Science

Cancer-killing vaccines could be made drastically more potent, according to scientists at Northwestern University, who say their new technology would arm vaccines with a “powerful weapon with which to kill cancer”. By changing its architecture, their vaccine was able to double the number of T-cells (a type of white blood cell)…

If you’ve ever tried gift-wrapping an odd-shaped present like a teddy bear, you can appreciate the challenge that surgeons face when grafting artificial skin onto an injured body part. Now, bioengineers have devised a way of growing skin in the shape of hands to make it easier for surgeons in the…

A DNA analysis confirmed that the rare and little-known Pallas’ cat lives on the body of Mount Everest—three miles above sea level. The discovery was made along Sagarmatha National Park on Mount Everest’s Southern Flank in Nepal after a month-long expedition collecting environmental samples. Scat recovered from the two separate sites…

In 2020, China was preparing for its second landing on the moon as part of a sample-return mission of lunar regolith. Dramatic belly-cam footage was captured of the lander’s descent and touchdown. It shows the craft approaching the Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms) region of the moon at high speed and…

In the future, millions of artificial dandelion seeds carrying pollen could be dispersed freely by natural winds and then steered by light toward specific areas with trees or flowers awaiting pollination. The genesis for such wild imagination is the recent invention of a polymer-assembly robot that flies by wind, is controlled…

A vaccine for the lethal Marburg virus has shown huge promise in early human trials with all participants easily tolerating the shot, and showing robust antibody responses. Developed by researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) an additional Phase 1 safety trial is set to be performed…

One of the most studied insect repellents in history, DEET has long been the first line of defense against mosquitoes for campers and field scientists alike. Now however, a combination of plant compounds has proved more effective for longer, and less irritative than commerical alternatives like DEET or picaridan. On its…