Consciousness, brain connections, and the claustrum


Research shows that the claustrum acts as a ‘consciousness conductor’ that synchronizes and connects areas within the mouse brain.

Eve Marder: freeing knowledge, crashing neurons


None of us would get on a plane that had its parts changed in mid-air, says Eve Marder, who has spent her career probing a very specific cluster of crustacean nerve cells. Yet we are all walking around undergoing a constant turnover of cellular parts, and so are the lobsters and crabs Marder studies.

Eco-friendly ammonia production for fertilizers and alternative fuel


A new process that allows ammonia to be produced using much less energy than the standard methods.

Next stop: clinical hair regeneration


A new recipe for continuous cyclical hair regeneration in mice. This means that the hair will continue to fall out and regrow like normal hair.

Opossums are the first genome edited marsupials


A new piezoelectronic microinjection method has allowed the first successful genome editing in marsupials: albino opossums.

Organic nitrogen in soil helps crop growth


Scientists used a multi-omics analysis to show that soil solarization helps crops grow because it increases organic nitrogen in the soil.

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This gut microbe might protect against diabetes and reduce insulin resistance

NEW: One-way hydrogel guides motion of tiny worms!

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Brain tissue kept alive for weeks with new microfluidic device


A new microfluidic device can keep tissue cultures functional for weeks on an artificial membrane

Organ regeneration in the lab


Interview with Takashi Tsuji, team leader of the Laboratory for Organ Regeneration at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology

Opto-OISI: imaging connections in the living brain


A new imaging technique called opto-OISI allows scientists to non-invasively visualize where specific neurons project in the living brain.

Japanese people are a mixture of three separate ancestral groups


A new study shows that the current Japanese population is derived from 3 ancestral groups, one of which brought Denisovan DNA to the party.

Robotic researcher to the rescue


Masaki Watabe talks about automated robotic researchers, future robot rule, and scientific philosophy.

Gene linked to intellectual ability affects memory replay in mice


Scientists have discovered a gene in mice that allows memory replay at rest, a process necessary for forming long-lasting memories in mice.

Introducing Nikola, the emotional android boy


A new android named Nikola will help researchers study facial expressions, emotions, and social interactions.

Transgenic plants ??on acid survive without water


Scientists designed transgenic plants that survive drought-like conditions by bumping up acetic acid production only when water is scarce.

Social contact-seeking behavior and loneliness in the brain


Levels of the peptide amylin in the brain are related to loneliness; activating amylin neurons in the MPOA drives isolated mice to seek social contact.

Talking science Illustration with Misaki Ouchida


Whether it’s bird anatomy or science cartoons, Masaki Ouchida can do it all. She spoke with us about her career in science illustration, from the US to Japan.