Tiny Blood Pumps for Failing Hearts

A new heart aid could be implanted without invasive surgery.

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A New Approach to Combating HIV

High-tech solutions of oil in water could lead to an effective HIV vaccine.

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High-Speed Evolution Aids Drug Development

A new technique can make tailor-made proteins evolve in days, not years.

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Making Eyes

Over roughly nine days, a ball of mouse embryonic stem cells (gray) gives rise to a cup-shaped structure (green) with a complex three-dimensional architecture identical to the retina in early development. A tiny sac of cells balloons outward from the clump’s surface; then the sac folds in on itself, with retinal pigment cells on the outside and retinal neurons on the inside.

Growing Eyeballs

Embryonic stem cells growing in a dish can spontaneously form complex structures resembling the retina—a discovery that could one day help restore sight to the blind.

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Synthetic Genome Reboots Cell

A genome built from scratch is a step toward synthesizing novel organisms.

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Backpacks for Cells

In the first part of this time-lapse video, an immune cell equipped with a tiny polymer backpack gambols across a microscope slide for some six hours before getting stuck. In the second part of the video, cells with backpacks full of magnetic nanoparticles are tugged toward a magnet, while cells without backpacks stay put.

Genetic Fountain of Youth

Researchers have identified a genetic tweak that can slow aging in mice.

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Modeling Diabetes with Stem Cells

Reprogrammed adult cells could be used to reconstruct diabetes in the laboratory.

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A Vaccine for Colon Cancer

A new approach to preventing cancer teaches the immune system to seek and destroy emerging tumors.

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