Kamal Nahas, PhD | Freelance Science Journalist

Kamal Nahas, PhD

Freelance science journalist

Kamal writes about biology, health, and technology.

His work has been featured in Asimov Press, Live Science, Nature, New Scientist, Science, Scientific American, The Scientist, and other places.

Based in Oxford, UK.

About Kamal

Portfolio

An AI lab partner helps sift through transcriptomics data

Big omics datasets can be overwhelming for researchers with limited programming skills, but texting with a new AI chatbot could help them wade through their results.

The Scientist

News

A little bit of fear can bring down levels of inflammation in the body

Thrill-seekers who visited a haunted house attraction showed signs of reduced inflammation three days later, suggesting fear may distort the body’s defences.

New Scientist

News

Pseudomonas bacteria escape immunity by disrupting energy production in macrophages

Pseudomonas infections are tough to treat, but a new study reveals a chemical they use to subdue macrophages, suggesting new therapeutic avenues.

The Scientist

News

H5N1 bird flu is evolving to better infect mammals, CDC study suggests

Rising H5N1 bird flu cases in the U.S. prompted the CDC to study the virus in ferrets, revealing it may have the potential to spread and cause severe symptoms in other mammals.

Live Science

News

The long road to end tuberculosis

The vaccine and antibiotics available to treat tuberculosis have curbed cases, but more innovations are needed to halt its spread and counteract drug resistance.

Asimov Press

Part II of II in a pair of essays on tuberculosis

The forgotten pandemic

Humans have suffered from tuberculosis for thousands of years, and the disease kills more than 1 million people each year. Yet diagnosing cases remains a challenge. Why?

Asimov Press

Part I of II in a pair of essays on tuberculosis

Bird flu could become deadlier if it mixes with seasonal flu viruses, experts warn

As of now, 17 states have reported H5N1 bird flu cases in humans, but there is still no evidence for transmission between people and the infections have been mild. Could that change?

Live Science

News analysis

Unraveling the web of proteins in spider silk

Compartmentalized protein expression in the spider silk gland provides clues to spinning more sustainable materials.

The Scientist

News

Newly found fat cell uses a different approach to heat the body

Single-cell sequencing unpacked 10 varieties of fat cells, including one that uses an alternative heat-regulating strategy that protects against weight gain.

The Scientist

News

A small RNA with a big impact on cell aging

Proteins that trigger cell senescence occupy much of the literature on aging, but a small RNA moves into the limelight.

The Scientist

News

Source of person's recent bird flu case remains a mystery — and experts say that's concerning

The latest human case of bird flu in the U.S. occurred in a patient with no reported exposure to affected animals, sparking questions over whether the virus is spreading between people. Experts say that's unlikely but argue the case raises other concerns.

Live Science

News analysis

Cellular trains make a quick getaway

Clusters of epithelial cells migrate at different speeds depending on their layout, with single-file assemblies making the fastest journeys.

The Scientist

News

Human aging accelerates dramatically around age 44 and 60

A small study suggests that people in their 40s and 60s undergo sizable physiological changes that may be connected to age-related illnesses.

Live Science

News

Fast tracking protein delivery into the nucleus

Mutations that loosen rigid proteins turbocharge their nuclear entry.

The Scientist

News

Expanding the genetic alphabet

Synthetic biologists repurposed rarely used codons to install novel amino acids into proteins and expand the capabilities of protein engineering.

The Scientist

News

Will Olympic athletes ever stop breaking records?

Physically, athletes might reach a point where they can no longer beat sports records — however, innovative techniques and sportswear breakthroughs could potentially help athletes perform better in the future.

Live Science

News analysis

Cancers with an exceptional cause

Epigenetic control of gene expression can switch on genes that push cell division into overdrive independently of genetic faults.

The Scientist

News

A first peek at a “crass” virus

Observing the gut’s most abundant viruses for the first time.

Diamond Light Source

Research highlight

Gut microbe metabolites lower levels of toxic tau

Researchers simulated interactions between microbial molecules and neural receptors to explore whether gut bacteria might influence brain chemistry.

The Scientist

News

How does CRISPR work?

CRISPR is a versatile tool for editing genomes and has recently been approved as a gene therapy treatment for certain blood disorders.

Live Science

Reference

Breaking the speed limit on cell division

In recent years, researchers have found biophysical limits on cell division speeds, such as genome size or the time-consuming synthesis of bulky ribosomes.

Asimov Press

Deep dive

A bird’s eye view of the tumor microenvironment

Immune cells form different communities throughout a tumor, potentially disrupting how cancers respond to treatments.

The Scientist

News

The nucleus’ secret to shapeshifting

Neutrophils contort their nuclei into various shapes by moderating one key regulatory protein previously shown to orchestrate DNA organization.

The Scientist

News

Centromeres mutate more rapidly than expected

After sequencing centromeres in humans and other primates, researchers found that they vary greatly across species and potentially contribute to aging and disease.

The Scientist

News

Cancer cells spread when they stop recycling waste

An immune-inhibiting protein that regulates autophagy halts breast cancers from venturing across tissue borders.

