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Research assistant Katie McCullough holds up a mouse for Jake Litvag, 16, to see inside a Washington University lab where doctors are using the mice and Jake’s genes to study a rare form of autism linked to a mutation in the MYT1L gene Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021, in St. Louis. Researchers are using a mouse model and cell line with Jake's exact mutation to try to better understand the mutation. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Jake's mice: Searching for answers to the puzzle of autism
By LAURA UNGAR - AP Science Writer
Sun,01/02/22-8:04AM , 158 Reads
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jake Litvag leaned in for a closer look as a lab mouse scurried around an enclosure, stopping to sniff a large block.

“Hi, Jakob 1. I’m Jake,” the 16-year-old said, naming the little furry creature engineered to have the same genetic abnormality he has.
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Pandemic mystery: Scientists focus on COVID's animal origins
By LAURA UNGAR - AP Science Writer
Fri,12/10/21-12:00AM , 170 Reads
Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the origin of the virus tormenting the world remains shrouded in mystery.

Most scientists believe it emerged in the wild and jumped from bats to humans, either directly or through another animal. Others theorize it escaped from a Chinese lab.
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How COVID shots for kids help prevent dangerous new variants
By LAURA UNGAR - AP Medical Writer
Mon,11/22/21-9:02AM , 129 Reads
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Cadell Walker rushed to get her 9-year-old daughter Solome vaccinated against COVID-19 — not just to protect her but to help stop the coronavirus from spreading and spawning even more dangerous variants.
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New research offers glimpse into early human development
By LAURA UNGAR - AP Science Writer
Wed,11/17/21-10:32AM , 79 Reads
Scientists have been able to get a rare glimpse into a crucial, early stage of human development by analyzing an embryo in its third week after fertilization — a moment in time that has been difficult to study because of both practical and ethical considerations.
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