Welcome To Science in the News a Graduate Student Group at Harvard GSAS.
Deep Dives into Topics that Matter
Our contributing authors present well researched articles on scientific topics that matter. From recent advancements to science that’s becoming buzzworthy, these deep dives help explain, simplify, and inform.
Suzetrigine and the Shift Toward Non-Opioid Pain Management
The recently-approved new pain drug suzetrigine shows potential as an alternative to opioids that can relieve pain without unwanted effects in the brain.
Cancers May Spread, But They Don’t Forget Where Home Is
Researchers have spent decades studying how cancer cells adapt and evolve to survive in new environments. Yet, one question remains largely unexplored: Once a cancer cell has settled in a new organ, does it change? Or does it still behave like it belongs…
Have a Fast Metabolism? Decades-Long Study Shows Future Generations May Not
Is having a “fast metabolism” a fixed characteristic? Or is it something that you can change?
Want to slow down aging? Try these lifestyle habits
New research reveals how simple changes in your routine might slow aging from the inside out.
Pregnancy Causes Astonishing Brain Changes – Why haven’t we noticed this before?
Pregnancy changes more than the body—it reshapes the brain in surprising, lasting ways.
Adipokine Balance: How fat coordinates metabolism
Why can losing weight be so challenging? How does obesity contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes?
Who Isn’t Psyched? The Risks That Psychedelics and Marijuana Pose for Substance Induced Psychosis
Psychedelics are gaining attention for their therapeutic potential, but concerns about substance-induced psychosis remain.
Why Comb Jellies Don’t Crack Under Pressure
At the deepest point of the ocean, the pressure of 36,200 feet of seawater is greater than the weight of an elephant on every square inch of your body. How could life possibly survive down there? Learn about the unique biology of comb jellies here!
Cloak and Cure: Disguising Nanoparticles as Immune Allies
Imagine if medication could travel directly to the source of your illness and unpleasant side effects could be a thing of the past? This is the intriguing promise of nanoparticles!
Quick Dives into Recent News
Our wonderful short-form writers dive into recent news articles, scientific reports, and more in these quick-to-read explainers!
Fit Dads Make Fit Kids—But Maybe Not in the Way You’d Think
Physical fitness can be passed from fathers to offspring through microRNAs found in sperm.
Building and burning: how synthesizing and catabolizing fats may be keeping you warm
Scientists discover a new mechanism for how fat generates heat by building and breaking fats down in peroxisomes.
Bat Brains and Island Maps: Nature’s Built-in Compass
Studying bats as they flew around an island, neuroscientists found that specialized brain cells create a stable compass to quickly map out new environments.
Healthcare improvements in rural Madagascar
A group of researchers, including the Prime Minister of Madagascar, completed data collection over 10 years showing that implementation of a health system strengthening initiative improves patient outcomes.
Tracing Mosquito Evolution: Uncovering the Genetics of Disease Spread
New genetic research shows that mosquitoes have evolved and moved across the globe, picking up new tricks to spread dangerous diseases such as dengue fever along the way.
A microbial chocolate factory
Scientists define the chemical and biological processes underlying cocoa bean fermentation in chocolate production.
Does keeping cool keep you young? How climate change affects aging.
Recent study identifies that heat waves pose a similar threat to public health as smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol.
A Team of Robots Designed to Explore Space Caves
Scientists have designed robots to autonomously map underground tunnels, with the eventual goal of sending these cave-explorers to other planets.
A new nickel-based superconductor exhibits high-quality, high-temperature superconductivity
A new material in a high-temperature, nickel-based superconductor family has been successfully made.
Our own gut microbes may hold the key to removing harmful pollutants from our body
Researchers show that microbes in our guts can accumulate and help remove ingested pollutants
Education itself at the root of the math gender gap
A massive study reveals four months after starting school, the gender gap in math appears
Meet the Solar-Powered Sea Slug that Performs “Animal Photosynthesis”
Scientists discover that a species of sea slug eats algae and repurposes the chloroplasts to perform photosynthesis in its own body.
Vitamin D supplementation improves a biomarker of aging, but will it make you live longer?
Clinical trial shows that vitamin D supplementation improves one marker of aging
Using Brain Cubes to create a Mitochondrial Map
Scientists reconstructed a map showing the distribution of mitochondria, the main energy provider of human cells, in the brain.
Microplastics have probably been around longer than you
Plastics found incorporated into freshwater fly casings place significant microplastic contamination as early as the ‘70s.
First steps to a comprehensive map of the mouse brain
By combining multiple techniques, scientists generate the most accurate model of brain activity to date
Bacteria as a growth supplement for plants
Scientists show that bacteria may promote leaf growth, possibly by repressing leaf immune defense.
Universal genetic testing efficiently diagnoses hospitalized infants and ends racial disparities
A new study shows that universal genetic testing for infants in intensive care provides a five-fold increase in genetic diagnoses and eliminates racial disparities
Neutrophils to the rescue part II
Scientists have discovered that neutrophils take on a new role in producing matrices to protect the skin, especially during wound healing.
Scientists discover that electrons flow around holes like water around stones
Introducing micrometer-size holes in a thin layer of graphene induces hydrodynamic flow of electrons in a new study
