Nearly all of us have in one way or another come into contact with PCR tests in recent months. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) only requires a small DNA sample of the virus to detect an infection with Covid-19. In recent weeks and months, companies have successfully launched ever faster test kits — some of which we are presenting in this article.

Fungi of the genus Trichaptum have a mating system where thousands of mating types give them a much better chance of finding a compatible partner.

Growing price pressure, fiercer competition, staff shortages — and now Covid-19: Laboratories are today facing a range of major challenges. Thankfully, robotics provides a reliable way to make laboratory analytics more efficient while easing the burden on specialist staff. The solution? Collaborative robots — or ‘cobots’.

Low blood-oxygen levels were found to be the distinguishing factor that affected executive control-related neural activity and cognitive performance when exercise was performed in low-oxygen conditions.

How do polymers behave with temperature changes that occur in their life cycle? This is a decisive factor for product development. For this reason, there are several standards for weathering tests. This article provides an overview of why some of these tests are unsuitable.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a wearable chemical sensor this is spun from ultrafine gold threads and has the potential to measure different biomarkers. With this novel solution, the researchers aim to revolutionize health monitoring and reduce the financial burden of health care.

An international group of geneticists and archaeologists, led by the Francis Crick Institute, have found that the ancestry of dogs can be traced to at least two populations of ancient wolves. The work moves us a step closer to uncovering the mystery of where dogs underwent domestication.

Despite this significant role, research into the diversity of microorganisms found in the ocean has thus far been only rudimentary. This also includes the chemical compounds they produce. Could such compounds benefit humans as well?

A study by UCLA has shown that a synthetic IL-9 receptor assists T cell therapy to be carried out to treat cancerous tumors without the need for chemo or radiation.

A new guide to programming quantum algorithms walks programmers through every step, from theory to implementing the algorithms on IBM’s publicly available 5-qubit ibmqx4 quantum computer and others.