Silke Schmidt | Science News for Students

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Silke Schmidt

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Aedes aegypti

The mosquito Aedes aegypti (seen on human skin) transmits several dangerous diseases, including Zika. Researchers have shown that these bloodsuckers can’t bite through a fabric made of graphene.

TacioPhilip/iStock/Getty Images Plus

 Technology
Graphene fabric keeps mosquitoes from biting
An atomic-scale layer of fabric prevents mosquitoes from getting at our blood
a woman testing her blood sugar on a hike

People with diabetes monitor their blood sugar to avoid organ damage. Many take drugs that affect insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar. Researchers are exploring ultrasound as an alternative to those drugs.

AzmanJaka/E+/Getty Images Plus; adapted by L. Steenblik Hwang

 Health
Ultrasound might become a new way to manage diabetes
This form of energy releases insulin in mice. That might someday help control blood sugar in people
a picture of a baby ultrasound held by parents

Ultrasound produces images of babies in the womb. It’s typically one of the first health checks for baby and mom.

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 Light & Radiation
Explainer: What is ultrasound?
Although beyond human hearing, these sound waves can perform important tasks, especially in medicine
three surgeons operating on an unseen person

To reshape living tissue, surgeons usually cut into cells and stitch the wound. This type of surgery creates scars. A new, painless approach would damage few cells and might take only a few minutes.

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 Technology
A new electric surgery tool may someday fix nose, ear and eye problems
This painless alternative to traditional surgery uses electrochemistry to reshape tissue without causing scars
a photo of a sick baby with a thermometer under their arm

A fever may be (mostly) good for us, whether we're babies, teens or adults. A new study shows how it speeds infection-fighting cells to where they’ll do the body good.

Aynur_sib/iStockphoto

 Body functions
Fevers can have some cool benefits
That heating boosts our immunity by speeding disease-fighting cells to an infection
a photo of a smiling family with a baby girl in the middle

We inherit genes from our parents. Genes are like a recipe that’s passed along from one generation to the next. But the number of genes doesn’t explain why we are more complex than simple animals or bacteria.

digitalskillet/iStockphoto

 Genetics
Explainer: What are genes?
These stretches of DNA are the instruction manuals for making proteins, which do a cell’s work