Stories by Heidi Ledford

Scientists and supporters rallied in cities across the U.S. and Europe to protest dramatic funding cuts and other attacks from the Trump administration

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has expressed support for some fields of science but has also declared he’d like a “break” in infectious-disease research. Here’s what he might do as the U.S.’s newly confirmed secretary of health and human services

Understanding genetics, immunology and the microbiomes of people with inflammatory bowel disease could aid in finding the right treatments for the condition

“Cell atlases” offer an unprecedented look at how kidney cells become diseased and how fetal cells invade and remodel the placenta’s blood vessels

A link between endometriosis and bacterial infection suggests a potential way to treat the painful disorder

Fatlike compounds in ancient rocks point to a vast array of previously unknown microbes that once dominated complex life on Earth

Key genes that are active in the brains of older people are also active in the brains of people who developed serious COVID

The “most complicated therapy ever” tailors bespoke, genome-edited immune cells to attack tumors

Under Elon Musk’s leadership, extremists could flock back to Twitter under the guise of “free speech,” and researchers are gearing up to study their impact

A cellular version of the computer game challenges assumptions about intelligence

Cases of paralysis in the U.S. and Israel suggest vaccine-derived poliovirus has infected many people

Two years into the pandemic, the COVID-19 drugs pipeline is primed to pump out novel treatments—and fresh uses for familiar therapies.

Researchers are trying to establish whether existing COVID-19 vaccines and treatments can prevent lasting symptoms

A rapidly spreading variant could dangerously strain health-care systems, even if the severe disease risk is relatively low for an individual

With vaccination campaigns underway in some countries while others weigh the options, Nature looks at the evidence for vaccinating younger people

At a pivotal moment in the pandemic, Nature explores key questions about the vaccines that countries are racing to deliver while viral variants spread around the globe

People older than 80 who waited 11 to 12 weeks for their second jab had higher peak antibody levels than did those who waited only three weeks

Preliminary results suggest the vaccine is up to 77 percent effective in young children, but researchers await larger studies

Researchers are searching for possible links between unusual clotting and the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine

Organoids made of tear-producing cells offer chances to study, and possibly treat, eye disorders

Uptake by patients and physicians has been low in the U.S. even though some therapies have been authorized for months

Two RNA vaccines will be useful as U.S. infections surge, but the speedy authorizations complicate clinical trials

Despite calls for more rigorous clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration has granted an emergency authorization for the therapy

Remote clinical trials and other changes could permanently alter pharmaceutical development