Researchers have devised a form of non-hormonal male birth control that effectively immobilizes sperm. By injecting mice with a compound called TDI-11861, the scientists “turn off” an enzyme within sperm, inhibiting it from moving along the fallopian tube to fertilize an egg. Of the 52 male mice injected with the compounds and paired with mates, no pregnancies occurred. The effect lasted for around two and …
Conservation organization Shoal announced that scientists have discovered 212 new freshwater fish species in the last year—a remarkable feat not only for the unprecedented number, but also for all the extraordinary creatures it represents. The New Species 2021 report includes the Hopliancistrus wolverine (aka the Wolverine fish), which surprised researchers with a hidden weapon system tucked underneath its gill covers. Other species—like the Mumbai blind …
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers analyzed over 130,000 retinal images from UK BioBank participants between the ages of 40 and 69. As retinas can offer unique insight into the body’s health, researchers set out to compare how one’s biological age—gleaned from eyes—may differ from one’s chronological age. They found a “retinal age gap,” which can work as a biomarker for health risks. If an individual’s biological …
