Lyme disease vaccine found to be safe and effective in clinical trial
French company Valneva has developed a vaccine that works by stopping Lyme-causing bacteria in ticks from passing into people’s bloodstreams when the ticks bite.
Science & academia
This archive covers milestones and breakthroughs from the scientific and academic world — researchers, universities, and institutions whose work advances human knowledge. Stories here highlight discoveries, studies, and scholarly efforts that point toward a better future.
New blood test can detect prostate cancer with unprecedented precision
A new blood test for prostate cancer is producing a 99% accuracy rating—precision that has never before been achieved for a blood test of this particular kind of cancer. The test can also determine the exact stage and progression of the cancer, reducing the need for invasive biopsies and scans.
Flu shots significantly cut risk of heart attack or stroke for people over 50, shows news study
One of the largest studies of its kind looked at data from more than seven million patients and found that a seasonal flu shot cut the risk of heart attacks by up to 85 percent, and halved the number of strokes.
Early results suggest coronavirus vaccine is safe and induces immune response
Moderna Inc’s experimental vaccine for COVID-19 showed it was safe and provoked immune responses in all 45 healthy volunteers in an ongoing early-stage study, U.S. researchers reported.
Scientists around the world will go on one-day strike to protest institutional racism
Thousands of researchers and STEM professionals, including two prominent scientific journals, have vowed to not partake in business as usual on Wednesday as an act of solidarity with ongoing protests against racial injustice.
Scientists find a switch to flip and turn off breast cancer growth and metastasis
Researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine have also discovered a way to inhibit an aggressive form of breast cancer from occurring. The animal study results have been so compelling that the team is now working on FDA approval to begin clinical trials.
World’s largest all-electric airplane takes historic first flight
The all-electric Cessna Grand Caravan 208B successfully completed its first test flight—and it is being hailed as a significant milestone in disrupting the transportation industry and accelerating the electric aviation revolution.
University of California becomes U.S.’s largest university to divest fully from fossil fuels
The UC milestone capped a five-year effort to move the public research university system’s $126-billion portfolio into more environmentally sustainable investments. UC officials say their strategy is grounded in concerns about the planet’s future and in what makes financial sense.
New plant-based bottles can degrade in one year
The plans, devised by renewable chemicals company Avantium, have already won the support of beer-maker Carlsberg, which hopes to sell its pilsner in a cardboard bottle lined with an inner layer of plant plastic.
Princeton names its first black valedictorian in the university’s history
“It feels empowering. Being Princeton’s first Black Valedictorian holds special significance to me particularly given Princeton’s historical ties to the institution of slavery,” said Nicholas Johnson, valedictorian of Princeton’s Class of 2020.