Study Examines Best Time for Healthy HIV-infected People to Begin Antiretrovirals

A major new clinical trial seeks to determine whether HIV-infected asymptomatic individuals have less risk of developing AIDS or other serious illness if they begin taking antiretrovirals sooner rather than later, based on their level of CD4+ T-cells. An HIV-infected individual’s level of CD4+ T-cells–commonly referred to as their CD4 count–is a key measure of … Read more

New robot system to test 10,000 chemicals for toxicity

Several federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, today unveiled a new high-speed robot screening system that will test 10,000 different chemicals for potential toxicity. The system marks the beginning of a new phase of an ongoing collaboration, referred to as Tox21, that is working to protect human health by improving how chemicals are … Read more

An Out-of-This-World Competition

What useful things can be shot into the stratosphere? Budding scientists and engineers are being invited to figure that out. Tomorrow is the deadline for the annual BalloonSat High Altitude Flight competition. U.S. high school students propose science experiments that are launched high above the earth, using weather balloons as satellites. Projects have included light … Read more