Public Health
Which COVID Studies Pose a Biohazard?
Controversy surrounding a study that involved modifying SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, has prompted researchers to call for better guidance from funders
Stories by Ewen Callaway
Anthropology
First Known Neandertal Family Discovered in Siberian Cave
Ancient DNA from closely related individuals offers fresh insight into Neanderthals’ lives and social structures
Archaeology
How Humans’ Ability to Digest Milk Evolved from Famine and Disease
A landmark study is the first major effort to quantify how lactose tolerance developed
Animals
From Great Dane to Tiny Terrier, a Mutation Creates Enormous Variation in Dog Sizes
A genetic change that evolved from ancient wolves can help make dogs giant or small
Vaccines
Omicron Is Likely to Weaken COVID Vaccine Protection—but Boosters Could Restore It
The rapid spread of new variants such as Omicron offers clues to how SARS-CoV-2 is adapting and how the pandemic will play out over the next several months
Public Health
COVID Variants Hint at How the Virus Will Evolve
The rapid spread of new variants such as Omicron offers clues to how SARS-CoV-2 is adapting and how the pandemic will play out over the next several months
Epidemiology
Heavily Mutated Omicron Variant Puts Scientists on Alert
Researchers are racing to determine whether a fast-spreading coronavirus variant poses a threat to COVID vaccines’ effectiveness
Health
Deleted Coronavirus Genome Sequences Trigger Scientific Intrigue
Partial SARS-CoV-2 sequences from early outbreaks in Wuhan were removed from a U.S. government database by the scientists who deposited them
Medicine
Mix-and-Match COVID Vaccines Trigger Potent Immune Response
Preliminary results from a trial of more than 600 people are the first to show the benefits of combining different vaccines
Public Health
Could New COVID Variants Undermine Vaccines? Labs Scramble to Find Out
Researchers race to determine why variants identified in Britain and South Africa spread so quickly and whether they’ll compromise vaccines
Computing
DeepMind’s AI Makes Gigantic Leap in Solving Protein Structures
Google’s deep-learning program for determining the 3-D shapes of proteins stands to transform biology, scientists say
Medicine
COVID Vaccine Excitement Builds as Moderna Reports Positive Result
Preliminary data show that the immunization is 94 percent effective and seems to prevent severe infections
Medicine
Human Challenge Trials Will Deliberately Infect Dozens in the U.K.
Proponents of the trials say they can be run safely and help to identify effective vaccines, but others have questioned their value
Public Health
Russia’s Fast-Track Coronavirus Vaccine Draws Outrage over Safety
The immunization could be dangerous because it hasn’t been tested in large trials, researchers say
Medicine
Coronavirus Vaccine Trials Have Delivered Their First Results—but Their Promise Is Still Unclear
Scientists urge caution over hints of success emerging from small human and animal studies
Medicine
Hundreds of People Volunteer to Be Infected with Coronavirus
Support grows for a controversial ‘human challenge’ vaccine study—but no trial is yet planned
Medicine
Coronavirus Vaccines: Five Key Questions as Trials Begin
Some experts warn that accelerated testing will involve risky trade-offs
Public Health
Some Scientists Skeptical about Snakes Spreading New Virus in China
A genetic analysis suggests a reptilian reservoir, but researchers doubt the coronavirus could have originated in animals other than birds or mammals
Computing
Supercomputer Scours Fossil Record for Earth’s Hidden Extinctions
Paleontologists have charted 300 million years of Earth’s history in breathtaking detail
Fitness
C-Section Babies Are Missing Key Microbes
A U.K. study provides the best evidence yet that the way infants are born can alter their microbiome—but the health effects are unclear
