Topics
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.
Tracking how stars grow up in a virtual playground
Amanda Alvarez writes about Steven Rieder and his research in modeling clusters of growing new stars.
Protons are lighter than previously thought
A new and most precise measurement of protons shows that they are lighter than previously thought.
Untangling depression in Huntington’s disease
New research implicates clumps of insoluble, misfolded proteins in the development of mental illness in people with Huntington’s disease
Imaging whole-body cancer metastasis at the single-cell level
A new optical clearing method allows imaging of cancer metastasis at incredibly high resolution.
Meet the editors: the growing pains of scientific publishing
Amanda Alvarez writes about the recent seminars at RIKEN by Philip Campbell and Emilie Marcus, the editors-in-chief of Nature and Cell.
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.
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.
Flies use fecal deposits as pheromones
Bioluminescence imaging of fly brains reveals neurons sensitive to fly poo laced with pheromones (you can see the fecal “landmark” in the dotted circle). Need we say more?
Hippocampal memory isn’t all about place cells
Scientists have found evidence that hippocampal memories of experience are not stored in place cells.
Summer fun: how plants beat the heat
Scientists have discovered a gene that allows plants to cope with extreme heat by changing the composition of chloroplast membranes.
Freedom from fear 🧟♀️
Researchers discover a dopaminergic circuit in the brain that allows fear associations to disappear when there isn’t anything to be afraid of anymore.
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.