helped

A coronavirus variant once helped the global pork industry. Could one protect us? | Science

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Long before COVID-19 became a household word—in 1946, to be precise—veterinary researchers at Purdue University reported that something invading the guts of young pigs was causing diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss, ultimately killing most of them. The scientists did not know the cause of the sickness, which devastated U.S. pig farms, but they could trigger … Read more

Gene Variant May Have Helped Ancient Humans Survive Starvation

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About a million years ago a small mutation might have unlocked a big advantage for ancient humans. A recent study in Science Advances suggests that a variant of a critical stretch of DNA called the growth hormone receptor gene protected against starvation—in part by limiting individuals’ body size during periods of resource scarcity. The variant … Read more

Supermassive black hole gobbled up a star in the 1980s, and high schoolers helped discover it

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Astronomers have found evidence of a black hole snacking on a star in data gathered back in the 1980s, according to new research. The researchers say that they have identified the signature of such an event in data gathered during the 1980s, thanks to a pair of high school interns from Massachusetts. When a star … Read more

mRNA technology: Vaccine biotech has helped repair broken hearts in mice

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By Michael Le Page An illustration of a strand of mRNA MattLphotography / Alamy Stock Photo Immune cells in the bodies of mice have been temporarily reprogrammed to repair damaged hearts by removing scar tissue, thanks to the technology used in the mRNA coronavirus vaccines. “After you give the treatment, the scar goes away,” says … Read more