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.
Space: The final frontier
We have mapped nearly every square inch of our planet. But Mars is an entirely new world. What do we need to make living in space possible? Synthetic biology could be the answer.
Reclaiming Lost Frequencies: Integrating the sense of vibration into neuroprosthetics
Scientists continue to work towards restoring the sense of touch for individuals with limb loss via state-of-the-art prosthetics, which are predominantly designed to re-establish sensations of pressure, pain, and position. However, the ability to feel…
From FDA Approval to Global Impact: Why many breakthrough drugs struggle to reach patients
Headlines often make promises of “revolutionizing cancer treatment,” yet many drugs seem to vanish as quickly as they were discovered. Why does it take a decade to bring a single drug from discovery to patients?
Beyond Vaccines: How mRNA could help restore aging immune systems
As we get older, our immune system loses some of its flexibility and firepower, which helps explain why vaccines may not work as well and why it can become harder for the body to keep cancer in check. Imagine if we could reboot an aging immune system the…
Capsaicin and Cancer: What spicy food can teach us about pancreatic cancer
Ever notice how spicy food makes your eyes water, face flush, and heart speed up? That signature heat you feel is not just taste. It’s your nerves, and the compound that causes this sensation can teach us a lot about pancreatic cancer.
Ancient DNA Adds Another Chapter to the Earliest Pandemic Story
Scientists and historians are slowly solving mysteries about the health issues of our human past. Recently, a new tool, ancient DNA sequencing, has unmasked the origins of several ancient diseases, including the bacterium that led to two pandemic plagues.
Food as Medicine: How diet directs organ function
The food we consume dictates which nutrients are available for our organs to burn. Diet is one tool we can use to alter organ function. And in the context of disease, this means food can act as medicine.
Gaining Attention In a Digital Era
On social media, gaining attention is today’s form of capital. But how can one earn and maintain it? Chinese researchers find that the use of emojis and a variety of emotions is far more important than who you are for driving attention.
Small Gene, Big Purr: How a sex hormone receptor gene shapes cat communication
A cat’s purr is a familiar sound to pet owners, but what makes cats purr, and why do some cats do it more than others? A recent study gives scientists new clues to uncover this mystery.
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!
Calcium in the brain controls anxious behavior in mice
A group of researchers revealed calcium signaling in microglia as a cause of anxious behaviors in mice
New advances in energy storage take inspiration from DNA
Scientists leverage the structural reversibility of pyrimidone to reach new limits in heat storage from sunlight.
Turning foes into friends: using viruses to help fight brain cancer
Oncolytic (cancer-killing) viruses can activate the body’s immune system to fight off one of the most devastating forms of brain cancer, assisted by T-cells.
Self replicating genetic material: how the “RNA World” might be life’s origin story
A group of researchers engineered a system where RNA can replicate itself, giving evidence to the “RNA World” theory of the origins of life.
Can evolutionary medicine alleviate age-related disparities in disease outcomes?
Scientists use evolutionary biology to explain age-dependent vulnerability to disease.
Going the extra mile: How your brain builds endurance one neuron at a time
Training in endurance sports alters your heart, lungs, and muscles, but also your brain? Scientists have found ‘endurance neurons’ that allow the brain to play a role in developing endurance fitness.
How cancer cells escape immune attack
A group of researchers revealed how the transfer of the mitochondria from immune to cancer cells allows cancer to escape detection by the immune system.
Breaking Down Pain: How to separate the physical sensation and emotional experience
By removing just the emotional perception of the pain in mice, scientists are opening a new, non-opioid way to treat pain
An office with a view may be the next way to help improve your metabolism
Natural light exposure compared to artificial light exposure during office hours improved the metabolic outcomes in older type 2 diabetics
Avoiding anaphalaxis: A vaccine for allergic reactions
A group of researchers working on an experimental vaccine to prevent severe allergic reactions demonstrated its promise by testing in a mouse model.
The secret tool whales use to avoid cancer for over 200 years
Long-lived bowhead whales employ DNA repair strategies to avoid cancer and live for 200+ years
Bringing biology back into the textile industry
Scientists build toward sustainable textile production by engineering bacteria to synthesize bioinspired material and dyes.
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.
