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There are an estimated 150,000 animal species that have evolved venom. Some are familiar, such as snakes, bees, scorpions, and spiders. But there are also venomous lizards, sea anemones, cone snails, and even a few mammals, like the duck-billed platypus with its venom-bearing ankle spurs. read more

In 2020, a research group made the stunning announcement that it had built programmable organisms—living robots they called xenobots—out of biological cells, and these xenobots could work together to perform simple tasks. read more

Biomedical and health technology is progressing at breakneck speed. From specialty pharmacies to general discount shops, store shelves are packed with a vast assortment of wearable medical devices that measure glucose levels, heart rate, and other health metrics; and over-the-counter test kits are helping to check for a wide array of infections. At the same time, electronic health records and other data-sharing platforms have smoothed the mass shift from in-person to virtual office visits over the past two years, and new imaging technologies are allowing earlier disease detection so treatments can begin sooner when they are more effective. read more