Editor in chief at The Scientist. I am a #sciencejournalist, #scicomm-er, #traveler, #blogger, book lover, and movie fanatic.
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Articles by Meenakshi Prabhune
AI Digs Data Over Dogma. Are Biological Complexities a Thing of the Past?
In March 2026, I attended the Precision Medicine World Conference in Santa Clara. As is expected at all conferences these days, there were several sessions focusing on how AI is solving biology problems. In some ways, this is nothing new. Let’s face it, before AI, there was always some “silver bullet” technology that was hailed as the one to further a field, but this time, something felt different.
Career Chat: A Synthetic Biologist-Turned-Startup Founder Leads the Company’s Scientific Vision
When Daniel Lin-Arlow, today the chief scientific officer (CSO) for the DNA synthesis company Ansa Biotechnologies, was in college, DNA wasn’t at the top of his list of interests. He was a self-described computer nerd as an undergraduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2002.
A Nanochip Platform “deSIPHRs” the Proteome
"Imagine if you wanted to read a novel, but you could only read a handful of letters, and you only got through a word a day. It's going to take you your whole lifetime to get through that entire novel.” According to Jennifer Dionne, a material scientist and engineer at Stanford University, this analogy is akin to the state of researchers’ ability to read and understand the language of biology.
Chicken Eggs Become Bioreactors to Brew Low-Cost Medicines
Samuel Levin, cofounder and chief technical officer of Neion Bio, opened his talk at Synbiobeta 2026 with the inefficiencies of current biomanufacturing processes. Most biological medicines are predominantly manufactured in massive bioreactors, primarily utilizing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells.
TS Turns 40: Celebrating Decades of Regaling Readers with Human Stories
One of the strongest core memories from my childhood is story time with my grandfather. He performed rather than narrated the stories, complete with voice modulations, songs, and role enactments, breathing life into the fables. I have forgotten most of the details of the stories over the years, but the memory of how they made me feel remains strong. Similarly, avid readers often find that they may forget the plot details of a book that they loved, but they remember the emotions it evoked.
OpenAI Co-Founder Predicts the Rise of Fully Automated Life Science Labs
As biological data moves from the petri dish to the petabyte scale, how will the role of the researcher change? In a recent fireside chat at the Precision Medicine World Conference 2026, Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, and Greg Brockman, president and cofounder of OpenAI, discuss a future where AI handles the hypothesis-to-result loop, potentially redefining what it means to be a "scientist." What does the rise of AI tools mean for the future of the wet lab?
As Neural Organoid Research Accelerates, Scientists Discuss Ethics
On a foggy morning in the town of Asilomar in California, neuroscience and bioethics experts assembled this week to seek clarity, both visual and beyond. The primary question that they wanted to answer: What are the ethical considerations and societal implications of human neural organoids research? Human neural organoids are 3D assemblies of neurons generated from stem cells. Fusing one of more types of organoids creates an assembloid.
Our Brain is Listening: Are We Playing the Right Melody?
Researchers tune into the brain, seeking clues to solve the mysteries of neuronal health and aging. Written byMeenakshi Prabhune, PhD Image credit:© iStock.com, wildpixel Register for free to listen to this article Human longing for longevity is universal. Across cultures, mythological stories about elixirs of immortality exist, highlighting a common desire to stay youthful forever. The concept of immortality remains a distant dream, but one jellyfish species embodies it.
Smart Wearable Biosensors Power Pathogen Diagnostics
When Peter Nguyen was a graduate student at Rice University, he first encountered synthetic biology while mentoring undergraduates for the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition. He knew he had found his topic right then, and he has never looked back since.
Hearing Loss May Be the Canary in the Coal Mine for Dementia
Around his second birthday, Uri Manor’s parents realized that their son had severe hearing loss. Manor, who is now an imaging scientist and organelle researcher at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive hearing loss to develop new treatments for it. But his own experience with hearing loss is not what inspired him to study the topic. It was not, ‘Oh, woe is me. I have hearing loss. I need to work on this,’” he said.
