Contributor

B. David Zarley

Senior Staff Writer

Contact

[email protected]

B. David Zarley is a senior staff writer for Freethink, where he covers health and medicine, including infectious disease, psychedelic research, mental health, and the brain. A graduate of SUNY Fredonia, his work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Verge, Jezebel, Frieze, Sports Illustrated, VICE, Paste Magazine, and numerous other publications. He lives in Chicago and can be reached via Signal by request. Send him story ideas!

Virology

New mRNA universal flu vaccine against all known subtypes takes promising first steps

A new universal flu vaccine candidate that uses mRNA to target all known flu subtypes looks promising in animal models.

B. David Zarley

Climate Crisis

The mail is finally going electric (its trucks, anyway)

After withering criticism from the EPA, Biden officials, and 16 states, the USPS has announced it will order more electric delivery vehicles.

B. David Zarley

an artist's rendering of an orbiting spacecraft near an asteroid.

Asteroids

A far-out plan to build an asteroid city

University of Rochester researchers think they have a solution to creating an asteroid city: a giant bag.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

New antibody therapy works for 73% of multiple myeloma patients

A new multiple myeloma therapy that uses an antibody to bring T cells to the cancer has shown efficacy in clinical trials.

B. David Zarley

Medicine

Engineered bacteria may one day prevent kidney stones

In a small proof-of-concept study, an engineered E. coli was able to reduce levels of a kidney stone-causing chemical.

B. David Zarley

Food

Harvard and Kraft Heinz are trying to make sugar healthier

Instead of replacing sugar, Wyss scientists had an idea: what if they change sugar to make it healthier?

B. David Zarley

Brain

Researchers have developed a way to “decode” depression

Baylor College of Medicine researchers have developed an electrode-based “mood decoder” capable of mapping brain activity to mood.

B. David Zarley

Virology

New “future-proof” drug can fight COVID-19 and the common cold

Researchers have identified a compound capable of stopping multiple coronaviruses in cell and tissue models.

B. David Zarley

Clean Energy

Extra-salty lithium battery less likely to catch fire

Stanford researchers have developed a battery electrolyte that can allow lithium-ion batteries to operate safely at much higher temperatures.

B. David Zarley

Public Health

Breakthrough drug cures sleeping sickness with one dose

A new, one-dose treatment for lethal sleeping sickness was 95% effective at clearing the parasite from patients.

B. David Zarley