Nov 7th, 2008 · Eighty-four teams of students from 21 countries are gathering at MIT to compete in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. The teams have been working since the summer to construct biological machine systems — and operate them within living cells.
Aug 23rd, 2008 · One more Bigfoot hoax went down in history this week. But Jeffrey Meldrum, a professor of anatomy and biological sciences at Idaho State University, says strange tracks are part of a growing body of evidence that something may be out there.
Aug 18th, 2008 · Every year, more families are undergoing "open adoptions," meaning children remain in contact with their birth mothers after joining their new families. Findings published in the Journal of Family Psychology this month confirm that open adoptions are changing the definition of "family" for adoptees and their loved ones.
Aug 5th, 2008 · Since the 2001 anthrax attacks, the federal government has spent more than $50 billion to improve the nation's ability to respond to a biological attack. But experts warn that systems set up to detect a bioterrorism attack are slow and not comprehensive. And if an attack were detected, there would be major challenges to an already overloaded public health care system to distribute proper medications and treat victims.
Aug 1st, 2008 · Once used as a breeding ground for biological weapons, Fort Detrick, Md., now focuses its efforts on defending against biological threats. Bruce Ivins, who died of an apparent suicide Tuesday, worked at the institute and helped to investigate the 2001 anthrax attacks.
Jul 25th, 2008 · Researchers report that they've been able to use tobacco plants as biological factories to manufacture specialized proteins needed for an experimental individualized cancer therapy. The researchers are studying a potentially fatal form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Jun 16th, 2008 · Same-sex couples are helping researchers understand heterosexual relationships. A researcher explains new findings on how same-sex couples define gender roles in their relationships, and whether gender roles are linked to biological sex.
Jun 8th, 2008 · Author Dan Buettner's new book The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest identifies parts of the world where pockets of people tend to live longer than the rest of us.