The Journey to a Nobel Prize: A Protein Design and Structure Research Timeline
In the wee hours of an October morning, David Baker, a protein biologist at the University of Washington (UW), received the most-awaited phone call in a scientist’s career. Halfway around the world, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper of Google DeepMind, an artificial intelligence (AI) company, got the same news.
The Journey to a Nobel Prize: A Protein Design and Structure Research Timeline
In the wee hours of an October morning, David Baker, a protein biologist at the University of Washington (UW), received the most-awaited phone call in a scientist’s career. Halfway around the world, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper of Google DeepMind, an artificial intelligence (AI) company, got the same news.
An Ode to Stem Cells
Until a few hundred years ago, before scientific advances allowed researchers to peer inside the human body or extract cells to study them in the laboratory, I imagine that the mysteries of developmental biology—more than any other discipline—must have stumped humans. On one hand, one could visibly track a baby’s growth based on the size of the mother's growing bump; if everything went right, a healthy baby would emerge after nine months.
The Immeasurable Impact of a Scientist
A sprawling tree earns credit for producing fruits, cleansing the air, and offering a habitat for birds and small animals. But include the forest that it populated via seed dispersal, and its real influence extends beyond measure. Scientists face a similar situation. The h-index value measures a scientist’s success based on the number of publications and citations, but that score ignores a researcher’s percolating influence.
TS Digest Issue | July 2024, Issue 2 | What's the Difference Between Flow Cytometry and FACS?
From the Editor| Article The Immeasurable Impact of a Scientist A sprawling tree earns credit for producing fruits, cleansing the air, and offering a habitat for birds and small animals. But include the forest that it populated via seed dispersal, and its real influence extends beyond measure. Scientists face a similar situation. The h-index value measures a scientist’s success based on the number of publications and citations, but that score ignores a researcher’s percolating influence.
TS Digest Turns One
Time flies! It seems like yesterday that I wrote my for the launch of the TS digest last year, describing it as the literary equivalent of a fine dining tasting menu. Our goal behind curating this interactive, bite-sized digital magazine was to provide you, our readers, with refreshing content—short articles, brief podcast episodes, videos, infographics—for when you need a quick science break from your busy day.
TS Digest Issue | July 2024, Issue 1 | Mitochondria: The Powerhouse of the Placenta
From the Editor| Article TS Digest Turns One Time flies! It seems like yesterday that I wrote my for the launch of the TS digest last year, describing it as the literary equivalent of a fine dining tasting menu. Our goal behind curating this interactive, bite-sized digital magazine was to provide you, our readers, with refreshing content—short articles, brief podcast episodes, videos, infographics—for when you need a quick science break from your busy day.
Synthetic Biology is in Fashion
Once upon a time, circa 2700 BC in China, empress Xi Ling Shi was enjoying her afternoon tea under a mulberry tree, when a silkworm cocoon fell from the tree into her tea. She noticed that on contact with the hot beverage, the cocoon unraveled into a long silky thread. This happy accident inspired her to acquire these threads in abundance and fashion them into an elegant fabric.
Infographic: Synthetic Biology is Transforming Clothes and Cosmetics
Recombinant proteins usher in an era of sustainable fashion. Humans have used natural resources for garment production for thousands of years. While synthetic fabrics have dominated the textile industry in the last century, synthetic biologists are determined to harness natural proteins to sustainably produce better materials. Consequent advances in the production of relevant recombinant proteins at scale is changing the face of textile and personal care sectors.
Back to the Basics to Break Boundaries
I distinctly remember the day I first learned about using plasmids to manipulate bacteria during my undergraduate studies in microbiology. The experiment was quite simple, but at the time, I was mesmerized by the ingenuity of using plasmids to confer antibiotic resistance to bacteria. One could then screen for the plasmid-bearing surviving microbes that formed colonies on an antibiotic-infused agar plate. Science can be fun, and at times funny.