The Scientist

News

Fighting tumors with DNA origami

Researchers bolster antitumor immune defenses using cancer vaccines made from DNA origami.

The Scientist

News

What causes the placebo effect?

Experts look to psychology and physiology to understand why people sometimes feel better after receiving a sham treatment.

Live Science

Explainer

When did humans start getting the common cold?

Prehistoric cold viruses are hard to find in the historical record, but scientists have unearthed some evidence in ancient human teeth.

Live Science

Explainer

Multicellular bacteria evolve defenses that resemble the immune system

Bacterial superorganisms must evolve defenses to fight off infections, and microbiologists found that they use a weapons cache coincidentally similar to that of the human immune system.

The Scientist

News

One gene with a domino effect on social behavior

A transcription factor in mouse brains underpins stress, social behaviors, and possibly immunity.

The Scientist

News

Exploring microbial dark matter

An open-source search engine helps scientists identify hundreds of microbial metabolites in a matter of seconds.

The Scientist

News

Close encounters of skin and nerve cells

Scientists exploring the skin-nerve cell connection have only scratched the surface. New research highlights just how intertwined the two cells are.

The Scientist

News

Chemicals that make babies smell sweet and teens smell 'goat-like' revealed

Aroma researchers worked out which chemicals in body odor differ between infants and teens who have hit puberty.

Live Science

News

Is AI ready to mass-produce lay summaries of research articles?

A surge in tools that generate text is allowing research papers to be summarized for a broad audience, and in any language. But scientists caution that major challenges remain.

Nature Index

News feature

Stem cell editing repairs severe immunodeficiency

Scientists hoping to treat immunodeficiencies using gene therapy have found a way to edit stem cells in mice without disrupting gene regulation.

The Scientist

News

Rapidly dividing bacteria coordinate gene expression and replication

E. coli divides faster than it can replicate its genome, while simultaneously expressing its genes. Scientists recently revealed the intricate molecular coordination that makes this possible.

The Scientist

News

What causes tinnitus, and can it be treated?

That ringing that only you can hear can become really bothersome if it persists. Here's what triggers tinnitus, plus how you can manage the condition.

Live Science

Explainer

People with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome may have an “exhausted” immune system

A long-awaited study of people with ME/CFS revealed differences in their immune and nervous system. The findings may offer clues about long COVID.

Scientific American

News

Gut bacteria linked to colorectal cancer in young people

Certain gut bacteria reside in colorectal tumors, but the species differ depending on a patient's age, offering hope that our gut tenants could serve as early warning signs of cancer in young people.

Live Science

News

Yeast made to harvest light hint at evolution’s past

Scientists transferred light-harvesting proteins into yeast for the first time, shining a light on the past lives of eukaryotic cells.

The Scientist

News

Humans rely on gut bacteria for an enzyme that prevents jaundice

An absence of bilirubin-producing gut microbes may predispose individuals to some diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease.

The Scientist

News

How do fevers kill germs?

You may have heard that fevers help fight infections. But how, exactly, do they do it?

Live Science

Explainer

Taking candid shots of radical proteins

Scientists capture how radical electrons influence protein structure before they have time to react.

Diamond Light Source

Research highlight

Zero gravity, zero gain: the genetics behind muscle loss in space

Simulated microgravity in mice reveals a constellation of genes that may influence muscle weakening during spaceflight.

The Scientist

News

How does Tylenol work?

Exactly how Tylenol — also called acetaminophen or paracetamol — relieves pain continues to evade scientists, but it's clear the drug interacts with one key set of enzymes.

Live Science

Explainer

Genotoxic effects of base and prime editing

A risk-benefit analysis of gene editing tools in stem cells revealed that base and prime editing carry vulnerabilities similar to those of CRISPR-Cas9, but at a reduced rate.

The Scientist

News

The COVID-19 pandemic abruptly altered the infant microbiome

Microbial diversity in the infant gut shrank suddenly during the first lockdown, but the lasting health effects are less clear.

The Scientist

News

Crossing the generational divide: what established scientists and early-career researchers can learn from each other

Astrophysicist and Shaw prizewinner Victoria Kaspi describes how science forums can help researchers of all ages to share ideas and career concerns.

Nature

Career Q&A

Epigenetics linked to the maximum life spans of mammals — including us

Some chemical tags on DNA, called epigenetic factors, that are present at a young age can affect the maximum life spans of mammal species.

Live Science

News

A closer look at how cells package DNA

Our cells use an ensemble of histone proteins to fold and package the DNA genome into the nucleus. Scientists imaged cryopreserved cells to closely study these folds.

Diamond Light Source

Research highlight

Move over, proteins! Exploring lipids in adaptive immunity

New research revealed hundreds of lipid antigens that may be recognized by adaptive immune T cells.

The Scientist

News

A new drug fixes a leak caused by bacteria

Researchers discovered how virulent bacterial proteins leech nutrients from plant cells, leading to a potential treatment for diseased crops.

