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Using CRISPR technology, a team of researchers rewired stem cells' genetic circuits to produce an anti-inflammatory arthritis drug when the cells encounter inflammation. The technique eventually could act as a vaccine for arthritis and other chronic conditions.

Far to the right side of the decimal point—beyond milli, micro, nano, pico, and femto—lives the atto, the metric prefix representing 10-18. Slap it in front of a unit of concentration, such as molar, and it means that something exists in an extraordinarily small amount—think one part per quintillion. That’s the realm of SHERLOCK, a new diagnostic system that can detect attomolar levels of viruses in a sample and also distinguish Zika from its close relative, dengue. This exquisitely sensitiv...

Can billions of dollars’ worth of high-tech research succeed in making death optional?

A team of researchers at Boston University has developed a new way to engineer mammalian cells that allows for programming them to behave in desired ways.

First results in viable human embryos reveal CRISPR’s biggest problem

Genetic tools offer the chance to eradicate hereditary diseases. Misused, they could become instruments for prejudice.