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Can Network Science Transform Health and Nutrition?
Albert-László Barabási explains how the same organizing principles shape everything from the internet to the cell, and how mapping the networks inside our bodies could change how we treat disease and think about food.
The Evolving Story of How Chemistry Became Biology
After decades of bickering about which molecules came first, a new generation of scientists is rethinking what life was, is, and could be.
How a Metabolic Spark Could Have Jump-Started Life
Energetic pathways that make and break complex molecules are critical to all life. It’s even possible that these self-sustaining cycles could have been key at life’s beginning.
The Case for a Bubble at Life’s Start
Is self-enclosure life’s greatest trick? According to the lipid-first theory, a cell membrane enabled life by giving chemistry a place to gather.
Did Life Begin in an RNA World?
Some believe the earliest life emerged from self-copying molecules that could mutate and even evolve. But that may not have been enough.
How Spiders Spin ‘Silk Dope’ Into Nature’s Toughest Material
By probing its molecular structure, biologists are uncovering how a tangle of unstructured proteins turns into a strong, flexible fiber.
Malaria Parasite Caught in the Act of Breaking and Entering
To invade red blood cells, the deadly protist creates a temporary molecular portal that disappears behind it — a door we can now see in fine detail.
See Inside Cells Like Never Before in These Vivid Microscopic Images
Winning entries in the 2026 Nikon Small World competitions reveal the hidden interactions that govern everyday life.
How Do Fungi Keep the Planet Healthy?
Evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers explains how fungal networks in soil trade nutrients with plants, help keep carbon underground, and strike bargains without having a brain.