Nicholas Walton gives up leadership of €2.8m pan-European research after dispute over Northern Ireland protocolA Cambridge University astrophysicist studying the Milky Way and hoping to play a major part in the European Space Agency’s (Esa) next big project has been forced to hand over his coordinating role on the scheme after the row over Northern Ireland’s Brexit arrangements put science in the firing line.Nicholas Walton, a research fellow at the Institute of Astronomy, reluctantly passed his leadership role in the €2.8m pan-European Marie Curie Network research project to a colleague in the Netherlands on Friday. Continue reading...

A nine-year-old pointed out what was missing in Lyme Regis. Her long campaign has now borne fruitIt all began with a curious nine-year-old and a question that she asked her mother. Where in their hometown of Lyme Regis was the statue of Mary Anning, the pioneering Victorian fossil hunter who, she had recently discovered, had lived and worked there?There wasn’t one, Anya Pearson was forced to tell her indignant daughter. Anning’s lifetime of discoveries – including finding the first ichthyosaur skeleton at the age of just 12 – may have profoundly shaped the emerging science of palaeontology, but in her own Dorset town and farther afield, she had been largely forgotten. Continue reading...

High-stakes test follows two years of delays in a program designed to give Nasa another vehicle for sending astronauts into orbitBoeing’s new Starliner crew capsule has docked for the first time with the International Space Station, completing a major objective in a crucial test flight into orbit without astronauts aboard.The rendezvous of the gumdrop-shaped CST-100 Starliner with the orbital research outpost, currently home to a seven-member crew, occurred on Friday nearly 26 hours after the capsule was launched from Cape Canaveral US Space Force Base in Florida. Continue reading...

Fewer Australians are following the headlines – but there’s a fine line between switching off and staying connected to the world

It’s not the first time the virus has been found in Britain but now there are chains of transmissionThe person was sick when they boarded the plane. Five days before leaving Nigeria for Britain, they noticed a rash that spread into a scattering of fluid-filled bumps. When the plane touched down on 4 May, they wasted no time. The person attended hospital where doctors, alerted by their recent travel, immediately suspected monkeypox. The patient was isolated and a doctor, clad in full PPE, took a swab from a blister on their skin.Because monkeypox is listed as a “high-consequence infectious disease”, the situation moved fast. The sample was sent to Porton Down science park in Wiltshire where the UK Health Security Agency’s rare and imported pathogens laboratory swiftly ran a PCR test. This confirmed the infection, which the agency announced the next day, on 7 May. Continue reading...

Scientists believe site in Guangxi with trees up to 40 metres tall may contain undiscovered speciesAn ancient forest has been found at the bottom of a giant sinkhole in China, with trees up to 40 metres (130ft) tall.Scientists believe it could contain undiscovered plant and animal species. Continue reading...

Sally Jaspars says novelist’s rock collection shows youngest Brontë sister ‘was in tune with the scientific inquiry of the time’A student has helped reveal that one of Britain’s most famous authors was not only a talented writer but also a skilled rock collector with an active interest in geology.Anne Brontë, the youngest of the three Brontë sisters, built up a collection of attractive specimens before her death at 29 in 1849. Continue reading...

More than 500 larvae already set free in Hampshire and Cornwall as part of project to revive declining speciesThey once lit up summer nights, people read by their luminescence and they’ve been celebrated by everyone from William Shakespeare to Crowfoot, a 19th-century North American chief.But glowworms have had their lights dimmed by a cult of tidiness in the countryside, the loss of wild meadows and light pollution. Continue reading...

Condition of rodents with spinal cord damage improved after they had lung disease drug, say researchersMice with spinal cord injuries have shown remarkable recovery after being given a drug initially developed for people with lung disease, researchers have revealed, saying the treatment could soon be tested on humans.It is thought there are about 2,500 new spinal cord injuries in the UK every year, with some of those affected experiencing full loss of movement as a result. Despite a number of promising areas of research, at present damage to the spinal cord is not reversible. Continue reading...

Makers of Prehistoric Planet say it was perfect time to make show as new species are found at rate of one a weekA “dinosaur revolution” is taking place with a new species being discovered every week, the makers of a groundbreaking new docuseries exploring life on Earth 66m years ago have said.Prehistoric Planet, produced by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit and premiering on Apple TV on Monday, is narrated by Sir David Attenborough and features original music composed by the multiple Oscar winner Hans Zimmer. Continue reading...

