Stories by David Biello

Data secrecy clouds judgments of lethal injection

Scientists successfully transfer the entire genetic code of one germ to another, bringing them a step closer to synthesizing life

A new tool allows scientists to map the changes in human intestinal bacteria over time in the precious first year of life

A Neandertal, mammoth and cave bear wandered into a lab and, in the process, revealed how it might be possible to reconstruct their entire genetic makeup

Which tributary counts as the headwaters will determine whether the Amazon or the Nile is the longest river in the world

Scientists found that culling older, larger prey fish can lead to more small fish for predators to dine on, even though the overall number of prey decline

A new process can turn plants into energy-dense fuel by combining the power of fermentation and chemical reactions

Winter ends in the Arctic earlier than a decade ago

A new process may allow plants to become the root of chemicals, plastics and fuels rather than oil

Arctic plants have retreated and advanced in their colonization of fertile regions with great speed and over vast distances as the climate changes

It may or may not have had feathers but it certainly had a toothless beak—and stood more than 16 feet tall

A new study of 13,000 children from infancy to age seven links early use of antibiotics to respiratory ills

Cholera toxin implanted in rice provokes strong immunity in mice while surviving the rigors of acid digestion

Smut is a bigger problem than greenhouse gases in polar meltdown

Are crops genetically altered to resist insects really better for the environment?

Researchers uncover gene mutations that contribute to disease by screening the genomes of thousands of healthy and ill people

Global warming could speed the time it takes Earth to rotate completely on its axis

As global temperatures have risen over the past 20 years, satellite data reveals that global rainfall has also increased—and the trend may continue as the climate changes

Theoretical biologists demonstrate how an aggressive personality might make evolutionary sense

European scientists create a synthetic ecosystem based on communication between cells of different organisms—and potentially a way to safely manufacture cell-killing medicines

Changes to agricultural practice and forestry management could cut greenhouse gas emissions, buying time to develop alternative technologies

Crops genetically altered to resist herbicides have become so prevalent that resistant weeds are beginning to appear, necessitating new forms of genetic modification

Apparently, but only if they contain melanin, the chemical that serves as skin pigment in humans

Wild cousins have provided the genes to boost nutrition in domesticated potatoes and other crops, but they face trouble as the climate changes