Priyanka Runwal
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Freelance science reporter | previously @NatGeo covering COVID-19 and health | @UCSC_SciCom | 🇮🇳 in 🇺🇸
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Articles by Priyanka Runwal
Elephants can relearn how to live wild after years in captivity
After decades in tourist camps and circuses, African elephants that were returned to the wild are behaving, in many respects, like elephants that were never captive. A new study offers cautious evidence that elephants can regain many wild-like behaviors. Eleven elephants living freely on South African reserves showed rates of vigilance, confrontation and self-directed touching broadly similar to those of wild elephants, researchers report July 29 in PLOS One.
This humpback whale hunting strategy has been out of sight — until now
Humpback whales are known for their ingenious hunting tactics. One of the most sophisticated strategies involves as many as 20 whales working together to create a “net” of bubbles underwater that rise to trap fish and krill near the ocean surface. Now, a recent study provides the first documentation of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) teaming up to feed at the seafloor too.
Will community air monitoring bring 'Cancer Alley' cleaner air?
For decades, Bertha Myles has felt aggrieved by the foul odors besetting her home. Sitting on her porch, she recalls the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2006 when her husband died of prostate cancer. She fondly remembers his love for biscuits. Looking across the street, she talks about Joyce, her neighbor, who also died of cancer.
How fish scales help reconstruct historical PFAS trends
In recent decades, scientists have documented widespread per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in the environment, including in fish. Because these compounds don’t degrade easily, fish can accumulate PFAS in their bodies. When people eat these fish, they’re also exposed to the PFAS, some of which can cause adverse health effects.
To vaccinate bats, scientists turn to mosquitoes
Scientists have long aspired to vaccinate wild bats to prevent the circulation of deadly viruses. These mammals harbor rabies, Ebola, Nipah, Marburg, and coronaviruses that can cause severe disease and death in humans. Immunizing bats “is a good way to control the virus before it spills over into human populations,” says Aihua Zheng, a virologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Zoology. In a recent study published in Sci. Adv.
HIV can develop resistance to lenacapavir, but at a cost to the virus
Since its first approval in 2022, Gilead Sciences' lenacapavir-a twice-yearly injectable-has come to be a potential game changer for preventing HIV and for treating multidrug-resistant HIV, where it's used in combination with other antiretrovirals. The drug targets the HIV-1 capsid protein and inhibits viral replication. Still, during clinical trials and in in-vitro studies, clinicians and researchers noted the emergence of resistance to the drug.
A high-tech poker scandal and a chemistry test controversy
Every now and again, this Newscriptster enjoys a game of poker-Texas Hold'em, to be precise. It's all fun and games, but even without betting real money, it's nice to win. So recent news about Operation Royal Flush raised the question: Was there any science behind this cheating operation?
PFAS exposure linked to adverse birth outcomes
Exposure to drinking water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can worsen birth outcomes and potentially costs the US about $8 billion every year in health-care expenditures and reduced earnings, according to a recent study ( Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2025, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2509801122).
Wildfires are global. Media focus is not
Wildfires, especially those occurring at the wildland-urban interface (WUI), are becoming more common. As human habitation expands into undeveloped spaces and climate change creates more suitable fire weather, more people are likely to be exposed to wildfire smoke containing hazardous air pollutants. A lot remains unknown about the complex chemical composition of such smoke from WUI fires and the health risks they pose.
Firefighters wear wristbands to track harmful exposures
After unprecedented wildfires ripped through homes, businesses, and schools in the Los Angeles area earlier this year, Stephen Spriggs and his crew of firefighters took over. The Eaton and Palisades wildfires- among the most destructive in California's history -killed 31 people and destroyed more than 15,000 buildings. The devastation was surreal, says Spriggs, a captain with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
Ancient DNA reveals pathogens that struck Napoleon's army
While Napoleon Bonaparte's army retreated from a failed invasion of Russia in 1812, nearly 300,000 soldiers died because of extreme cold, hunger, and diseases. Scientists have long been interested in identifying the main pathogens and diseases that obliterated the troops. Physicians at the time documented diarrhea, dysentery, pneumonia, fevers, and typhus.
Trump administration reverses course on shutdown layoffs at CDC
Workers in several federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), began receiving reduction-in-force (RIF) notices Oct. 10. The action follows previous statements from the Donald J. Trump administration that it planned to further reduce the federal workforce, and go beyond the standard furloughs, in case of a government shutdown. The latest layoffs are being challenged in court by two unions, including the American Federation of Government Employees.
A small city in Utah voted to keep fluoride in its water. Then the state banned it.
