Scientists

Smoking has long-term effect on immune system - new French research

The study is the first of its kind and looks at the impact of smoking on the immune system in comparison to other factors such as BMI, sleep, illnesses, and exercise

French firm’s special plaster made from sea worms saves burns victim

The wound-healing innovation was created due to scientist’s curiosity while gazing at a beach in Roscoff

World AIDS Day: Did you know HIV was a French discovery?

Three French scientists are credited with discovering the virus, while an American later discovered that HIV causes AIDS

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Call for astronomy fans to help French scientists with comet tracking

Comet Hartley 2 will pass closer to the Earth and Sun over the next month

Space: Mysterious ‘streak’ of light seen in night sky over France

The line in the sky was particularly visible from Marseille and Toulouse, with an astrophysicist calling it ‘quite spectacular’

Watch: ‘Shooting star’ meteor lights up Paris and Rouen skies

The accurate prediction of the bright meteor has also been hailed as a sign of ‘major progress’ in asteroid detection capabilities

‘Stupidity and provocation are trendier than well-articulated thought’

French physicist and philosopher Etienne Klein talks to us about his infamous ‘chorizo’ star tweet, post-truth and if technology is dangerous for democracy

Climate change in France: People ‘do not understand what’s coming’

A leading scientist warns that the country is at high risk of drought and lacks ‘food resilience’, and calls for greater action from the presidential election candidates

French Nobel prize winner: ‘Covid-19 was made in lab’

A controversial French Nobel prize-winning scientist has accused biologists of having created SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes Covid-19 - in a lab, but the wider scientific community has so far refuted the claim

‘Sex traps’ can control Asian hornets, new French-Chinese study shows

The pheromone-laced traps can successfully capture males and reduce the number of future hornet queens. The hornets are a significant threat to bees and biodiversity

French scientists make breakthrough cancer treatment discovery

The team based in Toulouse has confirmed a fundamental way that the body’s immune system can help to fight cancer tumours more effectively, in what has been dubbed ‘a turning point’

First transplant in America using French-invented artificial heart

Clinical trial of medical device known as Aeson, made by French company Carmat, is currently underway in the US with first transplant complete and more in the pipeline

French scientists join group calling for inquiry into Covid origins

More than 30 international experts have written an open letter calling for a detailed inquiry and pleading for China to cooperate. They say without this a similar disaster could happen again

Covid-Air: Super-fast Covid test using exhaled air trialled in Lyon

The machine detects chemical traces of Covid in your breath, and is eventually expected to be rolled out in places that need fast mass testing, such as airports and concert halls

Covid experts: France should end ‘stop-start lockdowns’

Members of the scientific government advisory council have called on the government 'to require elderly and fragile people to self-isolate instead'

French group demands minister ‘explain origins of Covid’

A citizens’ health association is taking the health minister to court to force the government to explain the - still highly contested - source of the killer virus

Why new France lockdown could last ‘beyond December 1’

Confinement could be extended if cases do not drop to government target of 5,000, as hospitals are overloaded and winter worsens the spread

30,000 cancer cases undetected in France due to Covid-19

Doctors and a leading association fear the second wave of Covid-19 cases will create new delays in cancer treatment

Will a night-time curfew help fight coronavirus in France?

Scientists are divided over the curfew measures that President Macron is expected to announce in his speech tonight

France to increase safety tests on 5G waves

The aim is to reassure the public and local officials before technology is rolled out across country.

'Fast, cheap, painless': Covid saliva test from French lab

Researchers say a Covid-19 saliva test trialled in France is quicker, cheaper and less painful than other tests, and especially effective at identifying asymptomatic Covid-19 carriers.

France Covid advisors: Hospitals may be overwhelmed in weeks

The Conseil Scientifique has said if the virus continues on its current trajectory, hospitals and care homes will be overwhelmed “within a few weeks”.

15-minute Covid-19 tests to be available in Europe

Healthcare company Roche has announced that it will release rapid antigen tests throughout Europe. Introducing the tests in France could speed up the testing process and reduce long delays to get results.

Breakthrough Prize awarded to French neurobiologist

Silicon Valley entrepreneurs have recognised a French scientist for discovering neuron circuits that govern parental instinct in the brains of male and female mice.

France Covid-19 Update: Daily cases top 10,000

Cases rise over 10,000 a day France over the weekend, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts a “higher” death toll in Europe in October and November.

Conseil Scientifique calls French quarantine a ‘failure’

The latest advice from the scientific advisory body recommends reducing quarantine to seven days, and suggests the government has "difficult" decisions ahead.

Naturist resort in France sees ‘worrying’ rise Covid cases

At least 150 guests have tested positive for Covid-19 at a popular naturist village in Cap D’Agde in southern France, which health authorities have described as “very worrying”.

