Science

Discover the scientific breakthroughs and engineering innovations being pioneered across Harvard’s labs and centers.

Smiling woman stands beside a large skull in a display cabinet.

Don’t Call Stephanie Pierce A Paleontologist

From competing in youth gymnastics to studying tetrapods, the Harvard curator has always chased her curiosity.

by Laurel M. Shugart

Hyman professor of chemistry Charles Lieber has created a transistor so small it can be used to penetrate cell membranes and probe their interiors, without disrupting function. The transistor (yellow) sits near the bend in a hairpin-shaped, lipid-coated silicon nanowire. Its scale is similar to that of intra-cellular structures such as organelles (pink and blue orbs) and actin filaments (pink strand).

Charles Lieber's nanoscale transistors can enter cells without harming them

Chemist Charles Lieber and his colleagues have developed a nanoscale transistor so small it can enter, probe, and communicate with cells without harming them.

by Jonathan Shaw

Image by Ruth Bazinet/CfA

Warren Brown: Stars escaping the Milky Way help map matter in our galaxy

Stars escaping the Milky Way help Warren Brown and other astronomers map the distribution of matter in our galaxy.

Thick bunches of nerves leave the brain or spinal cord and branch intricately within muscle (fibers of which can be seen running vertically in the background at right). The inset image shows individual axons (yellow) connecting to single synapses (red). The red stain is a snake venom that binds only to muscle receptors; poisonous kraits use it to immobilize their prey.

Exercise and caloric restriction counter aging in neural synapses

Caloric restriction and exercise boost mental acuity and motor ability by rejuvenating synapses.

by Jonathan Shaw

Regenerative medicine paper retracted

An important paper in regenerative biology has been retracted after its senior author, associate professor of stem-cell and regenerative biology Amy Wagers, raised concerns.

Can an HIV-infected person safely have a child with an uninfected partner?

Can an HIV-infected person safely have a child with an uninfected partner? Harvard scholars highlight a new approach.

Illustrations by Stuart Bradford

Michael Greenberg studies molecular-level memory formation and eRNA

Neurobiologist Michael Greenberg investigates how memories form at a molecular level, and discovers a new class of RNA.

Termites like this soldier, patrolling a piece of fungal comb, aerate and improve the soil near their mounds.

Robert Pringle says termite-mound distribution reveals ecosystem productivity

Robert Pringle says the grid-like distribution of Kenyan termite mounds helps answer an old question about ecosystems.

by Samuel Bjork

The fate of stem cells (white) in bone marrow is influenced by their immediate environment of bone cells (green), blood vessels (red), and bone (blue). Genetical­ly defective “bad neighbors” can actually cause cancer.

David Scadden studies cellular environments, seeking the origins of cancer

David Scadden studies the environmental cues that can cause normal cells to become diseased.

by Jonathan Shaw

Photograph by Ian MacLellan

Harvard scholars and students fight HIV in sub-Saharan Africa

Harvard professors and students take aim at the social and behavioral factors that contribute to HIV.

by Elizabeth Gudrais

Lecturer on medicine Krista Dong directs iTEACH, a set of innovative initiatives to improve HIV care in South Africa. In the background is iTEACH deputy director Zinhle Thabethe.

Bridging traditional healing and modern medicine for HIV care in South Africa

From traditional healing to modern medicine, a multifaceted approach to HIV care in South Africa. With audio