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
Stories by Nature magazine
The U.S. Opioid Epidemic Is Driving a Spike in Infectious Diseases
Researchers around the country are scrambling to understand these outbreaks, but lack solid data on case numbers
Japan Approves First Human-Animal Embryo Experiments
The research could eventually lead to new sources of organs for transplant, but ethical and technical hurdles need to be overcome
Scientists Are Concerned over U.S. Environmental Agency’s Plan to Limit Animal Research
Critics say the shift away from using animals in safety tests will hamper chemical research and regulations
Giant “Bubbles” Spotted around the Milky Way’s Black Hole
First major result from South Africa’s pioneering MeerKAT radio telescope reveals remnants of energetic explosions at the galaxy’s center
Immune-Cell Pioneers Win Prestigious Lasker Medical Award
The prizes honored the discoverers of B and T cells, the inventors of a breast cancer treatment, and a vaccination NGO
First Ever Picture of a Black Hole Scoops $3-Million Prize
The Event Horizon Telescope team is one of six winners of the Breakthrough Prize, which covers physics, the life sciences and mathematics
What the Data Say about Police Shootings
How do racial biases play into deadly encounters with the police? Researchers wrestle with incomplete data to reach answers
Rare 3.8-Million-Year-Old Skull Recasts Origins of Iconic “Lucy” Fossil
An ancient cranium discovered in Ethiopia suggests the early hominin evolutionary tree is messier than we thought
Will China Overtake the U.S. in Artificial Intelligence Research?
The nation wants to make its AI industry dominant by 2030
Gene Editing Transforms Gel into Shape-Shifting Smart Material
The CRISPR technique can trigger the new material to release drugs or pick up biological signals
Alarm as Devastating Banana Fungus Reaches the Americas
The region produces most of the world’s banana exports—and the fungus affects the most popular commercial variety
Trials Test if C-section Babies Benefit from Mom’s Microbes
Swabbing infants with mothers’ vaginal bacteria could affect the children’s health, but critics warn of sparse data and high risk
Treatment for Extreme Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Wins U.S. Government Approval
The three-drug regimen cures 90 percent of people who have the deadliest form of the disease
Astronomers Are Closer to Cracking the Mystery of Fast Radio Bursts
Canadian telescope finds eight more repeating blasts—energetic events from deep in the cosmos
Does Psychology Have a Conflict-of-Interest Problem?
Some star psychologists don’t disclose in research papers the large sums they earn for talking about their work. Is that a concern?
Two Ebola Drugs Show Promise amid Ongoing Outbreak
People who receive either therapy soon after infection have a 90 percent survival rate, a clinical trial finds
How a Revolutionary Technique Got People with Spinal-Cord Injuries Back on Their Feet
Electrical stimulation has promised huge gains for people with paralysis. Now comes the hard part—getting beyond those first steps
How a Data Detective Exposed Suspicious Medical Trials
Anaesthetist John Carlisle has spotted problems in hundreds of research papers—and spurred a leading medical journal to change its practice
Populist President Sparks Unprecedented Crisis for Brazilian Science
Tensions are rising as Jair Bolsonaro’s administration questions the work of government scientists and institutes debilitating cuts to research funding
