Science

Scientists are exploring a new technique, called prime editing, that is more precise than CRISPR and which uses certain enzymes, including reverse transcriptase, to edit DNA.

Scientists Create New, More Powerful Technique To Edit Genes

7:28pm October 21, 2019

by Rob Stein

A new technique, dubbed 'prime editing,' appears to make it even easier to make very precise changes in DNA. It's designed to overcome the limits of the CRISPR gene editing tool.

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A PET scan shows metabolism of sugar in the human brain.

Keeping Your Blood Sugar In Check Could Lower Your Alzheimer's Risk

2:21pm October 21, 2019

by Jon Hamilton

Diabetes can double a person's chances of developing Alzheimer's. Now researchers are beginning to understand the role of brain metabolism in the development of the disease.

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Johnson & Johnson Voluntarily Recalls Baby Powder For Asbestos Contamination

When Fertility Doctors Betray Trust

12:59pm October 21, 2019

A new podcast, 'Sick,' explores dangers in medical spaces that are supposedly safe.

Though complications from the flu can be deadly for people who are especially vulnerable, including pregnant women and their newborns, typically only about half of pregnant women get the needed vaccination, U.S. statistics show.

Get Your Flu Shot Now, Doctors Advise, Especially If You're Pregnant

7:27am October 21, 2019

by Patti Neighmond

Pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease are particularly vulnerable to flu complications yet lag the elderly in getting vaccinated.

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Scientists use a microscope to see if the genetic modification is spreading. Immature modified mosquitoes glow red with yellow eyes when illuminated with a laser.

VIDEO: See A Controversial Swarm Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In A Lab In Italy

11:14am October 20, 2019

by Rob Stein

NPR was the only news organization allowed into the lab to witness the moment the releases began this year. The goal is to create a powerful new weapon in the fight against malaria.

The Paris Zoological Park is home to Physarum polycephalum, better known as "the blob," a unicellular organism capable of learning despite its lack of neurons.

Science

'The Blob,' A Smart Yet Brainless Organism Fit For Sci-Fi, Gets Its Own Exhibit

10:57am October 20, 2019

Is it an animal? A type of fungi? No, it's "the blob." The amorphous "slime mold" may not have a nervous system, but it's the star of a new exhibit at the Paris zoo.

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Earthquake App Provides Early Warnings

7:59am October 20, 2019

MyShake is a new app that provides early earthquake warning to Californians. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to one of the app's developers, Richard Allen, director of the Berkeley Seismological Lab.

Science

Meet The Mysterious Blob At The Paris Zoo

8:08am October 19, 2019

NPR's Scott Simon asks Audrey Dussutour of the French National Center for Scientific Research about a blob on display at the Paris Zoological Park.

Science

Tree Scientist Inspires Next Generation ... Through Barbie

4:24pm October 18, 2019

Nalini Nadkarni was one of the first people to study the canopy — the part of trees just above the forest floor to the top branches. Her discoveries have helped shape our understanding of forests.

A recent study looked at funding rates for R01 grant applications, which are designed to support "health-related research and development based on the mission of the NIH." In general, population-based projects were less likely to be funded than exploratio

What's Behind The Research Funding Gap For Black Scientists?

2:21pm October 18, 2019

by Emily Vaughn

Black scientists more often seek grants for community health studies, but molecular-level research proposals win more funding. More diversity throughout the process could help close the gap, says NIH.