In science news around the world, drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech announce they will seek authorization for 12- to 15-year-olds to receive their COVID-19 vaccine after a study shows it provides them powerful protection—a step scientists call critical to controlling the pandemic. In another such step, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorizes two inexpensive, rapid COVID-19 tests to be sold over the counter, allowing people to test themselves at home. Researchers postpone the first flight in a controversial study of how light-blocking particles, released in the stratosphere, could diminish global warming, after objections in Sweden, where the test was to occur. The Biden administration is overhauling two key science advisory boards at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because of concerns that the Trump administration had stacked the panels with industry-friendly experts. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology undertakes efforts to boost representation of women in biotechnology as a study reports striking differences between the rates at which its female and male professors have founded companies in biotech and related fields or served on their boards.

在世界各地的科学新闻中，制药商辉瑞和BioNTech宣布，他们将为12至15岁的孩子寻求授权，以接受COVID-19疫苗的研究。这项研究表明，这种疫苗可以为他们提供强有力的保护，这是科学家呼吁采取的关键步骤，大流行病。在另一步骤中，美国食品和药物管理局（FDA）授权在柜台上出售两项廉价，快速的COVID-19测试，使人们可以在家中进行测试。在有争议的瑞典进行测试后，研究人员推迟了一次有争议的研究中的第一次飞行，该研究是关于在平流层中释放的阻光颗粒如何减少全球变暖的。拜登政府正在全面改革美国的两个主要科学顾问委员会 环境保护署（EPA）担心特朗普政府将专家小组与行业友好的专家堆砌在一起。麻省理工学院致力于提高女性在生物技术领域的代表性，一项研究报告指出，其男女教授在生物技术及相关领域成立公司或担任董事会成员的比例差异很大。