Asimov Press

Prions are extremely resilient, infectious proteins. Studying their shape-shifting abilities could reveal lessons for how proteins fold at a molecular level, helping scientists design better ones.

Prions are extremely resilient, infectious proteins. Studying their shape-shifting abilities could reveal lessons for how proteins fold at a molecular level, helping scientists design better ones. Written by Eryney Marrogi and Theodore Sternlieb. Read every article from Asimov Press, for free, at press.asimov.com.

Cultivarium, a small nonprofit, is building tools to grow and engineer peculiar organisms—and then giving their discoveries away for free.

Water is the most significant bottleneck in terraforming the Red Planet. An article by Devon Stork.

A tiny fern has a genome 50 times larger than a human’s. Energy and diffusion—not the nucleus volume—are the key bottlenecks to more expansive growth.

More than a century after the invention of vaccines, a veterinarian stumbled across a technique to boost their efficacy in an unlikely way — by observing wounded horses. By Kamal Nahas. Read every article from Asimov Press by visiting press.asimov.com.

A cautionary tale about the competitive pressures of scientific research, and how they alter the course of history. Written by Metacelsus and recorded by Xander Balwit. Read every article from Asimov Press by visiting www.asimov.press.

A behind-the-scenes discussion with Metacelsus, author of "The Nobel Duel," a cautionary tale about the competitive pressures of scientific research and how they alter the course of history. Read every article from Asimov Press by visiting www.asimov.press.

Two physical constraints help explain why cells are so tiny: surface area-to-volume ratios and diffusion. This is the first article in our new Data Series. Read every article from Asimov Press, for free, at press.asimov.com.

Serratia marcescens’  vivid blood-red color has prompted its use in a wide range of experiments that have increased our understanding of how germs disperse within human bodies, buildings, and populations. Sightings of the striking microbe outside the lab have awakened both fear and awe in the general population.  The awareness that certain strains of  Serratia marcescens  can cause severe harm to...

Serratia marcescens , a pathogen with an uncanny resemblance to blood, has had an outsized influence on modern science. In the latest article from Asimov Press, author Corrado Nai explains how research into this organism has revealed how handshakes transmit disease, how bacteria enter the bloodstream, and how an illness can spread through large cities. Our audio correspondent, Carlos Bricio, inter...

A look inside FutureHouse, a nonprofit research institute in San Francisco. Read every article from Asimov Press, for free, at press.asimov.com.

A nanopore sequencer is a tiny device that can read DNA with high accuracy. Its invention, made possible by merging hardware with machine learning, holds lessons for other measurement tools. By Stephen Malina. Read all articles from Asimov Press, for free, at press.asimov.com.

How genetics and IVF empowered one researcher's family to leave cancer behind. Read every article from Asimov Press, for free, by visiting press.asimov.com.

Reports suggest that between 40 and 60 percent of the population died during the bubonic plague that swept through Europe in the mid-1300s. What accounts for this wide range of estimates?

In 2024, the pharmaceutical company Gilead announced that a single injection of lenacapavir protected  96 to 100 percent of recipients from HIV for up to six months. This article explains how they made it, how much it costs, and how we can help ensure it reaches those who need it most. Read every article from Asimov Press at press.asimov.com.

A new AI model for biology, released today by Arc Institute and NVIDIA, can predict which mutations within a gene are likely to be harmful and even design small, eukaryotic genomes.

Connectomics — a technique that maps physical connections between neural cells — is expensive and inefficient. E11 Bio, a non-profit research group, is designing a tool to expedite progress. Read every article from Asimov Press at press.asimov.com.

A 2020 study suggests that monkeys can develop Parkinson’s, just like humans. Why haven't the findings been duplicated, and what will it take to find more “natural” animal models? Read all articles from Asimov Press by visiting press.asimov.com.

A brief history of how our built environments have been shaped by everything from flues and humble windows to cutting-edge HVAC systems. Visit press.asimov.com to read all of our articles for free.

An interview with Larissa Schiavo, author of "The Battle for Better Air." We talk about Schiavo's interest in medieval architecture, miasma theory, and far-UVC. Visit press.asimov.com to read all articles from Asimov Press for free.

The Central Dogma is not a "dogma," and it has never been broken. Read the latest from Asimov Press by visiting press.asimov.com.

What happens when an AI designs the chips needed to make its successors? Science fiction by Richard Ngo. Read all articles from Asimov Press at our website: press.asimov.com.

Modern flu vaccines have an average efficacy of just 40 percent, and they must be revamped each year. How can we make vaccines that are “universal” — both broadly-protective and highly potent? Read all of our articles by visiting press.asimov.com.

An interrogative technique to identify the root of molecular problems. By Trevor Klee. Read all articles from Asimov Press by visiting press.asimov.com.