Brigham City, Utah -After turning off Utah State Route 90 and making a short drive down Power Plant Road at the foot of the rugged Wellsville Mountains, Mike Waite pulls up in front of a beige storage shed. "This is what used to be our fluoride building," says Waite, Brigham City's assistant public works director and water superintendent. The shed's interior is mostly empty.
Ousted CDC director details firing, warns of vaccine schedule changes
"Liar" and "untrustworthy." That's what Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, said about Susan Monarez, the recently ousted director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) whose firing Kennedy initiated. In response to questions about the turmoil at the CDC raised during a Senate committee hearing on Sept. 4, he defended his handling of the federal agency. But in a Sept.
RFK Jr. defends handling of CDC, vaccines amid pressure to resign
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., defended his recent actions around vaccine policies and upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Thursday while facing a barrage of questions and criticisms from both Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Committee on Finance.
New normal
Video showing vegetation and some human habitation ablaze, while firefighters keep a close eye on the unleashing wildfires. As human habitation expands into undeveloped areas, homes and businesses creep closer to forests, grasslands, and scrub. Globally, more and more wildfires are occurring at this wildland-urban interface, causing substantial property damage and loss of life. In this series, we examine the unique chemistry of these fires and how it might affect air quality and human health.
Activation of the 'complement system' helps trigger dangerous sickle-cell-disease outcome
Among people with sickle cell disease-an inherited blood disorder-acute chest syndrome (ACS) is the leading cause of death. The condition is the result of red blood cells becoming stiff, sticky, and sickle shaped and clogging small arteries and veins in the lungs, thus blocking the flow of blood and oxygen in the organ. The airways become inflamed, and patients experience severe chest pain and difficulty breathing.
At least 36 dead at a drug ingredients plant in India
On Monday, June 30, an explosion and fire ripped through Sigachi Industries' facility in the southern Indian state of Telangana, killing at least 36 and injuring dozens of workers. The company is India's largest manufacturer of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), an excipient used in the pharmaceutical, supplement, and food industries. A white powder derived from wood pulp, MCC is chemically inert and mainly used by pharmaceutical companies as a binder to hold together tablet components.
A baby gets the world's first personalized CRISPR therapy
In the first 48 h after K.J. Muldoon's birth last year, doctors noticed signs of lethargy and respiratory distress. A blood test revealed off-the-charts ammonia levels-they exceeded 1,000 µmol/L, which is far above the 9-33 µmol/L range considered normal. Soon, doctors diagnosed K. J. with a severe form of a rare genetic disorder known as carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency, which affects approximately 1 in 1.3 million people worldwide.
Congressional hearing confronts contentious deep-sea mining issues
Several developments last month are likely to shape the future of the controversial deep-sea mining industry. A congressional hearing on the subject highlighted the widely touted promise of seabed mining and its perils. On April 24, US president Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to expedite the review and issuing of seabed mining licenses and permits in international waters.
OxyVinyls will contribute to the $600 million settlement in the East Palestine train derailment case
In September, a federal judge approved a $600 million class-action settlement against Norfolk Southern-the freight company responsible for the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which released toxic chemicals into the air and local environment. The payment would compensate individuals and businesses affected by the derailment.
WHO member states finalize pandemic treaty
Around 2am on April 16 in Geneva, the World Health Organization's member states finalized the draft of a global pandemic agreement. Aimed at strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, the agreement took 3½ years of intensive negotiations. "Tonight marks a significant milestone in our shared journey toward a safer world," the WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in his concluding remarks.
Deep-sea mining company eyes US approval to extract critical minerals
In late March, The Metals Company, a Canadian deep-sea mining firm, announced that it would seek approval from US agencies to extract critical minerals in areas of the ocean floor that are beyond US jurisdiction. If approved, the move would be the first to bypass the International Seabed Authority (ISA). These seabed mineral resources are in demand for clean energy technologies, but mining them could disturb fragile marine environments and disrupt unique biodiversity.
Glowing cave compounds could aid search for extraterrestrial life
If you've ever been on a cave tour where the guide shines a black light, you've seen the walls and formations glow. The stunning fluorescence is often the result of impurities trapped in calcite rocks that illuminate under UV light that is otherwise invisible to the human eye. Now, researchers at the University of Northern Iowa are using these UV spectral signatures to assess the chemical makeup of these cave features.
'Shocking' signs of damage in plastic-eating chicks
Seabirds and other marine creatures are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution. They mistake plastic debris floating in the ocean for food. Researchers recently coined the term ' plasticosis,' a condition that's causing seabirds' digestive tracts to become scarred from eating pieces of plastic. Now the same team, along with their colleagues, have found signs of dementia-like brain damage, kidney and liver dysfunction, and disruptions to the stomach lining of sable shearwater chicks ( Sci. Adv.