French scientists review Covid-19 saliva testing

PCR saliva tests are already being used in the US, but are not currently available in France where their reliability is still being studied by scientists.

French cities advised to prepare for local reconfinement

The circulation of the virus is “under control but fragile”, according to a notice published by scientific government advisory body Le Conseil Scientifique, which has now advised 20 local authorities to start preparing for local "reconfinements".

One in three French people ‘would not get Covid vaccination’

One in three people in France would refuse to have the coronavirus vaccine even when one becomes available, a new poll has found, in line with the general view that the French are often sceptical of vaccines.

Should people in France be worried about 5G?

When eco-friendly mayors rose to power in France’s local elections on June 28, many of them expressed health worries over 5G radio frequency waves. But is there anything to worry about? Scientists explain.

Controversial prof lambasts French Covid-19 strategy

Infectious disease specialist Didier Raoult criticised the French government and its advisory body le Conseil Scientifique for their handling of the Covid-19 crisis, specifically the lack of Covid-19 tests done in France.

French doctor: Clear link between blood type and Covid risk

A French scientist has said that there is now an “established link” between a person’s blood type and their risk of contracting Covid-19, after several studies on the topic appeared to show a correlation.

Controversial French prof: ‘I could have halved Covid death’

Controversial French infectious diseases specialist, Professor Didier Raoult, has said that “if people had listened to me, we would have had half the number of deaths from coronavirus”, in a new interview.

France experts: Covid second wave may be ‘bigger than first’

France’s top scientific advisors have repeated their prediction that a second wave of Covid-19 in France is “extremely likely” in autumn and winter this year, and even warned it “could be bigger than the first”.

France signs plan to deliver Covid vaccine by end of 2020

France has signed a European agreement to pre-order up to 400 million Covid-19 vaccinations - should the current trials prove safe and successful - for possible public use before the end of 2020.

All 150 new Covid clusters in France ‘under control’

A total of 150 new clusters of Covid-19 have been reported in France in the latest weekly update from national health authorities - but all outbreaks are now under control, Santé Publique France has said.

French Covid study: Kids less contagious than adults

Children are less likely to be contaminated or to contaminate others with Covid-19, a French study of 605 children under the age of 15 has shown.

Covid-19 now ‘under control’ in France: Top scientist

The epidemic of coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 - which causes Covid-19 - is “under control” in France, according to the country’s top scientific advisor today (Friday June 5).

New French study on Covid-19 drug ‘provides hope’

A French study on a drug named “anakinra” has shown “encouraging results” and “provides hope” in treating patients with severe forms of Covid-19.

France issues list of reliable coronavirus blood tests

The French health ministry has published an official list of “approved” and reliable blood tests for coronavirus antibodies, which can now be prescribed by GPs and reimbursed by the State.

France says virus PCR tests ‘reliable’ despite flaws

The French government has sought to reassure the public that coronavirus Covid-19 virological tests (PCR tests) are “reliable”, even as two apparent major flaws with the tests have emerged.

EU coronavirus advisor: Europe will see ‘second wave’

Europe should prepare for a “second wave” of coronavirus Covid-19 as deconfinement continues, with the question not if, but “when, and how big”, a leading disease prevention advisor to the EU has said.

French minister: ‘No Covid vaccine before end of 2021’

A vaccine against Covid-19 is unlikely to be available until the end of 2021, a French minister has said, in a rebuttal to claims by US President Donald Trump that one could be available “by the end of the year”.

Covid infection rates in France higher than predicted

Almost 4,000 people in France are still being infected everyday by the SARS-CoV-2 virus - which causes Covid-19 - with intensive care admissions also dropping less rapidly than predicted, new figures show.

France risks virus second wave as deconfinement begins

France may risk “a second wave” of the Covid-19 epidemic as deconfinement begins, doctors have said, as national immunity remains low - but others say we are “better organised now than two months ago”.

Millions of virus antibody blood tests set for France

Millions of blood tests that will check if people have antibodies against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 - which causes Covid-19 - will soon be available across France at local laboratory testing centres.

French tests on Covid drug offer hope for severe cases

A drug that could improve the outlook for patients with severe cases of Covid-19 - by slowing down the often-fatal “cytokine storm” condition - has been successfully tested in France.

New blood test by French lab detects Covid-19 immunity

A French laboratory is developing a blood test that can determine exactly how immune a person is to the virus SARS-CoV-2 - which causes Covid-19 - and has hailed it “a precious tool to help with deconfinement”.

France may be confined again in case of ‘second wave’

France could enter a second period of confinement in case a “second wave” of the Covid-19 epidemic occurs, the Élysée has said, as preparations begin to lift the current rules from May 11.

Wastewater tests in France could help monitor Covid-19

Regular testing of wastewater in France would enable scientists to monitor the spread of Covid-19, help identify a possible “second wave” of the virus, and allow wider health recommendations, experts have said.