Intestinal parasites recovered from prehistoric rubbish dumps shine light on lives and diet of buildersParasite eggs found in 4,500-year-old human faeces suggest the builders of Stonehenge took part in winter feasts that included the internal organs of animals, researchers have revealed.The huge stone circle of Stonehenge is thought to have been built around 2,500BC, with evidence suggesting the builders were housed at a settlement known as Durrington Walls, about 2 miles away. The site was predominantly occupied in the winter months, and appears to have been used for between 10 to 50 years. Continue reading...

The company hopes to send a manned crew to the International Space Station later this year after two prior test flights failedBoeing’s crew capsule rocketed into orbit on Thursday on a repeat test flight without astronauts, after years of being grounded by flaws that could have doomed the spacecraft.Only a test dummy was aboard. If the capsule reaches the International Space Station on Friday and everything else goes well, two or three Nasa test pilots could strap in by the end of this year or early next for the company’s first crew flight. Continue reading...

Pyongyang has left its people highly vulnerable to this outbreak. But rich countries have a responsibility for the lack of protection in other placesWhen Covid-19 first emerged, the “Hermit Kingdom” lived up to its nickname – shutting its borders in January 2020, long before most of the world had taken real heed of the disease spreading in China. With healthcare already on its knees and a malnourished population, North Korea was exceptionally badly placed to cope with any serious outbreak of illness.For more than two years, it insisted that it had no cases whatsoever. Then, last week, it announced its first cases, of Omicron. The country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, warned of “great turmoil”. Now it has reported almost 2m cases of unspecified “fever” – probably because it can’t test for the virus – with 741,000 still being treated, and 63 deaths. Mr Kim, due to celebrate his 10th anniversary in power this year, has blamed officials for an “immature” response. But underlings can hardly be blamed. Closing the country off for so long, when it is heavily dependent on China and ordinary people were already struggling to survive, has left many in even direr straits. Yet the leadership failed to use the time to vaccinate the population, ignoring offers of doses from the Covax pooling scheme. For years, it has impoverished its people and allowed healthcare to deteriorate, while pouring money into a weapons programme, the chief function of which is to safeguard the regime. Within hours of announcing the Covid outbreak, the country had launched yet another missile test. Continue reading...

New research suggests the cetaceans may be self-medicating for their skin ailments, adding to evidence of the medicinal properties of some corals and spongesWho doesn’t like a bath scrub? Dolphins definitely do: they are known for being clever, playful, tactile animals, and they like to rub against rough surfaces, nap in coral beds and soak on sponges like guests at an underwater spa.However, dolphins may be getting more from their bath scrubs than just relaxation and leisure. A study published today suggests that bottlenose dolphins may be self-medicating their skin ailments with the help of corals, adding to growing research on their previously unexplored medicinal properties. Continue reading...

With the ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial poring over the destruction of a celebrity friendship, four people share their experiences of treachery and traumaAs the libel suit between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney rumbles on in the high court, the public has heard weeks of claims and counterclaims about Instagram stings, paparazzi ambushes and phones lost in the sea. But one thing has been clear from the outset: one of the two women has been betrayed. Either, as Rooney claims, Vardy sold stories about her fellow Wag to the Sun, or, as Vardy maintains, Rooney’s baseless accusation has dragged her good name through the mud.It is a messy and sordid tale from which no one – except possibly the lawyers – emerges the better. Rooney has described Vardy’s WhatsApp exchanges about her as “evil”; Vardy has said that the threats and abuse she received after Rooney’s accusations made her feel suicidal. What is driving the former friends to spend millions airing their most intimate details? Continue reading...

The Milky Way photographer of the year winners are selected every year by the travel blog Capture the Atlas. The Milky Way season ranges from February to October in the northern hemisphere and from January to November in the southern hemisphere Continue reading...

From deep inside Gran Chaco, a dry tropical forest in Argentina one and a half times the size of California, comes a wake-up call for the world’s forests. We’ve lost more than a fifth of this incredibly biodiverse region since 1985. And it’s just one of many precious carbon-trapping ecosystems being lost to unrelenting deforestation.Six months ago in Glasgow, world leaders at Cop26 pledged to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. While destruction continues apace in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, other countries such as Indonesia offer glimmers of hope.Madeleine Finlay speaks to biodiversity reporter Patrick Greenfield about what his trip to Gran Chaco showed him, what’s at stake around the world, and what’s needed to turn things around Continue reading...

