The It Ain't Magic Science Blog

Schizophrenia biomarker (hydrogen sulfide) in human hair

Not only is hydrogen sulfide a good biomarker for schizophrenia, it’s also the culprit and a new starting point for drug discovery.

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Melatonin in mice, circadian rhythms, and daily torpor

A new breed of lab mouse allows the study of naturally occurring melatonin. These mice will adjust better to jetlag than regular lab mice and experience daily torpor.

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RIKEN Research Spring issue is here

Just a quick post to let you know that the Spring issue of RIKEN Research Magazine came out towards the end of March. This issue covers issues including the discovery of element 113, earth-friendly pesticides, and the secrets of a rice-killing fungal toxin. Enjoy!

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Diagnosing fetal heart disease benefits from explanatory AI

Diagnosis accuracy improved when doctors used explanatory AI to help diagnose congenital heart disease from fetal ultrasound videos.

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Learning and unlearning to fear: The two faces of noradrenaline

Fear association and unlearning fear association require different populations of noradrenaline neurons in the locus coeruleus.

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Physiological origami and proper body development in flies

Genetics and mechanical origami in the fly embryo helps proper body development by fighting off “noisy” fluctuations is the environment.

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Latest research animations

Self-assembly of spider silk

This gut microbe might protect against diabetes and reduce insulin resistance

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

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Trigger region found for epileptic absence seizures

A mouse model shows that absence seizures are triggered by faulty connections between the cortex and fast-spiking neurons in the striatum.

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Schizophrenia biomarker (hydrogen sulfide) in human hair

Not only is hydrogen sulfide a good biomarker for schizophrenia, it’s also the culprit and a new starting point for drug discovery.

Read on

AI identifies features associated with cancer recurrence

Artificial intelligence has successfully identified features relevant to cancer prognosis that were not previously noted by pathologists

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Ethanol pretreated soil protects plants from drought

Pretreating soil with ethanol protected plants, including wheat and rice, from the adverse effects of water deprivation.

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New rice fights off drought

Researchers have created drought resistant transgenic rice using a gene from a small Eurasian flowering plant

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Simple but revolutionary modular organoids

A new way to construct complex 3D organoids without using elaborate techniques! The trick using modular cubes with hydrogel layers.

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Jul

Photosynthetic bacteria spin spider silk for the masses

by masataka sasabe | Hot Off the Press

A little genetic engineering and a special recipe allows photosynthetic bacteria to mass-produce super lightweight spider silk for use in manufacturing.

Jun

Blood cell mutations linked to leukemia are inevitable

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Researchers show that blood cell mutations increase with age identify risk factors for developing leukemia in Japanese and European populations.

Jun

Organic nitrogen in soil helps crop growth

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

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

May

Consciousness, brain connections, and the claustrum

by admin | Hot Off the Press

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

May

A new imaging biomarker for the aging brain

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Enlarged ventricles is a sign of an aging brain. New research shows that this phenomenon can be predicted by lagging brain circulation that is detected by MRI.

Apr

Sphingolipid S1P: Potential new target for schizophrenia treatment

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Sphingolipid S1P is reduced in brain white matter of people with schizophrenia, making S1P receptors a good target for new treatments.

Apr

Staining that lights up whole organs and bodies

by masataka sasabe | Hot Off the Press

Scientists have developed a staining procedure that makes see-through tissue, organs, and bodies useful.

Apr

Artificial gravity protects the immune system of mice in space

by adam phillips | Featured, Research News

Mice who experienced artificial gravity on the ISS suffered less damage to their immune system (thymus) than weightless mice did.

Apr

Ultraprecise clocks and the Tokyo Skytree verify Einstein’s theory of relativity

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

Time measured at the top and bottom of the Tokyo Skytree with ultraprecise clocks has verified the time dilation effect predicted by Einstein.

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.

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New lab-grown retinal sheets almost ready for clinical trials

A new retinal transplant technique works by preventing bipolar cells from maturing in lab-grown retinal sheets.

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Eating a high fat diet without getting obese?

Scientists discover that without innate immune cells in the intestines, eating a high fat diet does not lead to obesity in mice.

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Why (mouse) mothers take risks to protect their infants

The calcitonin receptor and its ligand amylin act in the brain to motivate mouse mothers to protect their pups, even in risky/dangerous situations.

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Mar

Robotic exoskeleton learns to help people stand up

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

This new robotic exoskeleton uses machine learning to know when users want help standing up.

Feb

Nanocarrier spray: better crops without genetic modification

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Gene expression, but not genomes, altered in plants and crops with a spray containing bioactive molecules tethered to nanocarrier peptides

Feb

Introducing Nikola, the emotional android boy

by adam phillips | Featured, Hot Off the Press

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

Feb

Green hydrogen production for fuel cells and fertilizers

by adam phillips | Featured, Hot Off the Press

A new method of water electrolysis avoids rare metals, making hydrogen production green and sustainable.

Feb

Social contact-seeking behavior and loneliness in the brain

by adam phillips | Featured, Hot Off the Press

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.