French study: Nicotine may protect against Covid-19

A new study by a Paris hospital has suggested that nicotine could have a preventative effect against Covid-19, with smokers appearing to be less affected than non-smokers. Further trials are now starting.

Covid-19 in France: What we know (and do not) so far

Clinical trials and scientific studies on the origin, spread and nature of Covid-19 are continuing, as the global Discovery project continues from Lyon (‎Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). We summarise what we know so far.

Confinement in France had ‘massive impact’ on Covid-19

Confinement in France has had a “massive impact” on reducing the spread of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 - which causes Covid-19 - a new study shows, with infection rates dropping by 84% since lockdown began.

Covid-19 masks: Advice issued in France on safe use

Wearing a mask when you leave the house is now recommended by medical experts in France, prompting advice on how to wear one safely and effectively. We translate some key points (translation by Connexion).

Doctors support testing of another Covid-19 drug

French doctors have come out in support of more testing of ivermectin - which could be more effective against Covid-19 than chloroquine - and is already the subject of a multi-million euro study in Montpellier.

Macron dubs French chloroquine medic ‘great scientist’

French President Emmanuel Macron has dubbed Professor Didier Raoult, pioneer of using chloroquine against Covid-19, a “great scientist” - as Pr. Raoult controversially claims the epidemic is slowing in Marseille.

Chief adviser: 18 million in France must stay confined

Eighteen million at-risk and vulnerable people in France will still need to stay in confinement even after deconfinement measures begin on May 11, the French chief government scientific advisor has warned.

French science council lists deconfinement conditions

Ahead of President Macron’s national address tomorrow (Monday April 13) - which is expected to extend confinement to at least May 3 - we look at three factors that scientists say are necessary for deconfinement.

President Macron visits 'chloroquine-treatment' doctor

President Emmanuel Macron has held a “surprise” meeting with Professor Didier Raoult, infectious diseases specialist and pioneer of the use of chloroquine against Covid-19, ahead of his address to the public on Monday.

Night sky lights over France are SpaceX satellites

A line of lights in the sky that were visible from France on Christmas Day were “Starlink” satellites put into orbit by SpaceX, and are set to show up again tonight (Friday January 3), it has been confirmed.

‘Medicines to avoid in 2020’ list published in France

A list of the 105 medicines that the French public should avoid in 2020 has been published, including 12 new items that are judged to be “more dangerous than useful”.

France investigates if 5.4 earthquake caused by humans

Scientists are investigating whether a 5.4 magnitude earthquake that hit France last week may have been caused by human quarrying activity.

Beware: A “blob” is arriving at Paris zoo this weekend

The Parc Zoologique de Paris (Paris zoo) is to welcome a new resident - but it is neither animal, nor vegetable, nor fungi. It is, in fact, a “blob”, which can eat, move, and double in size every 24 hours.

French-made device picks up sounds from Planet Mars

Sounds from the Planet Mars have been recorded by a French-made seismometer aboard the Nasa InSight Mars Lander probe, which scientists say may help us understand more about the planet itself.

French scientists help paralysed man to walk again

A French tetraplegic man who was unable to walk has become the first ever to walk again using a new kind of brain-controlled “exoskeleton”, created by scientists in Grenoble.

Global warming may reach +7°C, French scientists warn

Global warming is likely to be more severe than previously predicted, with global average temperatures potentially rising by as much as 7°C by 2100, French scientists have warned.

Homeopathy: French MPs oppose reimbursement decision

A group of 45 French MPs have written an open letter in favour of homeopathy and in opposition to the government’s decision this month to end all State reimbursement of the medicine by 2021.

France invited to name planet 144 light years away

The French public has been invited to help name a planet located 144 light years from Earth, after its discovery in 2002 by French observatory, l’Observatoire de Haute-Provence .

New global definition of one kilogram comes into force

A new worldwide official definition of the mass of one kilogram has entered into official usage this week, after over 130 years of being measured by a platinum and iridium cylinder in Paris.

Summit on major biodiversity report opens in Paris

A summit to evaluate the declining state of the planet’s biodiversity has started today in Paris, presenting findings from a new 1,800-page expert report that warns of possible “mass extinction”.

French Pyrenees polluted by high microplastic levels

A remote area of the French Pyrenees was regularly polluted by high levels of microplastic particles, showing that plastic waste can be spread over large distances by rain, wind and snow, a study found.

Invasive Brazilian worm spreading fast across France

The Brazilian worm the Obama Nungara is spreading rapidly across France, as some researchers say that it threatens biodiversity, and a new study is asking the public to send live worms to be studied.

French scientist recycles the leftovers in old tins

French chemist Maïlys Grau has started making and selling new paint made from the remains left in old tins.

Pasteur, France’s first media scientist

Louis Pasteur worked hard to secure his legacy, while saving millions, writes Samantha David