Open AI, Locked Minds
A couple of months ago, I woke up to mayhem on social media. Angry posts about how a paper featuring an image of a rodent with grotesque, biologically inaccurate genitalia had passed the peer-review process flooded my feed. In the next couple of months, more such instances arose: in one paper’s introduction, the authors erroneously left in a ChatGPT prompt, while in another instance, an AI chat response found its way into an article summary.
TS Digest Issue | June 2024 | Mining Antimicrobials in the Nose
From the Editor| Article Open AI, Locked Minds A couple of months ago, I woke up to mayhem on social media. Angry posts about how a paper featuring an image of a rodent with grotesque, biologically inaccurate genitalia had passed the peer-review process flooded my feed. In the next couple of months, more such instances arose: in one paper’s introduction, the authors erroneously left in a ChatGPT prompt, while in another instance, an AI chat response found its way into an article summary.
The Poster Projector
In 2014, I was in the final year of my graduate studies in biophysicist Christoph Schmidt’s group at the University of Goettingen. I had collected decent data from my project investigating the mechanical properties of Drosophila embryos, so my advisor encouraged me to present at an international conference in Boston that summer. The day of my poster presentation, I had spare time before my session. Feeling well prepared for the event, I explored the beach before heading to the conference venue.
Scientific Conferences Get Virtually Real
On the first day of one of the biggest conferences of the year, the website clocked more than 20,000 registrants. But for once, I was in no rush to grab a seat for the keynote. One minute before the talk started, I plugged right in from the comfort of my ergonomic office chair. With the rise of online portals, it was only a matter of time before we submitted to a virtual world. The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed this transition, coaxing researchers to connect digitally.
TS Digest Issue | May 2024 | The Shape of Cilia
From the Editor| Article Scientific Conferences Get Virtually Real On the first day of one of the biggest conferences of the year, the website clocked more than 20,000 registrants. But for once, I was in no rush to grab a seat for the keynote. One minute before the talk started, I plugged right in from the comfort of my ergonomic office chair. With the rise of online portals, it was only a matter of time before we submitted to a virtual world.
A Space Sequence Saga
NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins trained as a biologist and led a lab group at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research studying the genomics of infectious disease. In 2009, when an opportunity arose, she applied to be an astronaut and has never looked back. In 2016, Rubins became the first person to sequence DNA in space.1 Why did you want to test sequencing in space?
Let's Keep Science Real
The first day of April is abuzz with mischief in the air. Those aware of the prank tradition look over their shoulders all day, suspicious of everything and everyone—much to the annoyance of those uninterested in the custom. Many scientists partake in this tradition as well, channeling their intelligence into crafting convincing ruses to trick their colleagues, students, or advisors. Such antics often foster lab camaraderie and provide memorable stories for years to come.
TS Digest Issue | April 2024 | A Space Sequence Saga
From the Editor| Article Let's Keep Science Real The first day of April is abuzz with mischief in the air. Those aware of the prank tradition look over their shoulders all day, suspicious of everything and everyone—much to the annoyance of those uninterested in the custom. Many scientists partake in this tradition as well, channeling their intelligence into crafting convincing ruses to trick their colleagues, students, or advisors.
Gazing into Science’s Crystal Ball
A couple of years ago, I interviewed a patient who suffered from an aggressive form of prostate cancer to discuss his clinical trial experiences. In his search for suitable clinical trials, he had thoroughly studied the scientific details underlying his cancer. In this context, he mentioned how an increasingly popular immunotherapy seemed out of reach for him because it worked well for blood cancers but hit a wall when it came to solid tumors.
From Stepping Aside to Stepping Forward
In the mid-1990s, Nancy Hopkins, a biologist and tenured faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), realized that she had been allocated less lab space than her male colleagues, so she turned to a trusted friend: data. She measured every inch of her lab to irrefutably prove the inequitable distribution of space. Along the way, she teamed up with her fellow women faculty members to address other aspects of gender bias at the institution.
