Nicole Wetsman
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Pumping Breast Milk Changes Its Microbiome
Until relatively recently, most researchers thought that breast milk was sterile. But it turns out that, like most other body parts and fluids, it’s teeming with bacteria. The composition of its microbiome varies based on a number of factors — including whether the milk was pumped, or fed to an infant directly from the breast,…
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Young Blood Protects Old Rat Livers From Injury
Despite the current Silicon Valley hype, infusing yourself with the blood of a 16-year-old is probably not going to make you live longer and fix all that ails you. It’s also likely dangerous, because while blood transfusions are necessary for the sick and injured, they also come with side effects.
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Meet The ‘Halloween Genes’: Spook, Shadow, And Shade
Scientists who study Drosophila, the humble fruit fly, like to have some fun when naming newly identified genes and proteins. There’s the hangover gene (which is key for alcohol tolerance).
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The Difference Between Power And Endurance Athletes Is In Their Blood
The shelves of drug-testing laboratories in dozens of countries are stocked with biological samples from the best athletes in the world, who deliver blood and urine for investigators to test for banned performance-enhancing substances. They’re a veritable gold mine for scientists looking to figure out what, exactly, makes an athlete at the highest level tick.