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Biology

Scientists will attempt to edit T cells in cancer patients in the first-ever human trial of CRISPR in the United States.

Trending Today

Editing of Human Genes May Begin by Year’s End in the U.S.

The first-ever trial of CRISPR in the U.S. will test if it’s safe to edit T cells in cancer patients

In this watercolor painting, the Zika virus (in pink) infects a cell (cell membrane and receptors in green, interior in blue). Blood plasma surrounds the viral particles.

Art Meets Science

This Painting Shows What It Might Look Like When Zika Infects a Cell

David S. Goodsell’s watercolor-and-ink artworks use the latest research to illustrate viruses, proteins and more

A male Bombay night frog getting his call on.

The Frog Kamasutra Gains a Chapter, Thanks to Camera-Wielding Biologists

One newly described sexual position for frogs could mean one giant leap for frog conservationists

Cool Finds

Extremeophile Worms Discovered Living in Toxic Colorado Cave

Sulphur Cave in Steamboat Springs is home to a new species of blood-red worm capable of living in a cave full of hydrogen sulfide

A preserved specimen of the Blue Lanternfish with bioluminescent spots. New research shows that the blue lanternfish's glow isn't that unique - among ocean-dwelling fish, four out of five are bioluminescent.

Way More Fish Can Make Their Own Light Than We Thought

Bioluminescence evolved a whopping 27 separate times among finned fishes living in the open ocean

Science Proves Electric Eels Can Leap From Water to Attack

Biologists confirm the curious case of eels striking animals above the water’s surface

One of the olm eggs laid in January 2016.

Trending Today

A Rare Blind Salamander’s Eggs Are Finally Hatching

Biologists have waited with bated breath for months

These comical looking mollusks are common to the Caribbean. Their eyes poke out on stalks from inside large, pink, beautiful shells, and they move along one “step” at a time, with a lift and a flop, leaving tracks behind in the sand.

An Elegant Tool Called Squidpop That Scientists Want to Crowdsource

The device is so easy to use, researchers are asking for a “squidpop blitz” for World Oceans Day

A sketch of a Lycaeides melissa samuelis butterfly.

Art Meets Science

Vladimir Nabokov’s Butterfly Drawings Take Flight in This New Book

A little-known fact: The author of “Lolita” was also an avid lepidopterist

Though necessary for collecting pollen, bumblebees' fuzz may also help detect electric fields.

New Research

Bumblebees Detect a Flower’s Electric Buzz With Their Fuzz

Using the tiny hairs that cover their bodies, bees can tap into the weak electric field in the atmosphere

The scalding solution that pipes from the vents does not boil because of the mass of water pushing down from above.

Journey to the Center of Earth

Scientists Explore Breathtaking Hydrothermal Vents in Virtual Reality

With a high-tech remotely operated vehicle, a team is able to map a dark, hot and toxic vent field on the ocean floor

Dorset Horn sheep are one of eight heritage livestock breeds currently living at SVF. The gene bank currently contains 30 breeds.

For One Day Only, Visit the Farm and Cryogenics Laboratory Trying to Save Endangered Livestock Breeds

Enjoy a farm tour, cryogenics demonstration and a heritage-breed beef burger at Newport, Rhode Island’s Swiss Village Farm

In meerkat society, social rank is determined by size. New research shows that meerkats engage in competitive eating to stay on top.

Welcome to the Meerkat’s World of Competitive Eating

When vying for dominance, meerkats increase their food intake to bulk up and maintain their place on the social pecking order

The Smart Pump by Naya uses a water-based system.

Smart Startup

Could It Be? A Quiet, Comfortable and Bluetooth-Connected Breast Pump

From breast pumps to bottles, the Silicon Valley startup Naya Health is making smarter products for parents and infants

Scarlet tanager

New Research

Where Red Birds Get Their Vibrant Hues

Two studies identify the same gene that makes red birds crimson—and perhaps helps them shed toxins, too

Cool Finds

How Forensic Scientists Once Tried to “See” a Dead Person’s Last Sight

Scientists once believed that the dead’s last sight could be resolved from their extracted eyeballs

Entomologist Justin O. Schmidt holds the notorious tarantula hawk, one of the only creatures to rate a 4 on his pain index.

This Guy Got Himself Stung 1,000 Times For Science—Here’s What He Learned

A new book reveals what it’s like to be stung by nearly 100 species of insect, and some of the secrets of things that sting

New Research

‘Sleeping’ Birch Trees Rest Their Branches at Night

Using laser scans of trees in Finland and Austria, researchers tracked interesting arboreal behavior

New Research

New Report Says Genetically Engineered Crops Are Safe—But It’s Complicated

The National Academies of Science looked at over 900 studies on GMOs. Here are the five things you need to know

Environmental cues mosquitoes to swarm inside a lab.

The Next Pandemic

Kill All the Mosquitoes?!

New gene-editing technology gives scientists the ability to wipe out the carriers of malaria and the Zika virus. But should they use it?

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