The Scientist

News

Can rats 'imagine'? Rodents show signs of imagination while playing VR games

Rats immersed in a VR world played games that could be won only by using imaginative route planning, scientists report.

Live Science

News

Our cells may boost their health by eating bacteria-killing viruses

Viruses that infect bacteria – called phages – are abundant in our bodies, and they seem to have beneficial effects when our cells engulf them.

New Scientist

News

Could bacteria-killing viruses ever prevent sexually transmitted infections?

The CDC will soon recommend that some people take a "morning-after" antibiotic to lower their risk of STIs. But someday, it's possible that bacteria-killing viruses could do this without driving antibiotic resistance.

Live Science

News analysis

Regulating insulin with Queen’s greatest hits

Pop music balanced blood sugar levels in mice, thanks to implanted human cells rigged to release insulin using a sound-sensitive bacterial protein.

The Scientist

News

The extra X: How the sex chromosome affects autoimmunity risk

What underlies the uneven burden of autoimmunity between the sexes has remained a mystery. Now, scientists found clues by turning to a key player on the X chromosome.

The Scientist

News

Closing the gaps in the human genome: Why Y was the final hurdle

For two decades, scientists struggled to fully sequence the Y chromosome. Finally, researchers have mapped its full length thanks to recent advances in sequencing technology.

The Scientist

News

closing-the-gaps-in-the-human-genome-why-y-was-the-final-hurdle-08-1-x.webp

Can sugar cause acne?

Because multiple factors can provoke acne, it's difficult to tease apart sugar's role.

Live Science

Explainer

Why do we have earwax?

When it's not causing problems, earwax is good for your health and should be left alone.

Live Science

Explainer

Why is it harder for some people to build muscle than others?

How do muscle cells grow after a workout? And how do your genetics affect your experience as a gymgoer?

Live Science

Explainer

Immunity genes may play a role in Down syndrome

Extra copies of four interferon receptor genes found on human chromosome 21 trigger developmental changes in a mouse model of Down syndrome.

The Scientist

News

Atlas of biomedical literature could help track down fabricated studies

Bird’s-eye view of 21 million papers presents new way to visually analyze trends in science.

Science

News

Targeting a key COVID protein with antivirals

Solving the structure of a COVID protein that doubles as a drug target.

Diamond Light Source

Research highlight

Peering deeper into cells with X-rays

Imaging cellular architecture with X-rays has the potential to transform our understanding of the microscopic world.

ScientistLive

Explainer

Scientists stumble upon a new part of a cell in one of the most studied animals on Earth

Scientists found a previously unrecognized organelle in fruit flies, a thoroughly studied organism.

Live Science

News

Gut bacteria contribute to anorexia

Microbiomes transplanted from women with anorexia nervosa into mice enhanced symptoms of the eating disorder, such as rapid weight loss and reduced appetite.

The Scientist

News

'Mind-control' parasite Toxoplasma hides from the immune system with 2 key genes

A single-cell parasite relies on two genes that boost each other's activity to switch into "defense mode" when attacked by the immune system.

Live Science

News

CRISPR-edited fat shrank tumors in mice. Someday, it could work in people, scientists say.

Genetically modified fat can be transplanted into mice to shrink tumors, but this novel cancer therapy still needs to be tested in human trials.

Live Science

News

“Cryptic transcription”: how aging cells express fragments of genes

Aging cells with weakened gene regulation spuriously transcribe RNAs, but their impact on health and longevity still needs to be examined.

The Scientist

News

AI re-creates what people see by reading their brain scans

A new artificial intelligence system can reconstruct images a person saw based on their brain activity.

Science

News

Now AI can be used to design new proteins

Machine learning can be harnessed to synthesize artificial light-bearing enzymes that actually work in cells.

The Scientist

News

Bacteria have histones after all: study

Researchers identify hundreds of candidate histone proteins in bacteria, including one with an unusual way of binding to DNA.

The Scientist

News

Giant viruses grew out of small ones: study

A study employing CRISPR/Cas9 to explore the evolutionary beginnings of some giant viruses finds evidence their large genomes arose from gene duplications.

The Scientist

News

New swelling technique makes cells visible to the naked eye

A new technique, called Unclearing Microscopy, physically inflates and then stains cells to circumvent the need for expensive microscopes.

The Scientist

News

Structural insights into influenza virus

Collaborative research between University of Oxford and Diamond Light Source has unveiled new discoveries about the replication of the influenza virus

Diamond Light Source

Research highlight

The truth about the foods said to boost your immune system

Many foods thought to enhance our natural defences, such as orange juice and turmeric, don’t live up to the hype. Instead, the key to a healthy immune system lies in nurturing your gut microbiome.

New Scientist

Feature

Access denied: Stopping rabies virus from entering cells

Structural insights pave the way for development of new vaccines and therapies against rabies.

Diamond Light Source

Research highlight

A biochemical switch in infectious proteins may lead to neurodegeneration

Circular dichroism uncovers the irregular structure of infectious prions.

Diamond Light Source

Research highlight

Cow_(Fleckvieh_breed)_Oeschinensee_Slaunger_2009-07-07.jpg