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Viewpoint: Academic Freedom Needs European Protection

Viewpoint: Academic Freedom Needs European Protection

This year will be crucial for the future development of the European Research Area (ERA), but one of its fundamental principles is being neglected: academic freedom. Academic freedom is under threat and Europe needs to act.

Psychedelics Open a New Window on the Mechanisms of Perception

Psychedelics Open a New Window on the Mechanisms of Perception

Everything became imbued with a sense of vitality and life and vividness. If I picked up a pebble from the beach, it would move. 

Alcohol Caused 740,000 Cancer Cases Globally Last Year - Study

Alcohol Caused 740,000 Cancer Cases Globally Last Year - Study

Researchers behind estimate say more needs to be done to raise public awareness of link

Europe Plans Aggressive New Laws to Phase Out Fossil Fuels

Europe Plans Aggressive New Laws to Phase Out Fossil Fuels

The proposals, expected Wednesday, are likely to be more ambitious and specific than other countries' efforts to fight climate change and may include a border tax on imports deemed to be polluting.

Richard C. Lewontin (1929-2021), Pioneer of Molecular Evolution

Richard C. Lewontin (1929-2021), Pioneer of Molecular Evolution

Lewontin was a groundbreaking geneticist, best known for bringing molecular tools into evolutionary biology and for his advocacy against the use of science to rationalize structural inequity.

EUA Survey Finds Half of Europe's Universities Have Open Science Policies in Place

EUA Survey Finds Half of Europe's Universities Have Open Science Policies in Place

This report presents the findings of the 2020-2021 EUA Open Science Survey and provides evidence-based recommendations for institutions, researchers, research funders and policy makers on the transition towards Open Science.

Tracking Chernobyl's Effects on Wildlife

Tracking Chernobyl's Effects on Wildlife

Evolutionary ecologist Germán Orizaola Pereda analyses how species have been affected, 35 years after the world's worst nuclear accident.

Don't Focus on English at the Expense of Your Science

Don't Focus on English at the Expense of Your Science

A language barrier can be a challenge, but there are better ways to spend your resources, says Zhanna Anikina.

Birds Are Dying in the United States and No One Knows Why

Birds Are Dying in the United States and No One Knows Why

There's a new epidemic, this time among birds. An illness is infecting them in the US capital ― and it's spreading. Experts say the cause is unknown.

How the Pandemic is Forcing Women out of the Workforce, Explained in a Comic

How the Pandemic is Forcing Women out of the Workforce, Explained in a Comic

Between child care and homeschooling, women's time is becoming worth less. It could take years to recover lost ground.

Coronavirus vaccines may not work in some people. It’s because of their underlying conditions.

Coronavirus vaccines may not work in some people. It’s because of their underlying conditions.

Early research shows that 15 to 80 percent of people with certain medical conditions, such as specific blood cancers or organ transplants, are generating few antibodies after receiving coronavirus vaccines.

Human Body Size Shaped by Climate, Evolutionary Study Shows

Human Body Size Shaped by Climate, Evolutionary Study Shows

Research combines data from fossils with climate models, revealing the effect of climate on body and brain size.

Reduced Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 Variant Delta to Antibody Neutralization

Reduced Sensitivity of SARS-CoV-2 Variant Delta to Antibody Neutralization

The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 lineage was identified in October 2020 in India1-5. It has since then become dominant in some indian regions and UK and further spread to many countries6. The lineage includes three main subtypes (B1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3), harbouring diverse Spike mutations in the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the receptor binding domain (RBD) which may increase their immune evasion potential. B.1.617.2, also termed variant Delta, is believed to spread faster than other variants. Here, we isolated an infectious Delta strain from a traveller returning from India. We examined its sensitivity to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and to antibodies present in sera from COVID-19 convalescent individuals or vaccine recipients, in comparison to other viral strains. Variant Delta was resistant to neutralization by some anti-NTD and anti-RBD mAbs including Bamlanivimab, which were impaired in binding to the Spike. Sera from convalescent patients collected up to 12 months post symptoms were 4 fold less potent against variant Delta, relative to variant Alpha (B.1.1.7). Sera from individuals having received one dose of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines barely inhibited variant Delta. Administration of two doses generated a neutralizing response in 95% of individuals, with titers 3 to 5 fold lower against Delta than Alpha. Thus, variant Delta spread is associated with an escape to antibodies targeting non-RBD and RBD Spike epitopes.

Trends, Challenges, and Needs of Research in the Global South: Learnings As Research4Life Turns 20

Trends, Challenges, and Needs of Research in the Global South: Learnings As Research4Life Turns 20

Supporting information access in low- and middle-income countries: the latest analysis of the Research4Life user experience.

Biologist to Lead Europe's Premier Research Funder

Biologist to Lead Europe's Premier Research Funder

Scientists hope Maria Leptin will bring stability to the European Research Council after predecessor Mauro Ferarri's controversial tenure.

What Polar Researchers Have Learnt from the Pandemic

What Polar Researchers Have Learnt from the Pandemic

Six scientists explain how COVID-19 has affected their fieldwork and research, as well as opportunities for junior researchers.

Hopes Dim for a Quick End to Row Keeping Swiss out of Horizon Europe

Hopes Dim for a Quick End to Row Keeping Swiss out of Horizon Europe

Switzerland is mounting a campaign to convince Brussels its participation in Horizon Europe should not be confounded by broader political tensions, but member states say it may time take to patch things up after Switzerland unilaterally withdrew from talks about its overall relationship with the EU.

'I Can't Remember Feeling As Excited About the Future': Redesigning Space Travel for Women

'I Can't Remember Feeling As Excited About the Future': Redesigning Space Travel for Women

The drive for more women and greater diversity in the space sector will lead to new ideas and innovations, from spacesuits to toilets and beyond.