Tina Hesman Saey
Science News
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Past articles by Tina:
Fungi don’t turn humans into zombies. But The Last of Us gets some science right
Fungi like those in the post-apocalyptic TV show are real. But humans’ body temperature and brain chemistry may protect us from zombifying fungi. → Read More
Why it’s easier to catch a cold, the flu or COVID in the winter
Low humidity protects viruses and cold temperatures may blunt some immune responses, making viral infections like colds, flu and COVID-19 more likely. → Read More
4 key things to know about lung infections caused by fungi
News that three kinds of fungi are more widespread than previously thought prompted reader questions about risk, symptoms and more. We answer them. → Read More
Fungi that cause serious lung infections are now found throughout the U.S
Doctors should be on the lookout for three types of fungi that, when inhaled, can lead to serious infections, researchers say. → Read More
Squid edit their RNA to keep cellular supply lines moving in the cold
Squid change their RNA more often in the cold, producing motor proteins that keep cellular cargo on track. → Read More
Why pandemic fatigue and COVID-19 burnout took over in 2022
As public health guidelines loosened this year, people were left to weigh COVID-19 risks on their own. It was confusing, frustrating and exhausting. → Read More
DNA is providing new clues to why COVID-19 hits people differently
Age, general health and vaccinations can affect how sick people get with COVID-19. So can genes. Here are new hints of what’s going on in our DNA. → Read More
Cat allergies may be tamed by adding an asthma therapy to allergy shots
Adding an antibody already used to treat asthma to standard allergy shots improved cat allergy symptoms for a least a year, a small study finds. → Read More
Genetics of human evolution wins 2022 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
By figuring out how to extract DNA from ancient bones, Svante Pääbo was able to decipher the genomes of our hominid relatives. → Read More
The AlphaFold AI predicted the structures of nearly every protein known to science
An AI called AlphaFold predicted structures for nearly every protein known to science. Those predictions aren’t without limits, some researchers say. → Read More
What you need to know about the new omicron booster shots
With approval of omicron booster shots, COVID-19 vaccine approval and dosing guidance is moving closer to the way flu shots are handled. → Read More
Monkeypox infected a dog. Which animals may be next?
A person passed monkeypox to a dog. Other animals might be next, allowing the virus to set up shop outside of Africa for the first time. → Read More
Here’s what to do when someone at home has COVID-19
Creating an isolation ward and filtering the air can prevent viral transmission. → Read More
The world is ‘losing the window’ to contain monkeypox, experts warn
As the global monkeypox outbreak surges, the world is giving the “virus room to run like it never has before,” researchers say. → Read More
Who decides whether to use gene drives against malaria-carrying mosquitoes?
As CRISPR-based gene drives to eliminate malaria-carrying mosquitoes pass new tests, the African public will weigh in on whether to unleash them. → Read More
Trained dogs sniff out COVID-19 as well as lab tests do
Dogs can be trained to sniff out COVID-19 cases. They’re overall as reliable as PCR tests and even better at IDing asymptomatic cases, a study suggests. → Read More
4 answers to key questions about the monkeypox outbreak
Monkeypox has cropped up around the world, but it doesn’t spread easily like the coronavirus and most people probably don’t need to be concerned. → Read More
Here’s the latest good and bad news about COVID-19 drugs
After coronavirus vaccines, antivirals and a monoclonal antibody are the next line of defense, but the treatments may be hard for some people to find. → Read More
Here’s why people with allergic asthma are at lower COVID-19 risk
A protein called IL-13 mounts defenses that include virus-trapping mucus and armor that shields airway cells from infection. → Read More
How I decided on a second COVID-19 booster shot
Boosters help for a short time, and mixing vaccines doesn’t seem to push the immune system toward making unhelpful antibodies, studies show. → Read More