Topics
Electric rays to help us map the ocean floor
Electric rays and sting rays could map the ocean floor through their natural behavior, helping us find resources and collect data on other ocean life.
Bacterial drug resistance studied by robotic E. coli evolution
Experimentally evolving E. coli under pressure from a large number of antibiotics was able to identify constraints underlying evolved drug resistance.
New artificial skin helps avoid animal testing
A new artificial skin that reproduces proper tension can be used to research skin function and disease while reducing the need to experiment on animals.
Social novelty in the brain: haven’t I seen you someplace before?
Social novelty and contextual novelty are segregated in the SuM region of the hypothalamus and in projections to the hippocampus, allowing memories of meeting new people to be formed separately from memories of new places.
FABP4: A preschool-aged biomarker for autism
Reduced FABP4 was found in preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder, making it a potential new biomarker for the condition.
Microbial infections are a parasitic plant’s dream
Parasitic plants use quinones produced by their host to attack. Now we know that crops produce quinones as an immune response against microbial infection. How can we protect crops from both kinds of attack?
Gut bacteria double team worsens symptoms of multiple sclerosis
Joint activity of two gut bacteria leads to excessive MOG-specific T-cell activity and demyelination of neurons in the spinal cord of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.
Something smells fishy: categorizing odors in the brain
Calcium imaging and mathematical model explain how categories and mixtures of odors are represented in the fly brain and consistent across individual flies.
Photosynthetic bacteria spin spider silk for the masses
A little genetic engineering and a special recipe allows photosynthetic bacteria to mass-produce super lightweight spider silk for use in manufacturing.
Blood cell mutations linked to leukemia are inevitable
Researchers show that blood cell mutations increase with age identify risk factors for developing leukemia in Japanese and European populations.
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.
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.
A new imaging biomarker for the aging brain
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.
Sphingolipid S1P: Potential new target for schizophrenia treatment
Sphingolipid S1P is reduced in brain white matter of people with schizophrenia, making S1P receptors a good target for new treatments.
Staining that lights up whole organs and bodies
Scientists have developed a staining procedure that makes see-through tissue, organs, and bodies useful.
Artificial gravity protects the immune system of mice in space
Mice who experienced artificial gravity on the ISS suffered less damage to their immune system (thymus) than weightless mice did.
Ultraprecise clocks and the Tokyo Skytree verify Einstein’s theory of relativity
Time measured at the top and bottom of the Tokyo Skytree with ultraprecise clocks has verified the time dilation effect predicted by Einstein.
Low-protein diet changes sperm and health of future offspring
Low-protein diets in male mice alter sperm and result in offspring that have metabolic problems like diabetes in adulthood.
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.
Efficient and durable ultra-thin solar cells
Ultra-thin, flexible, organic solar cells that degrade less than 5 percent after 3,000 hours and an energy conversion ratio of 13%.
Tape and vermilion: ingredients for mapping artifact origins
Vermilion samples taken from ancient artifacts with sulfur-free tape can tell us about trade patterns 3000 years ago.
Are you “at risk” of being a habitual coffee drinker?
Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are related to dietary habits, including coffee, tea, tofu, and yogurt consumption.
Astrocytes powered by norepinephrine during fear-memory formation
Norepinephrine released in the locus coeruleus during fear learning is accompanied by increased calcium and cAMP levels in nearby astrocytes.
Brain wave synchrony can predict memory age
The degree of neuronal synchrony between the anterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampus during recall is an indication of memory age (in mice).
AI identifies features associated with cancer recurrence
Artificial intelligence has successfully identified features relevant to cancer prognosis that were not previously noted by pathologists
Longevity in supercentenarians linked to cytotoxic T-cells
Blood analysis in supercentenarians showed that they have many more cytotoxic CD4 T-cells than people with average life spans.
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.
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
Massive filaments, galaxies, and supermassive black holes
Big telescopes yield big data! Detailed observations gas filaments connecting galaxies in a distant proto-cluster in the early Universe.
