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Rollout of powerful new HIV prevention tool in lower income countries gets a boost Global Fund and U.S. government plan to make injectable lenacapavir available to 3 million people by 2028

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Loreen Willenberg has died, but not from HIV. She was diagnosed with HIV in 1992, and then, "unlike almost all people living with HIV, was able to keep her virus undetectable and immune cell count high without ever taking antiretroviral therapy."
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Graph of receptor binding curves showing an ancestral and recent H5N1. The ancestral virus does not bind NeuGc receptor well, whereas the recent virus birds NeuGc and NeuAc containing receptors equally.

Really excited to be able to share our latest preprint, describing how during its evolution in cattle, H5N1 has got better at using a type of alternative receptor that's abundant in cows, but not found in humans and birds.

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Slasher sequel: Trump again proposes major cuts to U.S. science spending Science advocates urge Congress to reject 2027 budget plan

President's FY'27 budget proposal explained. There's a fantasy aspect to the exercise, as last year demonstrated when Congress pushed back hard, preserving most science funding Trump wanted to cut. But it does reveal the president's dreams. www.science.org/content/arti...

I second the first sentence, and back at you @meredithwadman.bsky.social for the last one!

I know it well. In this case, the answer depends on whom you ask. See the last sentence in the story.

Is Trump killing the heralded U.S. effort to help the world battle HIV? The Department of State hasn’t given the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all the money it needs to keep vital AIDS relief programs operating

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Two years after it emerged, ‘cow flu’ is still circulating—and baffling scientists Researchers still aren’t sure how H5N1 influenza spreads between cows and from farm to farm

H5N1 in dairy cows largely has disappeared from the news--a reflection of steeply declining detections. But it continues to circulate on dairies, and researchers continue to debate critical questions about how the virus moves between farms and within herds. www.science.org/content/arti...

A forgotten social media post may hold key clues to COVID-19’s origin Analysis of Wuhan market map suggests China has not disclosed some of the earliest infections in animals and people

A ludicrous theory posted on WeChat by "Kunlun Sword" in 2021 asserted that Maine lobsters sparked the COVID pandemic. Evobiologist Flo Débarre now has found clues in the post that suggest China has withheld evidence about early infected humans and animals. www.science.org/content/arti...

New HIV cure approach forces hidden virus into tripping immune sensor Strategy gains momentum after promising results in cell studies and infected people

An obstacle to an HIV cure is that the viral protease enzyme is like a jewel thief that dodges laser sensors, which, when tripped, cause death of infected cells. Drugs can force protease to stand up, potentially reducing reservoirs of latently infected cells. www.science.org/content/arti...

A titan of vaccine development sees his field’s achievements slip away Stanley Plotkin, the 93-year-old "godfather of vaccines," is watching his field’s achievements slip away.

@helenbranswell.bsky.social celebrates the one-and-only Stanley Plotkin, godfather of vaccines, wise elder, spark plug that's still firing. www.statnews.com/2026/03/02/s...

Thanks! Let me know what you think.

Community health project in Kenya and Uganda dramatically cuts new HIV infections Large-scale study finds that simplifying delivery of prevention medication and improving connections to clinics is key

Study in 80,000 people in Uganda and Kenya shows 70% reduction in risk of HIV infection. The secret? Community health workers offering testing at home, simplified access to PrEP and PEP, follow up with smart phone app that connects people to clinics. Remarkable.
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A little-known flu virus is sickening cattle around the world. Are humans next? Features of recently identified influenza D point to possible pandemic threat

Ever heard of flu D? Hardly anyone else has either. But it deserves your attention. www.science.org/content/arti...

Bird flu antibodies found in cow in the Netherlands, a first outside of U.S. Dead cat led to discovery, but officials stress no further spread of H5N1 has been detected

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New hepatitis B drug could help ‘functionally cure’ some patients Scientists welcome GSK announcement that two trials succeeded—even though data are still lacking

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The Trump administration says some approved childhood vaccines need better studies. Scientists disagree Rationale for dropping some vaccine recommendations faces skepticism

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Fresh conflicts erupt around giant database for flu and COVID-19 sequences Critics say “autocratic” behavior by GISAID could hamper response to a future pandemic

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It's a fantastic insight from 304 years ago.

NIH leader resigns after flap over risks of seasonal flu virus study Agency may be expanding list of pathogens subject to dangerous “gain-of-function” regulations

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Science’s 2025 Breakthrough of the Year: The unstoppable rise of renewable energy Clean energy infrastructure is being deployed with unmatched scale and speed—and China is leading the way

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Fired NIH institute head sues Trump administration Jeanne Marrazzo says she lost her job because she spoke out against risky public-health policies

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How some treatments can lead to a ‘functional cure’ for HIV Specific class of immune cells help keep virus at bay for months or years—even in the absence of drugs

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Book Review: The Urgent Quest to Prevent the Next Pandemic In "Planning Miracles," Jon Cohen chronicles the efforts of scientists and others to eradicate the threat of pandemics.

Thanks to @undark.org for reviewing my new book!

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The Trump administration is dismantling efforts to fight the next pandemic A retreat from investments in drugs and vaccines leaves U.S. less prepared for the next viral scourge, experts warn

"It's as if it stopped raining, so why fix the roof?www.science.org/content/article/trump-ad...

James Watson: Titan of science with tragic flaws Science historian Nathaniel Comfort reflects on the “most famous scientist of the 20th century, and the most infamous of the 21st”

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AI drives dramatic expansion of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s funding to end all diseases Entering its second decade, philanthropy with Facebook fortune has shed social causes and now focuses on ambitious science dream

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is poised to become one of the largest philanthropies supporting science, and it now is going "all in" on AI and biology to create a virtual immune system. I spoke with Chan and many of its scientists last week. www.science.org/content/arti...