists – and leaves out many others

Most scientific discoveries these days aren't easily ascribed to a single researcher. CRISPR is no different – and ongoing patent fights underscore how messy research can be.

Marc Zimmer, Professor of Chemistry, Connecticut College • conversation
Oct. 7, 2020 • ~9 min

The COVID-19 virus can spread through the air – here's what it'll take to detect the airborne particles

Miniaturized laboratory equipment is making it easier to identify airborne pathogens in the field, but there's still work ahead to be able to instantly determine if a room is safe or contaminated.

Shantanu Sur, Associate Professor of Biology, Clarkson University • conversation
Aug. 14, 2020 • ~9 min

Sexism pushed Rosalind Franklin toward the scientific sidelines during her short life, but her work still shines on her 100th birthday

Franklin was born a century ago, and her X-ray crystallography work crucially contributed to determining the structure of DNA.

Richard Gunderman, Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University • conversation
July 20, 2020 • ~8 min

Museums preserve clues that can help scientists predict and analyze future pandemics

Genetic information that could help finger the next infectious threat is stored in museums around the world.

Richard Yanagihara, Professor of Pediatrics and Principal Investigator, Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Research, University of Hawaii • conversation
June 24, 2020 • ~9 min

What needs to go right to get a coronavirus vaccine in 12-18 months

Vaccine development is usually a long process. The coronavirus pandemic is forcing researchers to innovate and test potential vaccines faster than ever before.

Marcos E. García-Ojeda, Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Merced • conversation
May 8, 2020 • ~10 min

Is racism and bigotry in our DNA?

If we are not careful, the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a rise in xenophobic attitudes.

Tom Oliver, Professor of Applied Ecology, University of Reading • conversation
April 2, 2020 • ~16 min

Labs are experimenting with new – but unproven – methods to create a coronavirus vaccine fast

Under pressure to develop a coronavirus vaccine, researchers have turned to protein synthesis, genetics and hybrid viruses. It is likely a mix of these approaches will be used to fight the coronavirus.

Jean Peccoud, Professor, Abell Chair in Synthetic Biology, Colorado State University • conversation
March 26, 2020 • ~10 min

Coronavirus: sequencing the DNA of patients screened for coronavirus might save lives

It might protect thousands of people.

Richard Alan Nichols, Professor of Genetics, Queen Mary University of London • conversation
March 17, 2020 • ~5 min

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