Biogenics

LSD-fiend, surfer, maverick — Kary Mullis might be the weirdest person ever to win the Nobel Prize. This video tells the unconventional story of Kary Mullis, a brilliant yet controversial biochemist, and his invention of the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)—a technique that revolutionized molecular biology by enabling the mass replication of specific DNA segments.

Researchers are increasingly turning to organ-on-a-chip technology for drug testing and other applications.

For over a century, scientists have chased the dream of insulin pills, but the digestive system kept destroying the drug before it could work—forcing millions of patients to rely on daily injections. Now, researchers at Kumamoto University have developed a clever workaround using a tiny peptide that helps insulin slip through the intestinal wall.

R3 Bio has a bold idea for replacing lab animals: genetically-engineered whole organ systems that lack a brain. The long-term goal, says a cofounder, is to make human versions.