Podcast
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE: Ecologically-friendly plastic, a cleaner way to produce hydrogen fuel, cell phone air sensors, the perils of spaceflight, the ethical implications of synthetic life, and more.
Environmental Health Roundup
Despite looking green and attractive, many parks may actually create more pollution than they prevent.
Podcast
MARINE LIFE: Photosynthesizing sea slugs, epileptic sea lions, dolphin viruses and whale diversity.
One-Atom Linchpin
A single calcium atom can make or break a bacterium's movement – and infectiousness.
Synthetic Blood
Researchers have created synthetic red blood cells in the lab.
Podcast
MEDICINE: Alzheimer's in the eye, artificial red blood cells, and a microbial Achilles' heel. Also: do toilet seats spread disease?
Microbe Fighting Roundup
A new nasal vaccine could combat malaria.
Flu by the Book
A listener asks if handling library books puts him at an increased risk of contracting an influenza virus.
Cigarette Bacteria
Cigarettes harbor a wide variety of disease-causing bacteria.
Old Flu Antibodies
Outbreaks of the H1N1 virus during the twentieth century left many people with long-term resistance to the swine flu.
Human Microbial Diversity
Every person may have a very different mix of microbes living inside them.
Podcast
Ancient insect pollinators, your body's unique microbes, a marine creature that could fix broken bones. Also: does chewing gum really take years to digest?
Infected Shower Heads
Shower heads can harbor bacteria that may threaten some people's health.
Plasmobots
Slime molds can be coaxed to assemble or transport small objects and perform basic computations.
Podcast
AMAZING ORGANISMS: Assessing the developmental level of canines, the origin of malaria, powerful bacteria, and more.
Nano-Diamond Therapy
Nano-sized diamonds can help deliver targeted doses of insulin to heal burns.
Podcast
HEALTH UPDATE - The genetics of the placebo effect, nano-diamond wound therapy, the rise of vitamin D deficiency, and more.
Immune Microparticles
A new approach to regulating the immune response may make organ transplants safer.
Lamprey Contraception
An evolutionary quirk in the sex hormones of sea lamprey could help bring the destructive Great Lakes invader under control.
Frozen Bacteria
Bacteria trapped in eons-old ice could shed light on extraterrestrial life.
Drugs & Toxins Roundup
The overuse of antibiotics is not only bad for us, it's bad for the environment.