Ten years after SARS, we have Mers

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

So far Mers has proved less infectious than SARS - but for how long?

Splint made by 3D printer saves baby's life

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

The operation, carried out in the US, follows the development of a controversial 3D-printed gun openly available online. [contains video]

Teen develops dipstick test for cancer

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

This could be the first early test for pancreatic cancer - devised by a 15-year-old. . .

Drug industry in ‘crisis’

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

Pharmaceutical industry accused of neglecting innovation.

Millions at risk as malaria drug loses potency

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

Tests on the border between Thailand and Burma show that the most deadly form of the malaria parasite has developed resistance to artemesinin.

The six million dollar question

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

The rapid advance of bionic research is raising concerns that meddling with the brain could change people's personalities.

Gamers are serious internet addicts - study

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

Scientists show how internet dependency alters the human brain.

Sex and the guppy

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

Can the behaviour of our aquatic ancestors teach us anything about human relations?

Antibiotics our last line of defence?

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

‘Nightmare scenario’ as overuse of antibiotics breeds resistant superbugs.

Experts discover key to Elephant Man’s disfigurement

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

A century after the death of the Elephant Man scientists believe they may have solved the puzzle of what caused his condition.

Have we found the Holy Grail of drugs?

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

A once-a-day pill that can prevent HIV was hailed by researchers as two studies showed it could provide up to 73 percent protection against the disease.

Recycled packaging sparks health fears

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

The cereal packet on your breakfast table could be a health hazard, say experts.

Waist, not weight is the key to healthy life

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

Here's what reseachers have discovered in one of the largest studies conducted of the link between waist size and health.

Women save eggs for Mr Right

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

The difficulty of finding a partner to father their children is a key reason why more women are trying to preserve their fertility into their forties, research shows. ...

Heroin is a 'loser drug'

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

The liberalisation of drug laws in Zurich has led to a massive fall in the number of new heroin users, according to a study published. Now Britain, which has the ...

Breakthrough may pave way to Aids cure

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

United States scientists claim to have hit a milestone in the battle against Aids - but British experts say talk of a cure may be a bit premature, while others have ...

Now it's bad guys who come out smoking

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

In the movies, it is the lower class, unsuccessful bad guys who smoke. The cigarette is more than a badge of rebellion, it is a sign of evil intent, the first objective ...

Australians suffer from vitamin D deficiency

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

There is something disturbing about Sydney when you see it, as it were, in the flesh. A generation of Australians has been raised to fear the sun, never venturing ...

Pick a diet, any diet

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

If the bathroom scales reproach you with evidence of Christmas excess, here's a piece of advice: do not waste time trying to decide which diet to follow.

Your children may live to be 100 years old

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

While living until the ripe age of 100 is an achievement for today's population, in two generations it could be as routine as collecting a bus pass, according to ...

Experts hail new breast cancer drugs

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

Women with breast cancer have been offered new hope by research hailed as the biggest advance in treatment for the disease for 30 years.

Survival of the smallest

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

Each year, thousands of babies are born at the limits of viability, and medical science enables many to live. But now the courts are being asked to sit in judgment: ...

Diabetes: a story of medical failure

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

It has been more than 80 years since the discovery of insulin, yet we still cannot treat diabetes properly, let alone cure it, writes Jeremy Laurance.

Woman gives birth after ovary transplant

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

A woman has given birth to a baby following an ovarian transplant - and this breakthrough could allow doctors to reverse menopause and restore fertility to women ...

Boffins weigh up the Atkins Diet

JEREMY LAURANCE|Published

The kilograms may fall off in the first few months but the Atkins Diet does not help people lose weight in the long term - and it may even be dangerous, according ...