An engineered antibody could be a potent non-hormonal contraceptive for women, ensnaring sperm and inactivating them before they can fertilise the egg. The antibody was developed from a natural one discovered in an immune-infertile woman by a Japanese group in the 1980s. The engineered antibody was produced in tobacco plants and has six fragment-antigen binding […]

Ultra-short-period planets are small, compact worlds that whip around their stars at close range, completing an orbit — and a single, scorching year — in less than 24 hours. How these planets came to be in such extreme configurations is one of the continuing mysteries of exoplanetary science. Now, astronomers have discovered an ultra-short-period planet […]

A common strategy to make vaccines more powerful is to deliver them along with an adjuvant — a compound that stimulates the immune system to produce a stronger response. Researchers from MIT, the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and other institutions have now designed a new nanoparticle adjuvant that may be more potent than others […]

Ivermectin is an effective treatment for hookworm in the endangered Australian sea lion, University of Sydney research has found. Hookworm infection contributes to up to 40 per cent of pup deaths. In December last year, the species was reclassified as ‘endangered’ due to a 64 percent reduction in offspring over three generations. With fewer than 10,000 of these Australian-native […]

Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have identified unique molecular signals in the body that could hold the key to developing a supplement capable of administering the health benefits of exercise to patients incapable of physical activity. The molecular messages are sent to our brain and potentially our eyes immediately after we exercise. The ANU team is conducting research to better understand what impact these molecular messages have on retinal health, […]

Belief in climate change among Florida Republicans has climbed to nearly 9 out of 10 adults, apparently trending upwards, according to a new analysis of five sequenced surveys since 2019 conducted by researchers at Florida Atlantic University. The climate change issue may therefore no longer be an effective campaign trail theme for the state’s party leaders […]

As cannabis is legalized in more areas, it has become increasingly popular as a medicinal and recreational drug. This plant produces a pungent, skunk-like odor that is pleasing to some but repulsive to others. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Omega have discovered a new family of prenylated volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) that give cannabis its characteristic skunky […]

In the first MRI-based study to investigate pre-natal alcohol exposure, researchers found significant changes in the brain structure of fetuses exposed to alcohol compared to healthy controls. Results of the study are being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). “Fetal alcohol syndrome is a worldwide problem in […]

Act now to ensure animal welfare is at the heart of plans to introduce genome editing into farmed animal breeding, says independent ethics body. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is calling on the Government to put animal welfare at the heart of plans to approve new breeding technologies in farming and food production, in a […]

Around a third of first year university students have or develop moderate to severe anxiety and/or depression, suggests the first study of its kind, published in the open access journal BMJ Open. Increasing use of prescription (but not prescribed) and illicit drug use among those without mental health issues at the start of their course is […]