Understanding non-coding DNA: gene “enhancers”
NETCAGE is a newly developed technique for determining the structure of portions of the non-coding genome called ‘enhancers.’
Implantable blastocyst‐like cysts grown from stem cells
Embryo Organoids?! Blastocyst‐like cysts grown from pluripotent mouse stem cells were similar to natural blastocysts (early embryos).
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.
Cyborg microchip valve driven by earthworm muscle
This earthworm muscle-controlled biological microelectromechanical system (bio‐MEMS) could lead the way to next-generation medical implants.
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.
New metalloenzyme system selectively targets cancer cells
Specific targeting of cancer cells and onsite drug synthesis has been achieved using a new artificial metalloenzyme delivery system.
Boosting betaine may be a treatment for schizophrenia
Supplementing model mice with glycine betaine (trimethylglycine), a compound originally derived from beets, can alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia.
Gray matter volume links symptoms in autism
Low gray matter volume in the posterior superior parietal lobule (pSPL) was found to correlate with specific cognitive and perceptual symptoms of autism.
New mechanism allows lower energy requirement for OLED displays
Scientists have found a way to significantly reduce the amount of energy required by organic light emitting diodes (OLED) displays.
CAPON links Alzheimer’s plaques to neurodegeneration
CAPON was found to link Aβ plaques and hippocampal neurodegeneration in mice, explaining how these two hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease are related.
Electric rays to help us map the ocean floor
Electric rays and sting rays could map the ocean floor through their natural behavior, helping us find resources and collect data on other ocean life.
Bacterial drug resistance studied by robotic E. coli evolution
Experimentally evolving E. coli under pressure from a large number of antibiotics was able to identify constraints underlying evolved drug resistance.
New artificial skin helps avoid animal testing
A new artificial skin that reproduces proper tension can be used to research skin function and disease while reducing the need to experiment on animals.
Social novelty in the brain: haven’t I seen you someplace before?
Social novelty and contextual novelty are segregated in the SuM region of the hypothalamus and in projections to the hippocampus, allowing memories of meeting new people to be formed separately from memories of new places.
FABP4: A preschool-aged biomarker for autism
Reduced FABP4 was found in preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder, making it a potential new biomarker for the condition.
Microbial infections are a parasitic plant’s dream
Parasitic plants use quinones produced by their host to attack. Now we know that crops produce quinones as an immune response against microbial infection. How can we protect crops from both kinds of attack?
Gut bacteria double team worsens symptoms of multiple sclerosis
Joint activity of two gut bacteria leads to excessive MOG-specific T-cell activity and demyelination of neurons in the spinal cord of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.
Something smells fishy: categorizing odors in the brain
Calcium imaging and mathematical model explain how categories and mixtures of odors are represented in the fly brain and consistent across individual flies.
Photosynthetic bacteria spin spider silk for the masses
A little genetic engineering and a special recipe allows photosynthetic bacteria to mass-produce super lightweight spider silk for use in manufacturing.
Dec
10
Electric rays to help us map the ocean floor
Electric rays and sting rays could map the ocean floor through their natural behavior, helping us find resources and collect data on other ocean life.
Nov
26
Bacterial drug resistance studied by robotic E. coli evolution
Experimentally evolving E. coli under pressure from a large number of antibiotics was able to identify constraints underlying evolved drug resistance.
Nov
9
New artificial skin helps avoid animal testing
A new artificial skin that reproduces proper tension can be used to research skin function and disease while reducing the need to experiment on animals.
Oct
2
Social novelty in the brain: haven’t I seen you someplace before?
Social novelty and contextual novelty are segregated in the SuM region of the hypothalamus and in projections to the hippocampus, allowing memories of meeting new people to be formed separately from memories of new places.
Sep
11
FABP4: A preschool-aged biomarker for autism
Reduced FABP4 was found in preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder, making it a potential new biomarker for the condition.
Sep
3
Microbial infections are a parasitic plant’s dream
Parasitic plants use quinones produced by their host to attack. Now we know that crops produce quinones as an immune response against microbial infection. How can we protect crops from both kinds of attack?