Science journalist
Recent Stories
Silver makes antibiotics thousands of times more effective
Ancient antimicrobial treatment could help to solve modern bacterial resistance. Like werewolves and vampires, bacteria have a weakness: silver. The precious metal has been used to…
Making the most of muscle oxygen
Animals have evolved a variety of ways to get oxygen under extreme conditions. Oxygen is vital for life, and animals have developed various ways to ensure…
Refurbished Alvin submersible returns to sea
After a two-year, $41 million upgrade, the venerable Alvin submersible is about to return to sea. On 25 May, the research ship Atlantis will leave the Woods Hole Oceanographic…
Heavy sleepers
A growing body of evidence shows that getting a good night’s sleep plays an important role in regulating the body’s metabolism. Burning the midnight oil can…
Gut microbe may fight obesity and diabetes
Bacterium helps to regulate metabolism in mice. The gut is home to innumerable different bacteria — a complex ecosystem that has an active role in a…
Seafood diet killing Arctic foxes on Russian island
Mercury pollution in marine animals may be behind a population crash. An isolated population of Arctic foxes that dines only on marine animals seems to be…