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.

Plant peptide spells relief from salty stress


Newly discovered plant peptide hormone can be used to protect plants from excessive environmental salt.

How does gravity affect antimatter?


Scientists find that antimatter reacts to gravity the same way that regular matter does.

Clean and green: a moss that removes lead (Pb) from water


Scientists show that the moss Funaria hygrometrica can remove harmful lead from water when in the protonema stage of development.

Cassava engineered to produce healthier tapioca starch


Reducing the amount of starch branching enzymes in cassava plants made more resistant and thus healthier tapioca starch.

Mutation links bipolar disorder to mitochondrial disease


ANT1 mutations found in bipolar disease that affect mitochondria lead to hyperexcitable serotonergic neuronal activity in the brain.

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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.

Blue gene regulation helps plants respond properly to light


Blue light alters some gene expression in plants by changing the transcription start sites to downstream locations.

Hepatoma (liver cancer) blocked by a sugar look-a-like


A sugar (fucose) analog can prevent liver cancer (hepatoma) from invading healthy liver cells.

Protein pileup affects social behavior through altered brain signaling


When a normal cellular cleanup process is disrupted, social behavior in mice is disrupted and they start behaving in ways that resemble human symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia.

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!

Heat shock system helps dried up bug come back to life


An international collaboration has determined that cooption of the Heat Shock Factor (HSF) gene system is what allows larvae of the sleeping chironomid to be able to survive severe desiccation.

New treatment assembles cancer drug inside the body


Cancer drugs assembled inside the body on cancer cells should reduce harmful side effects to other tissue.

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.

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.

H2AK119ub1: How you inherit acquired traits from your mom


H2AK119ub1. Say that three times really fast! But seriously, it allows maternally acquired traits to be inherited.