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A black and white headshot of Katherine Irving

Katherine Irving

Katherine Irving is an intern at The Scientist. She studied creative writing, biology, and geology at Macalester College, where she honed her skills in journalism and podcast production and conducted research on dinosaur bones in Montana. Her work has previously been featured in Science.  

Articles by Katherine Irving
a trio of infant mice, two brown mice on the ends and one white mouse in the middle
Mice Pass Epigenetic Tweaks to Pups
Katherine Irving | Feb 17, 2023 | 5 min read
An engineered methylation pattern persisted for four generations of mice, demonstrating transgenerational epigenetic inheritance can occur in mammals.
A mother mouse breastfeeds her offspring
Fast-Acting Nonhormonal Male Birth Control Prevents Pregnancy in Mice
Katherine Irving | Feb 15, 2023 | 5 min read
The “on demand” drug immobilizes sperm rather than limit their production, preventing 100 percent of pregnancies in an experiment.
a mouse moves away from the camera, its left leg caught in a cloth
Scientists Discover New “Superfast” Muscle Fibers in Mouse Limbs
Katherine Irving | Feb 9, 2023 | 4 min read
Fast twitch fibers like these could one day be used to treat diseases like Parkinson’s.
an image of a slice of a rat brain is colored red on a black background. a lime green human organoid sits in the top left of the brain
Human Brain Organoids Transplanted Into Rats Respond to Visual Stimuli
Katherine Irving | Feb 3, 2023 | 3 min read
The organoids could one day be used to treat brain injuries in humans. 
Photo of Claudia Gerri
Claudia Gerri Studies the Mysteries of the Placenta
Katherine Irving | Feb 1, 2023 | 3 min read
At the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, the developmental biologist is probing the maternal-fetal interface across mammalian species.
a human neuron illuminated in bright green on a black background.
Mitochondrial Metabolism Dictates Neurons’ Growth Rate
Katherine Irving | Jan 30, 2023 | 4 min read
Altering the rate of respiration in mitochondria changes how fast neurons grow, making mouse neurons grow more like human ones and vice versa, a study finds.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm
Double Agents: Engineered Bacteria Tackle Pathogenic Biofilms in Mice
Katherine Irving | Jan 26, 2023 | 3 min read
Mycoplasma pneumoniae with pathogenic genes replaced by biofilm-degrading ones enhance survival in a mouse model of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
a centrifuge from a birds-eye view, spinning quickly with a colored blur 
Scientists Use Centrifuge to Discover a Hormone
Katherine Irving | Jan 23, 2023 | 3 min read
A new method for isolating extracellular fluid aims to discover molecules with therapeutic potential that were previously obscured by highly abundant proteins.
a newly hatched mosquito sits on top of water, with its discarded cocoon floating below
In Vitro Malaria Sporozoite Production May Lead to Cheaper Vaccines
Katherine Irving | Jan 20, 2023 | 4 min read
A method for culturing the infectious stage of the Plasmodium lifecycle could increase malaria vaccine production efficiency by tenfold, study authors say.
three black mice lined up next to each other. the one on the left, fed a low-fat diet, has one small bald patch, the middle mouse, fed fish oil, has a large bald spot across its shoulders and back, and the right mouse, fed cocoa butter, has no baldness.
Fish Oil in Diet Can Cause Hair Loss in Mice, Study Finds
Katherine Irving | Jan 19, 2023 | 3 min read
The oil’s omega-3 fatty acids accumulate in the mice’s skin, triggering an immune response that causes hair loss.
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