Every American traveling abroad needs to take an antigen test to return to the United States. But the start of the trip is often even more cumbersome, as many other countries (nearly every one I have ...

(CNN) -- One is widespread but has key shortages across its supply chain. One remains questionably reliable and is only helpful after the fact. And one is still early in development -- but could speed ...

One is widespread but has key shortages across its supply chain. One remains questionably reliable and is only helpful after the fact. And one is still early in development – but could speed up and ...

Each week, we answer frequently asked questions about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you’d like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the ...

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a fundamental molecular biology tool that scientists use to amplify and analyze genetic material, such as DNA and RNA. PCR involves the enzymatic amplification of ...

Testing for the coronavirus has been very much in the news. The first and most urgent focus is on increasing access to tests to diagnose people with current infections. But now other tests are ...

With laboratory methods and diagnostics advancing apace, Francesca Lake considers whether PCR is likely to retain its crown as an essential lab method, or whether it could be replaced and consigned to ...

Each week, we answer frequently asked questions about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the ...

Since its invention in the 1980s, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) opened the door for applications such as genetic engineering, genotyping, and sequencing, and has become a fundamental part of ...