Innovations in Basic Research
Q: You also mention that cone snails have secrets to teach us.
A: There may be 700 different species of cone snails, and each one is thought to make at least 100, maybe even 200, extremely potent toxins to paralyze prey. A synthetic derivative of one toxin is now on the market, a painkiller called Prialt. It’s thought to be at least 1,000 times more potent than morphine, and it doesn’t seem to cause addiction or tolerance.
A Matter of Taste
Science is unraveling the biological factors that determine food preferences. Next: making people like what’s good for them.
The Genome’s Dark Matter
From architecture to function, the ENCODE project's researchers are filling in the gaps in our understanding of human genetics.
The Timekeepers Within
Clock genes keep circadian rhythms in sync, coordinating cells’ essential work and possibly enhancing well-timed therapies.
Could It Taste as Sweet?
New compounds that realign perceptions of sweetness and bitterness are nearing the marketplace.
Turns for the Worse
Understanding circadian rhythms may help doctors time treatments for optimum effect.
Placenta: The Shape of Things to Come
Could unusual configurations forecast health problems?
Organ of Change
Though routinely discarded, the placenta has a rich story to tell, full of information about fetal development and future health.
The Missing Piece
Rare, elusive stem cells could explain why cancer is so difficult to cure—if they even exist.
Glia’s Hidden Talents
Each discovery adds to the sense that these long-ignored cells matter—for brain development, learning, memory and more.
In 1966, the anaesthetist-in-chief of Massachusetts General Hospital published a paper that would yield greater protection for clinical trial subjects.
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incidentalome [in(t)-sə-'den-təl-ōm] n: a neologism that denotes incidental findings in genetic tests and, according to the term’s originator, “threatens to undermine the promise of molecular medicine.”