Archaeologists find pits lying in crooked horseshoe formation at Castilly Henge near BodminA rare stone circle has been found at a prehistoric ritual site in Cornwall, with seven regularly spaced pits mapped by a team of archaeologists.Bracken and scrub were cleared over the winter at Castilly Henge near Bodmin to allow archaeologists to survey the site. They found the pits lying in a crooked horseshoe formation. Continue reading...

Female patients in England and Wales half as likely to receive TXA, which cuts risk of bleeding to death by 30%, as injured menInjured women are experiencing sex discrimination in the administration of a life-saving drug that cuts the risk of bleeding to death by 30%, researchers have warned.They found that female trauma victims were half as likely to receive tranexamic acid (TXA) as injured men – even though the treatment is equally effective regardless of sex. Continue reading...

Jack-in-the-pulpit plants lure in gnats, cover them in pollen and trap them. As they struggle to escape they pollenate female flowers

Scientists had called for Folbigg’s release after it was discovered two daughters had a genetic variant that can cause sudden death

Researchers believe the discovery in a Laos cave proves that Denisovans lived in the warm tropics of southeast AsiaA child’s tooth at least 130,000 years old found in a Laos cave could help scientists uncover more information about an early human cousin, according to a new study.Researchers believe the discovery proves that Denisovans – a now-extinct branch of humanity – lived in the warm tropics of southeast Asia. Continue reading...

Invention can deliver medication after detecting pressure in the eye from fluid buildup, scientists sayA contact lens that can release a drug if it detects high pressure within the eye has been created by scientists who say it could help treat glaucoma.Glaucoma is an eye disease that involves damage to the optic nerve, and can lead to blindness if not treated. Continue reading...

Number fallen ill reportedly rose to almost 1.5 million as country thought to be without vaccine grapples with what it calls ‘fever’North Korea stands on the brink of a Covid-19 catastrophe unless swift action is taken to provide vaccines and drug treatments, experts have warned, as the number of people reported to have fallen ill rose to almost 1.5 million.The isolated country reported another big rise in new cases of what it continues to refer to as “fever” on Tuesday, days after it admitted it had identified Covid-19 infections for the first time since the start of the global pandemic. Continue reading...

Ditching the cutlery, scoffing a big first bite and discussing the carrots can help rewire our brains and make us more mindful of our mealsBefore diving in at a dinner party, my friend Lizzie always makes a point of asking the host to describe each dish they’ve made. It’s a way of acknowledging their efforts – but, according to food psychology, she could also be helping herself and her fellow diners eat better by making them more mindful of their meal.Charles Spence is a professor of experimental psychology at Oxford University, who researches the factors that influence what we choose to eat and what we think about the experience. His research highlights the extent to which those choices are shaped by the ways in which we engage with our food; in short, what our meals look and smell like, whether we eat them with forks or fingers – even the music we’re listening to while eating or food shopping can all play a role in how healthily we eat. The following techniques will help you “trick” your brain into making better decisions for your body. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Calls to improve car design and safety as females also found to have different injury patterns to menWomen are almost twice as likely as men to become trapped in a motor vehicle after a crash and they also sustain different patterns of injury, data suggests.The research – the first large UK study to compare sex differences in injury patterns and the likelihood of becoming trapped after a collision – could help vehicle manufacturers improve car design and safety features to reduce rates of injury in both sexes. It also strengthens calls for the inclusion of more biologically accurate crash test dummies in simulations of vehicle collisions, to investigate their impact on women. Continue reading...

The climate crisis is giving trees a bigger window to spread their pollen, but cleaner air and better early warning forecasts can help protect usIf you have sneezed your way through the last few days, you are not alone. About a quarter of the UK population are thought to suffer from hay fever, with numbers continuing to grow. And the latest research suggests that the climate crisis is going to make the hay fever season a whole lot longer and more intense, with up to three times as much pollen wafting around by the end of the century. Hold on to your antihistamines.For people with lung conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pollen bursts are a serious risk that can be deadly in the most extreme cases. In November 2016, a pollen outbreak caused by a thunderstorm fragmenting pollen into smaller pieces in Melbourne, Australia, overwhelmed the emergency services and resulted in at least nine deaths.Kate Ravilious is a freelance science journalist based in York, UK; she writes on Earth, climate and weather-related issues Continue reading...

