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CRISPR gets the glory in landmark approval, but haemoglobin research made it possible
With the UK’s approval of Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics’ exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy) for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia in November, expectations are high that the FDA will soon follow suit with their first green light for a gene-editing modality. But while the CRISPR–Cas9 editor that exa-cel uses is getting much of the credit, the therapy…
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Sexism in academia is bad for science and a waste of public funding
Higher education and research institutions are critical to the well-being and success of societies, meaning their financial support is strongly in the public interest. At the same time, value-for-money principles demand that such investment delivers. Unfortunately, these principles are currently violated by one of the biggest sources of public funding inefficiency: sexism. Before she helped…
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Anopheles gambiae on remote islands in the Indian Ocean: origins and prospects for malaria elimination by genetic modification of extant populations
Abstract The mosquito Anopheles gambiae s.s. is a primary malaria vector throughout sub-Saharan Africa including the islands of the Comoros archipelago (Anjouan, Grande Comore, Mayotte and Mohéli). These islands are located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in eastern Africa. Previous studies have shown a relatively high degree of genetic isolation between the…
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Psychological distress as a systemic economic risk in the USA
Abstract During the first two decades of the twenty-first century, the USA experienced a crisis of increasing psychological distress that was associated with rising morbidity and mortality, especially among young people. The increasing distress probably arose from changing economic, social, technological and political conditions that, unabated, may continue to progress in coming years. The increasing…
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High-throughput identification and quantification of bacterial cells in the microbiota based on 16S rRNA sequencing with single-base accuracy using BarBIQ
Abstract Bacteria often function as a community, called the microbiota, consisting of many different bacterial species. The accurate identification of bacterial types and the simultaneous quantification of the cells of each bacterial type will advance our understanding of microbiota; however, this cannot be performed by conventional 16S rRNA sequencing methods as they only identify and…
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Chemistry is inaccessible: how to reduce barriers for disabled scientists
Having a disability hinders someone’s chances of being a chemist. Statistics are rare, but speak for themselves. For example, an estimated 22% of the UK population declared a disability in 2021. Yet among chemists, a survey by the UK Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in 2022 found that only 5% of members and none of…
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Putting low-cost diagnostics to the test
Rapid diagnostic tests for malaria have an important role in areas with limited access to health care.Credit: Sadak Souici/Le Pictorium/Alamy Nobody enjoys twirling a swab up their nose to test for COVID-19, but many people had cause to be grateful for at-home diagnostic tests during the height of the pandemic. Users could learn in 15…
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What’s behind China’s mysterious wave of childhood pneumonia?
Credit: Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty China is grappling with a surge in respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia, in children. The World Health Organization (WHO) said last week that common winter infections — rather than any new pathogens — are behind the spike in hospitalizations. A surge of infections was expected in the country this winter, China’s first…
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Sexism in academia is bad for science and a waste of public funding
Higher education and research institutions are critical to the well-being and success of societies, meaning their financial support is strongly in the public interest. At the same time, value-for-money principles demand that such investment delivers. Unfortunately, these principles are currently violated by one of the biggest sources of public funding inefficiency: sexism. Before she helped…
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Modeling walking accessibility to urban parks using Google Maps crowdsourcing database in the high-density urban environments of Hong Kong
Abstract Accessing urban parks is important for promoting physical activities and improving public health. In this study, we propose the use of Google Maps crowdsourcing data and the incorporation of park attractiveness to model urban park accessibility in the complex urban environments of Hong Kong. The difference between using geometric and route distance, the effect…