In a statement he shared with C&EN, David Weldon- a physician and former Republican congressperson from Florida -says he received a call late March 12 from an assistant at the White House. Weldon was told that his nomination to lead the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was being withdrawn. The reason: "there were not enough votes to get me confirmed," Weldon says in the statement.
White House pulls CDC director nomination hours before hearing
In a statement he shared with C&EN, David Weldon- a physician and former Republican congressperson from Florida -says he received a call late March 12 from an assistant at the White House. Weldon was told that his nomination to lead the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was being withdrawn. The reason: "there were not enough votes to get me confirmed," Weldon says in the statement.
NIH director nominee pledges to repair 'distrust' in research
Stanford University health policy professor and economist Jay Bhattacharya is poised to become the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after testifying before a key US Senate committee on Wednesday. Bhattacharya says he has no concrete plans for additional layoffs at the organization, should he be confirmed as director.
Scientists protest NIH cuts that senator says 'will kill more Americans'
Across the US on Feb. 19, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in rallies in a coordinated national day of action to protest the mass firings of federal employees. The Donald J. Trump administration directed the terminations-which affected thousands of employees across the US government and are without modern precedent-as part of its efforts to reduce the size and cost of the federal government. Trump told reporters on Feb. 15.
Vaccinations for Sudan Ebola virus begin in Uganda to curb outbreak
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40 years later, Bhopal is still in crisis
Carrying a clipboard, Farhat Jahan, a community research worker, crisscrosses the narrow alleyways of Vijay Nagar-a locality in the central Indian city of Bhopal. Just over 40 years ago, on a chilly December night, the world's worst industrial disaster struck the residents of this neighborhood and those nearby.
Vaccinations for Sudan Ebola virus begin in Uganda to curb outbreak
On Jan. 30, Uganda confirmed an outbreak of the Sudan virus disease. The Sudan virus belongs to the same family as the Ebola virus. The announcement came after the death of a 32-year-old nurse in the capital, Kampala, who tested positive for the virus during a postmortem assessment. He initially developed high fever and chest pain and had difficulty breathing. Within days, the individual experienced bleeding and later died from multiorgan failure.
Tanzania declares Marburg virus disease outbreak
On Jan. 20, Tanzania declared an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus disease in Biharamulo District in the northwestern part of the country's Kagera Region. The announcement comes after public health officials confirmed one case. Additionally, 25 people with suspected infections whose test results were later negative for Marburg virus are being closely monitored. This is the second Marburg virus disease outbreak in Tanzania.
The state of H5N1 infections and research as 2025 approaches
In March 2024, US federal agencies announced a multistate outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in dairy cows. Since then, the virus has infected at least 876 cattle herds in 16 states and 65 people have tested positive for H5N1. The majority of human bird flu cases-typically reported in workers exposed to infected dairy cows or poultry-have been mild. But on Dec.
Color-changing cookies and appetizing ants
What makes these cookies green? For a food chemistry class project, one of Lilian Were Senger's students baked cookies. Instead of using peanut butter, she opted for sunflower-seed butter. Fresh out of the oven, the cookies looked nothing out of the ordinary-golden brown with a cracked top and soft appearance. But breaking a cookie in half revealed a green center. Within a few hours, the rest of the cookie started turning green.
How bacteria-infected mosquitoes reduced dengue cases
Dengue infections are on the rise in many parts of the world, thanks to climate change and the expansion of the range of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. While some public health agencies are slowly rolling out two licensed vaccines, a few countries are also testing a novel intervention to battle these mosquitoes and the diseases they spread. Researchers at the nonprofit World Mosquito Program (WMP) have been releasing mosquitoes infected with a bacterium called Wolbachia as a way to control dengue.
Microplastics and nanoplastics are almost everywhere-even in human bodies. Over the past 5 years or so, scientists have found them in the blood and brain, heart and kidneys, liver and lungs, human milk and placenta, and testicles and semen. If and how these plastic particles-defined as smaller than 5 mm in size-harm our health remains unclear, but clues are emerging. In the laboratory, scientists are feeding mice microplastics to understand whether these particles pose risks to the animals' health.
Coated seeds turn birds into mosquito-killing machines
Every year between spring and fall, many local governments and mosquito control districts in the US spray insecticides to kill adult and larval mosquitoes. Now researchers in California and Colorado are testing another approach to manage populations of these pesky and potentially disease-carrying insects. The research teams are filling bird feeders with ivermectin-coated seeds.
CDC calls for expanding bird flu virus testing
In a press briefing on Nov. 7, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced its recommendation to test farmworkers who were exposed to animals infected with bird flu regardless of whether these individuals develop symptoms. This move revises the agency's previous recommendation to test only symptomatic people exposed to H5N1-infected animals. The CDC had issued that advice in April, when multiple states first reported an outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows.
