Research News

In this file photo, a professor holds a tray of stem cells at the University of Connecticut. The NIH plans to lift a moratorium on funding studies using human stem cells in animal embryos.

The Chimera Quandary: Is It Ethical To Create Hybrid Embryos?

8:26am August 08, 2016

by NPR Staff

The National Institutes of Health proposed lifting its moratorium on funding for research on part-animal, part-human embryos — which raises a huge dilemma, says bioethicist Insoo Hyun.

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The nutrient-rich milk crystals of the Pacific beetle cockroach are prettier than they sound.

Cockroach Milk: Yes. You Read That Right

1:08pm August 06, 2016

Turns out, cockroach milk is among the most nutritious substances on Earth. But it may still be a while before you can scurry to health stores for roach-milk protein shakes.

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Newly published research explains why young sunflowers turn to face the sun as it moves across the sky.

Science

The Mystery Of Why Sunflowers Turn To Follow The Sun — Solved

6:04pm August 05, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Scientists have answered a burning question central to the charm of sunflowers: Why do young flowers move their blooms to always face the sun over the course of a day?

(Left) Eleven elemental maps providing an overview of the construction of the painting. (Right) Detail of zinc map.

Science
Arts

X-Rays Reveal Hidden Portrait Under Painting By Edgar Degas

2:20pm August 05, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

A team of researchers in Australia used a special mapping technique to expose a striking painting of another woman under the French Impressionist's Portrait of a Woman.

Even when results from studies involving children are available, they frequently aren't published in medical journals.

Medical Studies Involving Children Often Go Unpublished

6:28pm August 04, 2016

by Richard Harris

An analysis of pediatric clinical trials found that the results of almost a third of studies that were finished weren't published in medical journals. The lapses raise scientific and ethical concerns.

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Pablo Ross of the University of California, Davis, inserts human stem cells into a pig embryo as part of experiments to create chimeric embryos.

NIH Plans To Lift Ban On Research Funds For Part-Human, Part-Animal Embryos

6:28pm August 04, 2016

by Rob Stein

The National Institutes of Health is proposing to fund experiments that create chimeras of human and animal cells while also imposing restrictions in response to ethical concerns.

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Science

NIH Plans To End Moratorium On Funding Controversial Chimera Research

5:00pm August 04, 2016

The National Institutes of Health is proposing to permit funding for the controversial experiments, which involve scientists using human stem cells to create embryos that are part human, part animal.

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Garden centipede (Lithobius forficatus), Lithobiidae, German cockroach (Blattela germanica), Blatellidae, Garden tiger moth (Arctia caja). Artwork by Dale Edna Evans.

Mo' Money, Mo' Bug Problems: Wealthier Homes Are Rich In Insects Too

5:27pm August 03, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Looking for a healthy variety of bugs? You might want to try searching in your wealthiest friend's house. Neighborhood income is a good predictor of the number of kinds of bugs in homes.

In 23 states and Washington, D.C., the nighttime driving restriction for unsupervised teens begins at midnight or later.

Most Nighttime Crashes With Teen Drivers Happen Before Midnight

4:28pm August 03, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Nighttime driving restrictions on teens may save lives, a study finds, but should probably be shifted to include late evening. A third of all fatal crashes with teen drivers happen after dark.

Vanessa Gomez (left) with her son Ezra, 2, and her friend Cristy Fernandez with her 9-month-old-son River, in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami. At least 14 people likely caught Zika from mosquitoes in the neighborhood, health officials say. Gomez calls t

With Zika in Miami, What Should Pregnant Women Across The U.S. Do?

8:38pm August 01, 2016

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Federal health officials are cautioning pregnant travelers to avoid a Miami neighborhood where at least 14 cases of Zika have been traced to local mosquitoes. What about the rest of Florida?