Michael Marshall


Michael Marshall is a freelance science journalist based in the United Kingdom. He writes about life sciences and the environment. He has a B.A. and an M.Phil. in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge and an M.Sc. in science communication from Imperial College London. Marshall was a staff journalist at New Scientist and at BBC Earth before going freelance in 2017. His work has since appeared in Nature, BBC Future and The Telegraph, among others. His first book, on the origin of life on Earth, is slated to be published in 2020.

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Colorful illustration of a latticework of proteins.

Cracking the code of the extracellular matrix

Despite evidence for a role in plasticity and other crucial functions, many neuroscientists still view these proteins as “brain goop.” The field needs technical advances and a shift in scientific thinking to move beyond this outdated perspective.

By Anna Victoria Molofsky
17 January 2025 | 5 min read
A repeated DNA strand extends farther from the left side of the image with each iteration.

Huntington’s disease gene variants past a certain size poison select cells

The findings—providing “the next step in the whole pathway”—help explain the disease’s late onset and offer hope that it has an extended therapeutic window.

By Angie Voyles Askham
16 January 2025 | 6 min read
Research image highlighting different brain regions.

X marks the spot in search for autism variants

Genetic variants on the X chromosome, including those in the gene DDX53, contribute to autism’s gender imbalance, two new studies suggest.

By Holly Barker
16 January 2025 | 6 min read