TS Digest Issue | March 2024 | The First Human Embryo Model from Embryonic Stem Cells
From the Editor| Article From Stepping Aside to Stepping Forward In the mid-1990s, Nancy Hopkins, a biologist and tenured faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), realized that she had been allocated less lab space than her male colleagues, so she turned to a trusted friend: data. She measured every inch of her lab to irrefutably prove the inequitable distribution of space.
Infusion of Artificial Intelligence in Biology
In the early 1990s, protein biologists invested in solving a challenge that had riddled them for decades. The protein folding problem centered on the idea that biologists should be able to predict the three-dimensional structure of a protein based on its amino acid sequence, but they hadn’t been able to do so in practice.
Work and Life: Balance or Blend?
About a decade ago, a few lab mates and I set off on a mission to explore a newly opened local karaoke joint. Hours passed by with us singing away our troubles, and only when we realized the threat of missing the last bus did we surrender our microphones. As the bus dawdled along, one of my lab mates prepared to disembark a couple of stops ahead of her home. On seeing our puzzled expressions, she succinctly explained, “My cells need me.” We all nodded understandingly.
TS Digest Issue | February 2024 | A Glowing Mouse Map
From the Editor| Article Work and Life: Balance or Blend? About a decade ago, a few lab mates and I set off on a mission to explore a newly opened local karaoke joint. Hours passed by with us singing away our troubles, and only when we realized the threat of missing the last bus did we surrender our microphones. As the bus dawdled along, one of my lab mates prepared to disembark a couple of stops ahead of her home.
Scientists Trot the Globe but Stay Sci-lingual
When I moved to Germany from India to pursue my masters and graduate studies, the cultural difference was stark. Initially, I was bewildered at cold dinners, succinct chats, and freezing weather, especially coming from a place where warmth is aplenty: in food, weather, and people. The lab organization differed as well; I almost needed a separate orientation course for the complex reagent labeling system.
TS Digest Issue | January 2024 | Alcohol Leaves its Mark on Immune Cells
From the Editor| Article Scientists Trot the Globe but Stay Sci-lingual When I moved to Germany from India to pursue my masters and graduate studies, the cultural difference was stark. Initially, I was bewildered at cold dinners, succinct chats, and freezing weather, especially coming from a place where warmth is aplenty: in food, weather, and people. The lab organization differed as well; I almost needed a separate orientation course for the complex reagent labeling system.
Making Standards Exceptional
When Samantha Maragh, who now leads the Genome Editing Program at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), was in elementary school, she loved watching the Forensic Files documentary series on television with her father. Watching scientists, especially women, perform remarkable DNA analysis experiments to solve criminal cases was her first exposure to the profession. Maragh was inspired; the show sparked an early aspiration to become a scientist as an adult.
When Scientists Collaborate, Science Progresses
When I first learned about the eukaryotic cell structure, I marveled at the sophisticated simplicity of how organelles synergistically work with one another to ensure smooth cellular processes. On the surface, the interplay of thousands of proteins and the symphony of gene modulations underlying a function seem chaotic. Still, as we look deeper, impressive patterns emerge, both within and between cells and across different tissues.
TS Digest Issue | December 2023 | Mean, Green, Antibody-producing Machines
From the Editor| Article Save the Sample When I was wrapping up my graduate studies, questions about the future of my project loomed large in my mind. The uncertainty around the fate of my oligonucleotide tubes felt like a cliffhanger moment in the season finale of a beloved series that has yet to be renewed for the following season.
In Fall, Scientists Rise High
Many people love the fall season for the colorful leaves, crisp air, and pumpkin spice lattes. Life science researchers have one more reason: It is the time of the year when winners of some of the most prestigious awards in science—the Nobel Prize, Lasker Awards, and Breakthrough Prize—are declared within a few weeks of one another.
TS Digest Issue | November 2023 | Bacterial Time Capsules
From the Editor| Article In Fall, Scientists Rise High Many people love the fall season for the colorful leaves, crisp air, and pumpkin spice lattes. Life science researchers have one more reason: It is the time of the year when winners of some of the most prestigious awards in science—the Nobel Prize, Lasker Awards, and Breakthrough Prize—are declared within a few weeks of one another.
