Now that scientists are starting to get a handle on what kinds of microbes live in the human body and, roughly, how those populations differ from one individual to another, a key question will be whether there is such a thing as an “ideal” microbiome.

Just north of the Bay Area is a vast and varied expanse of land and water that could be in line for new federal protections. The proposed Berryessa-Snow Mountain National Conservation Area would link wilderness zones and other lands in five counties. But it’s been a tough sell in some parts.

Obama's BRAIN Initiative directs $100 million in public money toward basic brain research. But what's the goal?

A proposal before county supervisors would require new and remodeled buildings to be wired for plug-in chargers.

Bay Area teens are heading to Phoenix for the Intel Science and Engineering Fair. One 16-year-old was inspired by his grandfather's diabetes.

Since California voters passed Proposition 65 in 1986, warning signs have become ubiquitous across the state and targets for thousands of lawsuits.

A team at the lab where the World Wide Web was born is on a hunt for the missing files.

The machine supposedly runs on the strange laws of quantum mechanics. But some critics have doubts.

A cross-country road trip found methane spikes around petrochemical plants and urban areas.

Solar panels have sprouted up all over the sunny spots of California, but for industrial scale projects, there's no beating desert country -- if the price is right. Developers are cheering a decision by Riverside County officials on Tuesday to slash fees on new projects. Riverside could set a new standard for how local communities do business with big solar.

Two years ago this month, the California Department of Parks and Recreation announced a list of 70 parks it planned to close. Park lovers rallied, giving their time and money to pick up the parks the state was willing to drop off. There is no closure list now, and the state parks are under new management, but the financial crisis has not passed. Those park lovers are now wondering how long they're going to carry the extra load.

A growing body of evidence indicates where you live can make a big difference in how you're treated for certain ailments. The report released Tuesday from the California Healthcare Foundation looks at treatments for breast cancer, prostate cancer and certain back conditions.

Journalist Jon Mooallem noticed that his young daughter was always surrounded by wild animals: butterflies on her pajamas, a stuffed toy owl, and beavers in her bedtime stories. But these romantic portrayals, he says, hid a harsh reality. Scientists estimate half of all species could be gone by the turn of the century. So he embarked on his own journey to track down three endangered animals, and discovered the extreme -- even futile -- lengths humans go to save them. Jon Mooallem discusses his book, "Wild Ones," and the complex intersections of man and nature.

A new edition of the most widely used psychiatric guide to mental disorders -- "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" -- was released this past weekend in San Francisco at a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. The manual has a big impact on public health, including what insurance companies will cover, the drugs that regulators will approve, and even which children will receive special education services. But critics say that the manual is outdated and question the validity of several new diagnoses.

In 2011, a National Academy of Sciences report called for the creation of a "knowledge network of disease" to help researchers and doctors share information and patient data more effectively. Such a network would also allow scientists and clinicians to access data on the molecular makeup of diseases, vastly improving diagnosis and treatment. But the concept -- known as "precision medicine" -- is already raising ethical questions and concerns over patient privacy. We talk to the heads of National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and UCSF about precision medicine, the subject of a two-day summit in San Francisco this week.