Topics
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
Researchers create a functional salivary gland organoid 🤤
Scientists have succeeded in growing three-dimensional salivary gland tissue that produced saliva like normal glands when implanted into mice.
Getting a grip on slow but unique shark evolution
Scientists have decoded the genomes of two species of shark, bringing the grand total of sequenced shark genomes to three.
Ig Nobel awards: Silly experiments that strike gold
Amanda writes about the Ig Nobel awards after founder Marc Abrahams visited nerdnite Tokyo. Science at its best!
A self-powered heart monitor taped to the skin
A group of scientists have developed a human-friendly, ultra-flexible organic sensor powered by sunlight, which acts as a self-powered heart monitor.
AI used to detect fetal heart problems
Researchers have developed a novel system that can automatically detect abnormalities in fetal hearts in real-time using artificial intelligence (AI). 🤖🤰🏻❤️
Protostars that exhibit large diversity in organic compounds
A survey of a molecular cloud has found that the organic chemical makeup of protostars varies considerably.
Scientists solve epigenetic barriers to cloning
Scientists show that two epigenetic factors improve the success rate of cloning via somatic cell nuclear transfer.
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.
Two genes that regulate how much we dream
An international research team led by RIKEN BDR has identified a pair of genes that regulate how much REM (dream) and non-REM sleep an animal experiences.
Feb
15
Scientists create new type of self-healing material
Feb
12
Brain clock ticks differently in autism
A new brain imaging study shows that autistic severity is linked to how long certain regions of the brain store information.
Dec
19
Supermassive black holes still dark and mysterious
For the first time, scientists have measured the strength of magnetic fields near supermassive black holes and something doesn’t add up.
Dec
7
Evolution of the inner ear: insights from jawless fish
A new story for inner ear evolution based on the developmental patterning found in hagfish, one of two extant jawless vertebrates and a link to the last common ancestor of modern jawed vertebrates.
Dec
5
Tumor detection during breast cancer surgery
Scientists have developed a new way to accurately detect the margins between cancerous and non-cancerous tissue during breast cancer surgery.
Nov
26
Smarter AI: machine learning without negative data
Scientists have developed a new method for machine learning that allows an AI to make better classifications without negative data.