Science Matters!

The mission of Science Matters is to bring you great news in biomedical research in a way that you can appreciate and understand.

Allergens in the Spotlight

Allergens in the Spotlight

Have you ever wondered what happens after you flush the toilet? Where does all that water and sewage go? In most parts of the world with sanitation systems to manage sewage, everything you flush down the toilet ends up at a sewage treatment facility.

Parasitic Worms: Masters of Manipulation

Parasitic Worms: Masters of Manipulation

The parasitic worm Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infects an estimated 250 million people around the world. It infects humans by directly penetrating the skin, usually without causing any itching or pain.

Wired for Connection

Wired for Connection

Imagine that it’s your first day at a new school. You don’t know any of the other students, and you’re hoping to make some friends.

Need a Boost?

Need a Boost?

When you go to get a vaccine, it is common practice for the health care provider who will give the shot to ask your preferred location.

Follow the Data

Follow the Data

Promising preliminary data on treatment of seizures with tofacitinib.

Asthma Treatment For All

Asthma Treatment For All

As a child, Teddy recalled that his mother used to give him a cup of strong coffee in the morning for breakfast.

Singing in the Scanner

Singing in the Scanner

Charles Darwin was an English naturalist and explorer in the 1800s well known for his contributions to evolutionary biology.

The Sound of Studying

The Sound of Studying

When you are working on a math assignment or writing a paper, what are the sounds around you? Are family members or friends talking loudly? Are you listening to music? Or perhaps you prefer total silence?

Disease Detectives

Disease Detectives

It’s wintertime, and the uptick in winter-related illnesses is all around us. The majority of illnesses that tend to peak in the wintertime are caused by viruses, including COVID-19, influenza, and the common cold.

To Screen or to Sleep?

To Screen or to Sleep?

We continue the focus on digital habits, highlighting research into the impacts of screen use on young people’s sleep.

Facemasks of the Future

Facemasks of the Future

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, face masks have become an important tool in the prevention of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, flu, and the common cold.

The Dangers of Doomscrolling

The Dangers of Doomscrolling

Doomscrolling refers to the behavior of excessive scrolling on social media for negative news, such as stories about crime, social or political crises, or natural disasters.

Algae—It’s What’s for Dinner

Algae—It’s What’s for Dinner

Did you know that skeletal muscle accounts for approximately 40% of your body weight? Skeletal muscles are all the muscles that attach to your bones. You can increase their flexibility by stretching and strengthen them with exercise.

Exploring the Sugary Forests

Exploring the Sugary Forests

While biologists have known about glycans for decades, their diversity and complexity have presented challenges for identifying glycan structures and functions.

The Memory of Coral Microbiomes

The Memory of Coral Microbiomes

Did you know that coral reefs are living organisms? What looks like a stationary rock or plant is actually a colony of tiny animals called coral polyps, from the same group of animals as sea anemones and some jellyfish.

Aging is for Everyone

Aging is for Everyone

How old you are (chronological age) and how old your cells and tissues are (biological age) are distinct. Biological age can be measured by using epigenetic biomarkers of aging.

The Reading Brain

The Reading Brain

Did you know that there are an estimated 7,000 languages spoken by humans around the world? Approximately half of these languages have no written form. Those that do have a written form use a total of about 30 different writing systems.

Improving Vaccines for Malaria

Improving Vaccines for Malaria

Did you know that in 2023 nearly half of the world’s population was at risk for malaria? Malaria is caused by mosquito-borne parasites and is widespread in tropical climates.

Your Adolescent Brain

Your Adolescent Brain

Adolescence is a critical phase of life typically marked by the physical changes of puberty and behavioral changes as young people seek more independence from their parents, engage with new environments, and become more sensitive to social relationships.

Seeing Clearly with Diabetes

Seeing Clearly with Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic medical condition characterized by the body’s decreased ability to utilize sugar. If diabetes is not controlled, it can lead to complications including delayed wound healing and nerve damage of the corneas.

Watch Your Body Composition

Watch Your Body Composition

According to the World Health Organization, obesity has reached epidemic proportions, with an estimated 4 million people dying each year as a result.

Oh the Memories…

Oh the Memories…

How many of you get enough sleep each night? The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that children ages 6-12 years get 9-12 hours of sleep per night and adolescents ages 13-18 years get 8-10 hours of sleep per night.

The Smell of Stress

The Smell of Stress

According to the American Veterinary Association, over one-third of American households include a pet dog.

The Wonders of Walking

The Wonders of Walking

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the human species is our ability to move around on two—not four—limbs. However, take a closer look at the arms of a human on the move, and you’ll see that they swing in a coordinated pattern. When the right foot goes forward, the left arm moves forward as well.

Your Environment, Stress, and Your Health

Your Environment, Stress, and Your Health

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), a growing number of children and adolescents are experiencing mental health challenges.

On The Nose

On The Nose

Have you ever wondered why we tend to get sicker in cold weather? New research by Dr. Mansoor Amiji at Northeastern University and Dr. Benjamin Bleier at Harvard Medical School shows that lower temperatures make our immune system less effective against viral illnesses.

What Your Teeth Know

What Your Teeth Know

Teeth can tell researchers clues about our lives. These researchers hypothesized that stressful moments in one’s life might leave behind a record in the teeth, such as through stress lines in the teeth enamel or changes in enamel density, enamel volume, and pulp volume.

Treat Your Muscles to a Massage

Treat Your Muscles to a Massage

Massage is an ancient therapeutic practice that can support healing and pain relief in a variety of conditions. It has been difficult for researchers to study the specific mechanisms and effects of massage due to the multitude of massage techniques and differences between specific practitioners.

Allergies and Asthma in a Changing Climate

Allergies and Asthma in a Changing Climate

Asthma is a respiratory condition that can be triggered by many allergens, including pollen. As pollen-producing plants spread with the changing global climate, allergies and allergic asthma are expected to worsen.

Stressed Out Mitochondria

Stressed Out Mitochondria

Mitochondria play a critical role in cellular function as the site of energy conversion. Dysfunction or dysregulation of mitochondria has been associated with aging-related and neurodegenerative diseases.

Sweet Safety

Sweet Safety

Sugar substitutes, also called non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) are popular sugar replacements to get a sweet taste without the calories. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved eight NNS for consumption in the United States. However, the potential health effects of NNS consumption during pregnancy and in people taking certain medications remain unknown.

Location, Location, Location

Location, Location, Location

Acral melanoma is a rare form of melanoma that typically affects the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and nailbeds.

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