TS Digest Issue | October 2023 | Designer Peptoids Pop Viral Membranes
From the Editor| Article A Picture Sparks a Thousand Words Recently, Google Photos digitally prodded me to revisit a few vacation photos taken a couple of years ago. Once I clicked “relive the day,” I saw my selfie against a scenic backdrop of the calm Chicago River and sprawling high rise buildings. Interestingly, the photo reminded me of something beyond the visible picturesque surroundings: the morning of the boat ride.
2023 Ig Nobel Prize for Gripping Work on Dead Spiders
The 33rd First Annual Ig Nobel Prizes were announced on September 14, 2023. Known to celebrate “research that makes people laugh… then think,” the ten accolades spanned a wide topic spectrum—from eating fossils to imaging the rectum.
TS Digest Issue | September 2023 | Fishing for Viruses
From the Editor| Article Handling the Extras in Academia To say that academics wear multiple hats is an understatement. A researcher must ideate, experiment, teach, analyze, collaborate, present, write, and more. As academics move up the ladder, their hat closets expand further. A new list of responsibilities adds to their already lengthy to-do lists: oversee budgets, mentor students, plan conferences, apply for funding, review papers, and serve on committees, to name a few.
Explainer: High blood pressure stresses the heart and blood vessels
adolescent: Someone in that transitional stage of physical and psychological development that begins at the onset of puberty, typically between the ages of 11 and 13, and ends with adulthood. artery: Part of the body’s circulation system. There are several. Each is a major tube running between the heart and blood vessels that will move blood to all parts of the body. blood pressure: The force exerted against vessel walls by blood moving through the body.
TS Digest Issue | August 2023 | The Roles of Endogenous Psychedelics
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From the Editor| Article Failing to Succeed In 1928, Alexander Fleming noticed a mold infiltrating his Staphylococcus bacteria culture plates. Fleming observed that the intruder inhibited bacterial growth and eventually found the causative antibiotic: penicillin. This story of a serendipitous groundbreaking discovery from a mishap is an inspiration to all scientists. It offers hope that even if an experiment fails, something extraordinary may come out of it.
By Meenakshi Prabhune, Ida Emilie Steinmark Verified, Danielle Gerhard, Iris Kulbatski, PhD Verified
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The Scientist
Verified
TS Digest Issue | July 2023 | Elusive Tsetse Pheromones
A three-egg omelet with a side of hash browns and a thick stack of syrup-laden pancakes sat on the table in front of me. I stared, worried about how I would get through this “regular portion” breakfast that the nation adored during my first visit to a popular US diner 10 years ago. A hearty meal that provides maximum value for the money makes sense, yet a paradoxical food trend is on the rise today.
Warning! Nicotine poses special risks to teens
The next time someone offers you their e-cigarette, you might want to think twice before taking a puff. You’re not just vaping water with some added flavoring. You’ll be inhaling a cloud of other ingredients, too, such propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine. These are generally thought to be safe for use in food. But we don’t know that it’s safe to pull them into our lungs. Vape liquids also contain metals, formaldehyde and other toxic ingredients.
Alfred Sommer: Discovering a two-cent remedy that saves children’s lives
Alfred Sommer: Discovering a two-cent remedy that saves children’s lives “Not a lot of people have an opportunity to make an unexpected discovery that leads to a dramatic program that really impacts the lives of millions and millions of people. But when you do, it is your responsibility to change clinical practice,” says Alfred Sommer, an ophthalmologist at John Hopkins University who lives by this principle.
Mind Travel: Where Past and Present Intersect
I sat by the side of Lake Geneva in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a book, a cup of coffee, and my bulging backpack. With a summer breeze kissing my face against a backdrop of the magnificent Alps sprawling in front of my eyes, the book that I had brought to keep me entertained was closed most of the time. I wanted to capture that beautiful moment in my mind—the perfect feeling of happiness in solitude that brings an involuntary smile on the face. (Left) Lake Elizabeth in Newark, California.
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