Research News

The dengue virus has an icosahedral shape, similar to the pattern on a soccer ball. Antibodies stop the virus by binding to its surface.

Dengue Fever Strikes Millions. Now Scientists Hope To Strike Back

11:28am December 17, 2014

by Michaeleen Doucleff

It's called "breakbone fever" because that's how bad you feel when you get it. There's no cure. But scientists have found powerful antibodies that could lead to the development of a simple vaccine.

After a quick swipe and online registration, these test tubes were ready to ship back to the lab at the University of Colorado in Boulder for sequencing and analysis.

To Get To The Bottom Of Your Microbiome, Start With A Swab Of Poo

4:53pm December 16, 2014

by Katherine Harmon Courage

To find helpful patterns in personal microbe populations, scientists also need to gather a long list of information about the people who serve as homes for the microscopic critters.

Would it help you to know that your worries about the flu shot are unfounded? Perhaps not.

Debunking Vaccine Myths Can Have An Unintended Effect

7:35am December 15, 2014

by Tara Haelle

People concerned about potential flu vaccine side effects may be less likely to get the shot after learning that their worries are more misplaced than they were to start with.

Dental students use practice dummies Aug. 27 in a newly renovated section of Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Mich. Health care is one field for which a recent study found that a community college degree produced a strong financial return.

Community College Programs Can Lead To Big Payoffs — In The Right Fields

8:54pm December 11, 2014

by Meghan Walsh

A study tracking grads from Washington state's schools found those who completed programs longer than a year had more pay and steadier work — especially in health care, technology and skilled labor.

Making and taking a hit chest to chest, instead of skull to skull, is easier to remember if you're not wearing a helmet, say University of New Hampshire Wildcat football players.

Football Players Drill Without Helmets To Curb Concussions

7:49pm December 11, 2014

by Jack Rodolico

The idea, according to a scientist at New Hampshire University, is to teach each player "rugby awareness," so he'll be more likely to keep his head out of harm's way. Helmets off, eyes up.

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Mathematician Phillip Adkins (left) and Drew Abbot, a software engineer at AiLive. They were members of the winning team.

A Crowd Of Scientists Finds A Better Way To Predict Seizures

8:12am December 11, 2014

by Jon Hamilton

The winners of an online competition identified electrical patterns in the brain that often precede a seizure. The victors included a mathematician and an engineer, but no doctor.

When the wrong cells take over, scientists' experiments can be derailed.

Scientists Often Skip A Simple Test That Could Verify Their Work

5:34pm December 10, 2014

by Richard Harris

Scientists have published thousands of studies using immortal cell lines, but in many cases the cells in the experiments have been misidentified or contaminated. The problem could be avoided easily.

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Rotten, fermented fruit has some nutritional value, and may have looked pretty good to our hungry ancient ancestors. Evolving the ability to metabolize the alcohol in fermented fruit may have helped us adapt to a changing climate 10 million years ago, res

Science

Our Ability To Digest Alcohol May Have Been Key To Our Survival

10:51am December 05, 2014

by Eliza Barclay

Our primate ancestors could consume alcohol 10 million years ago in the form of fermented fruit, researchers have discovered. The finding suggests that our relationship with alcohol is ancient.

HIV is like a jack-in-the-box: When it binds to a cell, its shell (yellow) pops open, and its genetic material (reds) comes out.

Is HIV Evolving Into A Weaker Virus?

3:05pm December 04, 2014

by Michaeleen Doucleff

In parts of southern Africa, HIV has picked up mutations that slow down its ability to grow inside a person's blood. That's a good sign. But will it be enough to make a difference in the epidemic?

Do you want to go to the park? Mango Doucleff, of San Francisco, responds to her favorite command by perking up her ears and tilting her head.

How Dogs Understand What We Say

11:42am December 01, 2014

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Dogs pay close attention to the emotion in our voices, but what about the meaning of words? A clever experiment with 250 canines shows that dogs understand more of our speech than previously thought.

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