Rwanda identifies index case for current Marburg virus outbreak
In Rwanda, efforts to control an ongoing outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a deadly Ebola-like filovirus, continue. The country declared the outbreak on Sept. 27 and had recorded 63 cases and 15 deaths as of Oct. 23. In a press briefing on Oct. 24, Rwanda's health minister, Sabin Nsanzimana, confirmed that the virus that started the outbreak originated in an animal. In an earlier meeting, on Oct.
Here's what's happening with the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda
A deadly, Ebola-like virus called Marburg is currently causing an outbreak in Rwanda. The country declared an outbreak of Marburg virus disease on Sept. 27 and has reported 58 confirmed cases and 13 deaths as of Oct. 8. Many of those who have been infected are health-care workers. While nearly all previous outbreaks have occurred in other sub-Saharan African countries-including Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Angola-this is Rwanda's first.
Ancient seawater's chemical mysteries come into focus
The debate goes back to the 1950s. "I've seen the argument raging my entire career," says 71-year-old James Kasting, a geoscientist at the Pennsylvania State University. At the heart of this long-lasting feud is the oxygen isotope composition of ancient seawater. Many scientists have argued that δ 18O-a measure of change in the abundance of 16O and 18O in seawater-has remained relatively constant over the last 540 million years. Others contend that δ 18 O has increased over this period.
These Fossils Are Found All Over, but What Made Them Was a Mystery Original
If you know where to look, you can find dumbbell-shaped fossils in rock outcrops all over the world: in Brazil, the United States, Canada, India and African and European countries. They are called Bifungites, and they are not fossilized animals but burrows left in an extinct creature's wake. Most are found in rocks from the Paleozoic era more than 300 million years ago.
WHO declares mpox a global health emergency
On Aug. 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other countries in Africa are a public health emergency of international concern. It's the highest level of alarm that the WHO can sound, and it's the second time in 2 years that the agency has declared mpox a global health emergency. This year alone, officials have recorded more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths in Congo-the country most affected by the mpox virus.
Llegaron los mosquitos. Esto hay que saber sobre el virus del Nilo Occidental
MosquitoesDisease RatesGlobal WarmingEnvironmentWest Nile VirusDeet (Insect Repellent) Las infecciones, transmitidas principalmente por el mosquito Culex, pueden causar fiebre y fatiga, y suelen alcanzar su punto álgido en agosto y septiembre. [Estamos en WhatsApp. Empieza a seguirnos ahora] Una noche de julio de 2003, Lyle Petersen salió de su casa de Fort Collins, Colorado, para recoger la correspondencia. Acabó quedándose fuera más tiempo del previsto para charlar con su vecino.
The quest for a cure
In 2023, US and UK regulators approved two gene therapies for treating sickle cell disease-the first of their kind for this disorder. While they have side effects and potential risks, the outcomes seem promising so far, says Alexis Thompson, the chief of the Division of Hematology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. But a price tag of as much as $3 million per patient makes these treatments unaffordable for most people or health-care systems in the world.
Llegaron los mosquitos. Esto hay que saber sobre el virus del Nilo Occidental
[Estamos en WhatsApp. Empieza a seguirnos ahora] Una noche de julio de 2003, Lyle Petersen salió de su casa de Fort Collins, Colorado, para recoger la correspondencia. Acabó quedándose fuera más tiempo del previsto para charlar con su vecino. Pero cuando a ambos les picaron los mosquitos, volvieron corriendo al interior de sus casas. Tres días después, Petersen empezó a sentirse extremadamente fatigado. Tuvo fiebre y un fuerte dolor de cabeza, y empezaron a dolerle los músculos.
The Mosquitoes Are Out. Here's What to Know About West Nile Virus.
One evening in July 2003, Dr. Lyle Petersen stepped out of his home in Fort Collins, Colo., to pick up the mail. He ended up staying out longer than expected to chat with his neighbor. But when they both got being bitten by mosquitoes, they rushed back indoors. Three days later, Dr. Petersen began to feel extremely fatigued. He developed a fever and a severe headache, and his muscles began to ache.
Nodules in the deep sea may be a source of 'dark oxygen'
Strewn across the Pacific Ocean's seafloor, potato-sized rocks called nodules are a treasure in the deep sea. Not only are they rich in critical minerals needed for clean energy technologies, but the rocks also often serve as the only anchoring point for many delicate deep-sea creatures. Now a new study suggests the nodules are able to produce oxygen about 4,000 m below the ocean's surface ( Nat. Geosci. 2024, DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01480-8).
Vent and burn 'unnecessary' in East Palestine, safety board finds
Fire engulfs derailed train cars in East Palestine, Ohio.
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