Life

Health, science, climate, and society-focused reporting.

Briefing: How flexible protein regions retain their function via motifs and chemical context

Strategic angle: A new LMU study shows how proteins function reliably even without a stable 3D structure—and the crucial importance not only of short sequence motifs, but also of chemical characteristics.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Trump EPA moves to repeal regulation of cancer-linked chemical ethylene oxide

Strategic angle: The repeal loosens standards for roughly 90 sterilization facilities that emit the toxic chemical in neighborhoods across the country.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: China is developing low-cost lunar cargo options for its expanding moon program

Strategic angle: A state-owned space contractor has unveiled a concept for an economical lunar cargo transport system as China prepares for construction of a lunar base.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Can plants count? Study suggests they can track the number of events they experience

Strategic angle: A recent study challenges the assumption that only organisms with brains can learn and remember, indicating that plants may have the ability to count.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: How STAT would cover ‘The Fugitive’ if its pharma scandal were real

Strategic angle: It's Oscar season, so we're bringing you a special STATus report on how we'd cover the drug scandal in 'The Fugitive' if it were real.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Geospatial model maps potential lumpy skin disease entry points into Australia

Strategic angle: Two locations have been identified as the most likely entry points into Australia for a disease that poses a huge risk to the beef and dairy industries.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Bacterial strain breaks decades-old bottleneck in chemotherapy drug manufacturing

Strategic angle: An international team of researchers has achieved a breakthrough in the production of doxorubicin, a vital chemotherapy agent.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Comprehensive digital materials ecosystem can perform 'sanity check' to guide design

Strategic angle: Researchers leverage AI tools to streamline material testing in design processes.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: NASA Selects Finalists in Student Aircraft Maintenance Competition

Strategic angle: Eight student teams chosen to tackle critical aviation maintenance challenges.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Ultrasound-based approach to delivering potent drugs into cancer cells shows promise in benchtop experiments

Strategic angle: Engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a technique that uses microbubbles and ultrasound to help relatively large cancer drugs enter tumor cells and cause them to self-destruct.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Scientists confirm existence of molecule long believed to occur in oxidation

Strategic angle: First-ever direct observation of a short-lived molecule reshapes understanding in atmospheric chemistry and biomedical science.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: This isn't just another rocky world orbiting a red dwarf—this one's special

Strategic angle: Astronomers have found an exoplanet that could serve as a benchmark in future studies.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Major changes to cardiovascular guidelines suggest taking statins as young as 30

Strategic angle: Cardiology groups say adults as young as 30 should assess cholesterol risk and consider treatment to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: How an unlikely all-female clonal fish species copied and pasted itself free from extinction

Strategic angle: The tiny Amazon molly has survived for over 100,000 years against evolutionary odds.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: NASA Armstrong to Host Partnership Days April 15-16

Strategic angle: Innovative companies and organizations invited to collaborate at NASA's event.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Inside the light: How invisible electric fields drive device luminescence

Strategic angle: Fleeting electron-hole pairs are giving scientists a new window into optimizing light-emitting devices (LEDs).

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: USBR Crack the Case Challenge

Strategic angle: NASA's Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation promotes crowdsourcing for federal challenges.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: The fish were biting in ancient Alabama: Tooth found embedded in Cretaceous apex predator's neck

Strategic angle: A unique new fossil demonstrates rare evidence of direct conflict between apex predators in the Cretaceous oceans of North America.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings

Strategic angle: From new hires to departures, promotions and transfers, here are the latest comings and goings in the pharmaceutical industry.

Editorial Staff Mar 13

Life

Briefing: Q&A: How climate change and war threaten Iran’s water supplies

Strategic angle: Climate change, war and mismanagement are putting Iran’s water supply under major strain, experts warn.

Editorial Staff Mar 13