Scientists from the U.S. and Germany have assembled the first pages of a comprehensive encyclopedia of genomes of all the microbes on the planet. The …
Category: Biomedical research
First U.S. heart transplant among the top 50 breakthroughs in science
In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing is compiling a list of the top 50 discoveries in science, …
The biology of music
Maggie Koerth-Baker has an interesting entry on Boing Boing today on the biology of music and why humans like specific groups of tones. Her post …
Brain implant designed for patients with difficult-to-treat epilepsy
MIT's Technology Review has taken a look at a brain implant designed by Mountain View-based Neuropace to prevent the onset of seizures using electrical stimulation. …
UCSD to begin studying brain of famous amnesiac
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego are beginning today to examine the brain of H.M., an amnesic patient who was studied for decades …
Study on fruit flies offers new insights into ADHD
Evidence of a primitive emotion-like behavior in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has been uncovered by researchers at the California Technical Institute, according to a …
Brain scan used in court in potential fMRI first
In what may be a first, fMRI scans of a defendant's brain activity have been used as evidence in the sentencing phase of an Illinois …
Book of beautiful specimens illustrates evolution
Before Darwin was a writer, he was a natural historian and collector aboard a ship launched from England to chart the coast of South America. …
The University of Nebraska may restrict human embryonic stem cell research
Come Friday, some researchers might take issue with Nebraska's cheerful welcome sign. The New York Times reported today that the University of Nebraska is considering …
Tick saliva found to protect mice against Lyme disease
A protein found in the saliva of ticks may spur the development of a new Lyme disease vaccine. Details of the study led by scientists …
New network to connect studies with volunteers
A new networking service called ResearchMatch has launched with the express goal of connecting volunteers with research studies. Stanford's School of Medicine is one of …
How Stanford scanned a 2,500-year-old mummy
Our videographer Todd Holland just put the finishing touches on his video chronicling the scanning of a 2,500-year-old mummy named Irethorrou. The video shows how …
New burn treatment offered as an alternative to skin grafts
The MIT Technology Review has an interesting story on a new treatment for second-degree burns. According to the article: After removing a small swatch of …
Scans of a Lego MRI set
Over the weekend I noticed this great photo set on Flickr containing scans of a Lego MRI system. Apparently the Lego set was built as …
Your own unique microbial cachet?
For every human cell in your body, there are ten bacterial cells living on or in it. So it's an open question whether "you" are …
Can behavioral changes in virtual spaces affect material world habits?
Here's an intriguing idea: Exorcising unhealthy habits in a virtual world could translate into results in the physical world. A recent anti-smoking study tested this …