You’ve just welcomed your baby into the world, but instead of joy, you’re consumed by fear. Your child begins to have seizures—frequent, unexplained, and severe. The hospital becomes your second home, and the doctors don’t know why. Years go by before the truth is finally uncovered: Your child…

Deep within the tropical forests of Costa Rica, a duet of high-pitched chirps ring out. As if they were mid-conversation, these Alston’s singing mice (Scotinomys teguina) call to one another, putting on a concert for the entire forest to hear. The vocal virtuosity of these mice could help…

Anyone who has ever been in New York City has likely heard of or seen these infamous creatures. Widely recognized to “run the city,” rats are everywhere in the Big Apple. Whether they’re scurrying on the subway platform or in an apartment, rats carry a reputation for being…

Among your friends, family, or even co-workers in another department, you likely know someone who has experienced depression—a debilitating, life-changing disorder. But what if something as simple as changing your diet could vastly improve your mental health? It all comes down to your gut-brain axis, the connection between…

The icy snow of the Siberian Arctic seems paused in time. The frozen ground is hard as stone, covered in a pale layer of frost that stretches out in every direction. As you dig through the thick ice, each meter exposes a world that hasn’t seen daylight in…

As millions of diseases inflict irreversible damage to vital organs and tissues, researchers find themselves depending on long-term therapies that can restore function. In particular, stem-cell applications are an emerging new area in research that is becoming increasingly important due to the potential of stem cells to differentiate,…

Could the answer to treating a rare childhood brain disorder be hiding behind some whiskers? Underlying this unlikely connection is a shared genetic malfunction that affects both feline and human brains in strikingly similar ways. Researchers are turning to cats to unravel the mysteries of GM1 gangliosidosis, a…

Every day, beautiful chirps of millions of different bird species can be heard all around the world. However, this beautiful singing is far more than a background melody to your outdoor walk: it may be the key to understanding one of humanity’s biggest mysteries. Through studying birdsong, researchers…

New research reveals that children’s problems with making friends, managing emotions, and self-esteem didn’t just disappear when routines went back to “normal” after the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, these struggles got worse in 2022-2023 for some…

The world is teeming with biological assassins. They lurk everywhere—in secluded forests, homes, and even within your body. Some stalk silently, striking when backs are turned. Others, like viruses, infiltrate and hijack their targets. Their motive is clear: survive and reproduce. Yet, prion diseases, also known as transmissible…