John Travis

John Travis

@john-travis.bsky.social

Science journalist (Science's managing news editor), Michigander, Detroiter, beer and biking entusiast

2.1K followers15 following35 posts

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John Travis
@john-travis.bsky.social

For my first post here I'll highlight my first feature in years and a weird biology story I have followed for decades--what's the function of odd cellular structures known as vaults? www.science.org/content/arti...

science.orgThis biologist aims to solve the cell’s biggest mystery. Could it help cancer patients, too?Four decades after his lab found odd, massive particles inside cells, Leonard Rome is still determined to figure out what “vaults” do

John Travis reposted

Sara Reardon
@sarareardon.bsky.social

Bexorg, the biotech company keeping human brains alive* in vats for up to 24 hours, is scaling that up to 2 weeks with $28.3m from @arpa-h.bsky.social. Our @science.org story explains why this could be useful for testing new drugs. www.science.org/content/arti... (*sorta)

science.orgNot alive, but not dead: disembodied human brains used for drug testingBy restoring some functions to intact brains from deceased donors, the startup Bexorg hopes to create a better drug development test bed for neurodegenerative diseases
John Travis
@john-travis.bsky.social

It made me wonder how much we’ve actually learned from the gene therapy death of Jesse Gelsinger decades ago and the more recent scandal of He Jiankui’s gene-edited babies. 3/

John Travis
@john-travis.bsky.social

Small biotechs and other firms relying on U.S. research dollars can rejoice after Trump yesterday signed the long-stalled SBIR/STTR reauthorization package. A Senate impasse was finally broken recently. See our past @science.org story on the programs' importance www.science.org/content/arti...

science.orgSuspended small business research programs derail development of gene therapies, hip implants, and moreCongressional impasse has halted billions in research funding for innovative technologies
John Travis
@john-travis.bsky.social

Few of the things I work on at Science are purely fun, but the Dance your Ph.D contest is an exception. I'm always impressed by the creativity and enthusiasm of the entries. Graceful electrons and pole dancing analysis of pee? See this year's winners! www.science.org/content/arti...

science.orgAnd the winner of Science’s 2026 ‘Dance Your Ph.D.’ contest is …A physicist and professional dancer takes home the grand prize, and Science awards its first trophy for an AI-assisted dance concept
John Travis
@john-travis.bsky.social

Here's an unlikely story that combines a fake neuroscientist, multiple lawsuits, Jeffrey Epstein, optical illusions, Nobel laureates, and the most famous picture of DNA. Another wild @science.org yarn with exclusive details from Jon Cohen www.science.org/content/arti...

science.orgAfter bizarre journey, prized history of molecular biology archive finds new homeScience History Institute makes public multimillion-dollar collection, including Rosalind Franklin’s famous DNA image, assembled by fake scientist
John Travis
@john-travis.bsky.social

We're still puzzling over this new FDA/NIH directive. Can anyone identify what clinical trials or research the agencies might mean. Something where CAR T cells are made in china or stem cells of some type? Seems very niche if it's not obvious what it refers to. www.nih.gov/news-events/...

nih.govFDA halts new clinical trials that export Americans’ cells to foreign labs in hostile countries for genetic engineeringTrials failed to inform participants about the international transfer.
John Travis
@john-travis.bsky.social

Minor but real fear about proposed NIH reorganization: being forced to use the acronym NICWHSDC for a new National Institute for Child and Women's Health, Sensory Disorders and Communication.

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