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My science communication journey in Tokyo
New contributor and nuclear physicist Sarah Naimi talks about her recent experience in science communication at a recent scicom event in Tokyo.
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.
Quick, call Spiderman: scientists discover how spider silk is formed
A group of scientists led by researchers have discovered a key mechanism through which spider silk is formed.
Mutation protects against Alzheimer’s disease in mice
Scientists discover a deletion mutation that reduces amyloid-beta plaque formation in Alzheimer’s disease model mice.
Plant peptide spells relief from salty stress
Newly discovered plant peptide hormone can be used to protect plants from excessive environmental salt.
Putting E. coli to work for us
Specially engineered bacteria can produce an industrially significant chemical from renewable sources in a much gentler process than the one currently used by industry.
Why being sick can create anxiety
Researchers have linked changes in mouse immune-cell metabolism to anxiety-related behavior and alterations in brain chemistry.
Plant hormone combats dehydration
Scientists show that CLE25 is a plant hormone that travels from roots to leaves and helps close stomata in times of dehydration stress.
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.
In living color: imaging the brain with synthetic bioluminescence
A new way to image the brain from outside the head using bioluminescence.
Deep-brain exploration with nanomaterials
A new way to optogenetically activate neurons deep in the brain using infrared light and upconversion nanoparticles. It’s non-invasive!
Running away from carbon dioxide: the terminal connection
Even fish want to avoid carbon dioxide. Now we know that they can because of chemosensation and the Terminal Nerve.
Rainbow engineering to make the brain glow
Bar talk about tinkering with bioluminescent molecules from jellyfish, corals, and algae, figuring out how they work, and making them more useful for brain science.
Geostationary satellite enables better precipitation and flood predictions
Data from the Himawari-8 geosynchronous satellite was used in weather simulations to improve forecasts of sudden precipitation and tropical storm development.
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.
The brain’s GPS has a buddy system
In addition to encoding self location, brain cells in the rat hippocampus act like a GPS that encodes the location of other rats.
Leaky plants bad for drought resistance
The KAI2 receptor for compounds found in smoke helps plants retain water and survive during drought.
Helping the body clock keep its cool
Two parallel temperature-responsive mechanisms ensure that circadian rhythms are not skewed by changes in temperature
The stars align
The stars align. That’s what you say, when things work out perfectly. In the case of an eclipse, of course, it’s not stars that align but rather the moon and sun.
What’s that smell? The advantage of sniffing
Rhythmic sniffing boosts phase-coded neuronal signals in the mouse olfactory bulb that allow odors to be identified.
Quantum dots light up cancer with a little help
Researchers have found a small connecting protein that can help make quantum dot-based probes for biomedical imaging.
Most precise measurement ever of proton magnetic moment
Using a sophisticated setup, scientists have made the most precise measurement to date of the proton magnetic moment.
Proton and antiproton still seem identical
Using a novel two-particle measurement method, scientists have measured the magnetic moment of the antiproton at a precision 350 times higher than any previous measurement.
Microcolumns: elementary neuronal units that carpet the (mouse) brain
A hexagonal lattice organizes major cell types in the cerebral cortex, with similar cells synchronizing their activity in microcolumns.
Jupiter’s volcano-powered auroral lights
A collaborative effort used data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft to explain the transient auroras found on Jupiter.
Hepatoma (liver cancer) blocked by a sugar look-a-like
A sugar (fucose) analog can prevent liver cancer (hepatoma) from invading healthy liver cells.
Random movements help color-detecting cells form the proper pattern
Scientists have used a mathematical model to explain why zebrafish cone cells in the eye are arranged in a specific pattern in all individuals.
Visualizing chick-brain morphogenesis
A new statistical-based method provides insight into the morphogenesis of developing organs.
Skin-like wearable electronics
Sensors made from stretchable nanomesh allow skin to breathe naturally while continuously monitoring patient health.
Solar cells you can put in the wash
Scientists have developed ultra-thin photovoltaic solar cells that can be incorporated into fabric and even washed.
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.
ּּּBigger oocytes = more mistakes
The large size of mouse oocytes is shown to create errors when chromosomes divide between daughter cells.
Superfly flight simulator helps unravel navigation in the brain
Optical imaging neural activity in flies as they use a flight simulator can help us understand how the brain codes navigation.
Skipping fatty acids could be recipe for schizophrenia
Prenatal lack of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids linked to epigenetic changes that lead to schizophrenic symptoms in mice.
A gut-wrenching defense against parasitic worms
Mast cells in the gut help fight off parasitic worms in the early stages of infection.
Memory retrieval needs a neuronal connecting flight
Scientists use optogenetics to discover a part of the brain necessary for retrieving memories of personal experiences.
From egg to embryo
A newly discovered gene turns off an egg’s egginess, allowing it to become an embryo.
This nickel catalyst bats from both sides of the plate
Scientists discover that a nickel catalyst acts as both a acid and a base during molecule assembly.
New info about how chromosomes form
Fewer components are needed for chromosome assembly during cell division than previously supposed.
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%.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.