A decade ago, scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health used ferrets to engineer a highly lethal flu virus. The purpose of the research — known as “gain of function” — was to better ...

Trump signed an executive order banning federal funds for ‘gain of function’ research abroad The research alters viruses to increase transmissibility or severity in the name of preparedness Scientists ...

On May 5, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order with the seemingly benign title, “Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research.” A more accurate title would have been, ...

An often-ignored type of cell in the brain plays a dynamic and surprisingly complex role in our ability to process information, according to new research. An often-ignored type of cell in the brain ...

The microbiology toolbox includes techniques to induce mutations in viruses that give the microbes new powers. Scientists perform these manipulations for many reasons, including wanting to understand ...

The science of ultimate human performance has a bad name–literally. “Flow” is the term used by researchers for optimal states of consciousness, those peak moments of total absorption where self ...

Sometimes the best way to get into a healthy habit is to read about it. These eight book recommendations are rooted in ...

In patients with chronic kidney disease, the loss of podocytes—part of the kidney's glomerular filtration barrier—causes irreversible disease progression. So far, physicians and researchers have found ...