UK’s first exercise guidance on bone disease affecting 3m in Britain encourages people to move moreMillions of people with osteoporosis should not be afraid to exercise regularly, experts have said in guidance aimed at boosting bone health, cutting the risk of falls and improving posture.The condition, which weakens bones and makes them more likely to break, affects more than 3 million people in the UK and more than 150 million worldwide. Continue reading...

Last November in Glasgow, countries agreed to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial averages. Six months on, the world has changed, with the war in Ukraine, high energy prices and the cost of living crisis threatening to derail us from achieving our climate goals. Ian Sample speaks to the Guardian’s environment correspondent, Fiona Harvey, about what promises are still on the table and what else needs to be done to address the climate emergency as we approach the next conference, Cop27.Archive: Channel 4 News, Deutsche Welle, PBS News, 9 News Australia, ABC News, Euronews, COP26 Continue reading...

Researchers find link between fertility issues and cancer risk, but say biological reason unclearInfertile men may be twice as likely to develop breast cancer than those without fertility issues, according to one of the largest ever studies of the disease.Breast cancer in males is less common than in females and its relation to infertility had previously been investigated only in small studies. The new research was published in the journal Breast Cancer Research. Continue reading...

The answers to today’s rib-tickling riddlesEarlier today I set you the puzzles below, chosen by Irish mathematician Des MacHale, a prolific writer of joke and puzzle books. You can read some of his jokes here.The puzzles were a mixture of word, number and lateral thinking puzzles. They all give some ‘haha’ with the ‘aha!’. Continue reading...

Pregnant smokers were more likely to quit when using e-cigarettes than patches after four weeks, study showsE-cigarettes are as safe to use as nicotine patches for pregnant smokers trying to quit, and may be a more effective tool, researchers have revealed.Smoking in pregnancy can increase the risk of outcomes including premature birth, miscarriage and the baby having a low birth weight. But stubbing out the habit can be a struggle. Continue reading...

By studying isotopes scientists hope to gain insight into how elements within exploding stars came to beFrom carbon to uranium, oxygen to iron, chemical elements are the building blocks of the world around us and the wider universe. Now, physicists are hoping to gain an unprecedented glimpse into their origins, with the opening of a new facility that will create thousands of peculiar and unstable versions of atoms never before recorded on Earth.By studying these versions, known as isotopes, they hope to gain new insights into the reactions that created the elements within exploding stars, as well as testing theories about the “strong force” – one of the four fundamental forces in nature, which binds protons and neutrons together in an atom’s nucleus. The facility could also yield new isotopes for medical use. Continue reading...

Nasal or oral coronavirus vaccines, more and better drugs, and a variant-proof vaccine could catalyze a clear way outAs the virus accelerates its evolution, the humans capitulate. For two and a half years, Covid-19 has been outrunning our response, getting more and more transmissible, reaching a level of infectiousness that few pathogens have ever attained. Instead of taking a stance of getting ahead of the virus, and outsmarting it, people have succumbed.In recent months, we experienced a striking jump in transmissibility when the Omicron (BA.1) variant became dominant, with at least a threefold increase in reproductive number beyond Delta. Despite the hope that this might be reaching the upper limit of the virus’s spreadability, we quickly transitioned to a BA.2 wave, with at least another jump of about 30% transmissibility, and now we are heading, in the United States, to a dominant subvariant known as BA.2.12.1, which is another 25% more transmissible than BA.2 and already accounting for close to 50% of new cases. Continue reading...

Dramatic total lunar eclipse coincided with a super moon, when the moon is at its closest point to Earth and reflects a red and orange light Continue reading...

Covid cases are stabilising in the countries but many may continue to wear face coverings, even if rules changeFor more than two years, the people of Japan and South Korea have been united by their embrace of little white rectangles. While the US and countries in Europe debated the efficacy of masks at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Japanese and South Koreans quickly covered up, uncomplainingly and with few exceptions.Explanations for the wildly contrasting coronavirus death tolls in developed countries are many and varied, but in north-east Asia – more than anywhere else – mask-wearing has been at the forefront of the public health response to the virus. Continue reading...

