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Scientists in Germany have turned human organs transparent and captured pictures of the complex cellular architecture inside, the latest advance in an effort to develop a new way to see inside our tissues. The new work involved a three-pronged approach: stripping the pigment and fats from organs; capturing images of entire organs with a specially designed, larger microscope; and developing an algorithms to analyze those images and spit out maps labeled with specific cellular structures. (Thielking, 2/20)

Taking certain antibiotics early in pregnancy may increase the risk for birth defects, a new study reports. British researchers studied more than 180,000 children whose mothers were prescribed either penicillin or one of the macrolide antibiotics — such as erythromycin, clarithromycin or azithromycin — during or up to a year before pregnancy. Macrolides are often prescribed for people allergic to penicillin. (Bakalar, 2/19)

Taking some common antibiotics during the first trimester of pregnancy was linked with higher risk of birth defects, according to a new study. The study, published Wednesday in the medical journal BMJ, found an increased risk of birth defects in the children of women who were prescribed macrolides during the first three months of pregnancy compared to mothers who were prescribed penicillin. (Crespo, 2/19)

Inspired by the capture of the alleged Golden State Killer, police across the United States are uploading crime-scene DNA to GEDmatch and other databases where purchasers of genetic testing kits from companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry can share their DNA in hopes of finding long-lost relatives. Arrests have been made in dozens of cases — many that had been considered cold. Advocates of the practice tout the ability to find people who committed horrible crimes and exonerate those who did not. (Van Ness, 2/20)

Two mornings a week, Arthur Jackson clears space on half of his cream-colored sofa. He sets out a few rolls of tape and some gauze, then waits for a knock on his front door. "This is Brenda's desk," Jackson says with a chuckle. Brenda Mastricola is his visiting nurse. After she arrives at Jackson's home in Boston, she joins him on the couch and starts by taking his blood pressure. Then she changes the bandages on Jackson's right foot. His big toe was amputated at Brigham and Women's Hospital in November. A bacterial infection, osteomyelitis, had destroyed the bone. (Bebinger, 2/20)

This spring break and prom season, many people will still bake in the sun or spend hours at the tanning salon despite years of warnings about skin cancer. Don’t do it, Judy Cloud pleaded after dealing with the disease for a quarter of a century. She knows how tempting bronze skin can be, but wanted others to remember her scarred body and her story. (Pawlowski, 2/19)

A growing number of older U.S. military veterans with blocked leg arteries are getting procedures to restore blood flow, and a new study suggests deaths and amputations are declining as a result. Researchers looked at a decade of data on almost 21,000 veterans hospitalized for "critical limb ischemia" - badly blocked arteries that can lead to infections, gangrene and amputation. Left untreated, the condition can quickly become fatal. (Rapaport, 2/19)

One recent study may serve as a good excuse for tired teens to hit the snooze alarm button a few more times. The study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine examined the association between delayed school start times and the number of car crashes involving teen drivers. Overall, researchers found that a later start to school was associated with decreased crash risks among drivers 16 to 18 years old with significant implications for public health and safety. (2/19)

Maine lobsters have long delighted tourists as the state's most beloved seafood. But one company thinks the crustaceans can save human lives by providing their blood for use in new drugs. The effort, involving a longtime lobster scientist, wouldn't be the first example of coastal invertebrates being used to aid human health. Horseshoe crabs are harvested because their blood contains a protein used to detect contamination in medical products. (2/19)