An Irish professor walks into a barUPDATE: the solutions can be read hereWhat do you call an engaged toilet on a Jumbo jet? A HYPOTENUSE!The Theory of Relativity in a nutshell – time spent with your relatives seems longer. Continue reading...

Giant star in Scorpius belongs to class of poorly understood stars which vary in brightnessThere is something glorious about seeing the silvery moon contrasted with the blood-red light of Antares, the giant star in Scorpius, the Scorpion. Tonight offers an excellent chance to see this pairing.The chart shows the view looking south from London at midnight as 16 May becomes 17 May. The moon will be full with 99% of its visible surface illuminated. It will be about 3.5 degrees away from Antares (for reference the full moon itself measures about 0.5 degrees across). Continue reading...

Exclusive: Mensun Bound warns of ocean acidification and melting ice, as well as robotic technology that could enable theftsAs a marine archaeologist, Mensun Bound headed the 2022 Antarctic expedition that discovered the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance, more than a century after the legendary ship became trapped in ice and sank.Now he is warning that its protection cannot be guaranteed due to the combined threats of global heating and underwater robotic technology that could enable thefts from the historic site. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Alzheimer’s Society says fear of embarrassment or misunderstanding stops thousands coming forwardThousands of south Asian people living with dementia in the UK are being denied access to help and support because stigma and taboo deter them from getting diagnosed, a charity has warned.People from south Asian communities are more likely to develop dementia than the general UK population due to being at higher risk of other illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, that increase the risk of dementia. Continue reading...

Exploring shared childhood memories with your siblings will cast light on the person you are todayWhen I come across couples celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary I always wonder: “Who are these rare creatures who have managed to sustain a relationship for 60 years?” All those baked potatoes for dinner and trips to put the bins out. I’m amazed at the endurance of their love, but mostly I’m touched by their ability to peer through varifocals and see the bride or groom of their youth, to understand what shaped them because they witnessed it all. Similarly, stories of friends who met over government-issue milk at school and are still best friends can completely undo me. It turns out I weep easily at the idea of being known and loved by someone close – for so long.I am lucky to have old friends. Being in their company is one of my favourite things. I have also been married for ages, and I sometimes indulge in the image of me in 2061, clasping the dry, old hand of my husband and telling whoever will listen about the young man I married, and our secret to a long and happy life together. Continue reading...

Earth’s shadow will turn moon brick red just before dawn on Monday, while US will be treated to evening eclipseAstronomy enthusiasts will be setting their alarms for the small hours of Monday morning to catch a glimpse of a dramatic super blood moon.The Earth will come between the sun and the moon just before dawn in western Europe, making the moon appear brick red as it falls into the Earth’s shadow. The effect is caused by the Earth’s atmosphere bending some of the sun’s light towards it. Continue reading...

Saying the word ‘like’ has long been seen as a sign of laziness and stupidity. But its use is actually richly nuanced, goes back to Shakespearean times, and is an indicator of, like, intelligenceI’m listening to BBC Radio 1, where they are interviewing the 26-year-old actor and singer Dove Cameron about her globally successful hit, Boyfriend. The DJ, Melvin Odoom, asks her, “Do you think that your acting career has helped you with, kind of, like, your music career?”“For me they’re, like, the same energy,” replies Cameron. “Which is, like, when people are, like, ‘You have to choose,’ I’m like, ‘They feel the same!’” Continue reading...

Stephanie and John Cacioppo were two neuroscientists specialising in love and loneliness. When they married, they put theory into practice. But when John died suddenly, would her science save her?Close your eyes for three seconds, Dr Stephanie Cacioppo instructs me early in our conversation. You might like to do the same at home, or on the train, or wherever you are. Now think of the person that you love most in the world. Got them? Remember the last time you made them laugh out loud. One-two-three. “Did that bring a smile to your face?” asks Cacioppo, a neuroscientist at the University of Chicago, who specialises on the impact of love on the brain, and is the author of a new book, Wired for Love.It did. “It works all the time,” she goes on. “It’s because of this fantastic wiring we have in our brain that activates the love network, but also the mirror neuron system. That’s the neuro system that is activated when you move, but also when you anticipate or think about the actions or emotions of others. So imagining someone smiling, it’s like activating your own smile as well.” Continue reading...

Experts welcome planned laws on the use of genetic technology, but say growing global crises demand urgent actionOn 24 July 2019, Boris Johnson stood outside 10 Downing Street and delivered his first speech as prime minister. Among the many pledges he made was a promise that he was going “to liberate the UK’s extraordinary bioscience sector from anti-genetic modification rules”. Such a move would allow the nation to “develop the blight-resistant crops that will feed the world”, he added.Almost three years later, Johnson’s government has eventually got round to outlining, in last week’s Queen’s speech, how it hopes to achieve this goal. This will be done through the forthcoming genetic technology (precision breeding) bill. The proposed legislation has been welcomed by leading UK biologists, although they also warned last week that a long battle lies ahead before UK plant and animal science is at a stage to save the world. Continue reading...

As well as serving in the SS and a second act as a Nasa engineer, Wernher von Braun wrote a Martian sci-fi novel with a prescient twist…I recently read (and greatly enjoyed) V2, Robert Harris’s absorbing second world war thriller about British attempts to locate and destroy the base in the Netherlands from which Hitler’s “Retaliation Weapon 2” – those devastating rocket-powered bombs aimed at London – were launched. Harris is famous for the meticulous research that underpins his plots and V2 is no exception. For me, a particularly interesting aspect of the novel was his portrayal of Wernher von Braun, the German aerospace engineer who was the leading figure in the development of Nazi rocketry and who was snaffled by the US (with a large number of his technical associates) to enjoy a splendid second career as the mastermind of the US space programme.Harris portrays Von Braun as an exceedingly shrewd operator who effectively used the Nazi regime to enable him to further his dream of space exploration. Although he joined the National Socialist party in 1937, he claimed that doing so was the only way of being allowed to continue his technical work on rocketry, which is perhaps plausible. Less so perhaps was his decision to join the SS, a decision that plays a useful role in Harris’s story. Continue reading...

One person in infectious disease unit and the other is isolating, as UKHSA says no link to earlier confirmed caseTwo more people have been diagnosed with monkeypox in London, health officials said.The pair live in the same household and are not linked to the previous confirmed case in England that was announced on 7 May, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said. Continue reading...

Over three decades, Susanna Abse has worked with every kind of couple. She shares what she’s learned on how to stay the distance – and why fighting is goodSusanna Abse is the marriage counsellor’s marriage counsellor – 30 years in practice giving her peerless insights into the challenges couples face without making any dent in her curiosity and originality. This serene, witty 65-year-old is exacting but non-judgmental; I imagine you’d feel able to say absolutely anything in front of her, unless it was bullshit. You would trust her with your marriage, but you’d want to take your A-game.Abse can’t begin to estimate how many couples she’s seen since her first in 1986, but puts it at tens of thousands of hours. She has worked with every kind of couple, from the ones who “bang their heads together and shout and stand up and walk out” (she calls these “doll’s house” couples in her book – people who break things without any sense of consequence), to the ones who think there’s never been anything wrong, and can’t understand why they’ve suddenly got issues. Continue reading...

Scientists find babies who died from Sids had lower levels of BChE on average, but say link ‘needs more investigation’Scientists may have come a step closer to uncovering the causes for sudden infant death syndrome in a study that has been hailed as a significant advance by the British scientist whose work underpinned the Back to Sleep campaign of the 1990s.The study is the first to identify a biochemical marker in the blood that is linked to the risk of Sids, sometimes called cot death, when an apparently healthy infant dies during their sleep. Although the test is not accurate enough to be used in newborn screening, it hints that abnormally low levels of a chemical linked to the brain’s arousal system could be involved in causing these babies to die suddenly in their sleep. Continue reading...

Two US patients recover from intractable infections, giving hope for treatments beyond antibioticsTwo US patients have recovered from intractable infections after being treated with a pioneering therapy involving genetically engineered bacteria-killing viruses.The cases raise hopes that so-called phage therapy could be used more widely to combat the global crisis of drug-resistant infections. One of the patients, Jarrod Johnson, a 26-year-old man with cystic fibrosis, was approaching death after suffering a chronic lung infection that resisted treatment by antibiotics for six years. After being given the phage therapy, his infection cleared allowing him to receive a lung transplant and resume an active life. Continue reading...