The It Ain't Magic Science Blog

Locating social memories in the brain

Scientists have identified where social memories are stored in the brains of mice. Mice are forgotten because memories cannot be retrieved.

Godzilla-sized zooplankton for better aquafarming

Scientists have created extra large zooplankton to help feed the fish in aquafarms. The new plankton were created using an ion beam to generate mutations.

Stolen genes used for parasitic mind control

Parasitic horsehair worms evolved to control their praying mantis hosts by stealing their genes (horizontal gene transfer).

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.

Cyborg cockroaches to the rescue!

The key to this remote-controllable cyborg cockroach is a solar-cell rechargeable battery and an ultrathin flexible backpack.

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.

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Self-assembly of spider silk

This gut microbe might protect against diabetes and reduce insulin resistance

NEW: One-way hydrogel guides motion of tiny worms!

Latest Posts

19

Rainbow engineering to make the brain glow

Rainbow engineering to make the brain glow

by amanda alvarez | Drop of science

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.

18

Geostationary satellite enables better precipitation and flood predictions

Geostationary satellite enables better precipitation and flood predictions

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

Data from the Himawari-8 geosynchronous satellite was used in weather simulations to improve forecasts of sudden precipitation and tropical storm development.

17

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

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

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

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

15

The brain’s GPS has a buddy system

The brain’s GPS has a buddy system

by amanda alvarez | Hot Off the Press

In addition to encoding self location, brain cells in the rat hippocampus act like a GPS that encodes the location of other rats.

25

Leaky plants bad for drought resistance

Leaky plants bad for drought resistance

by adam phillips | Research in Depth

The KAI2 receptor for compounds found in smoke helps plants retain water and survive during drought.

22

Helping the body clock keep its cool

Helping the body clock keep its cool

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

Two parallel temperature-responsive mechanisms ensure that circadian rhythms are not skewed by changes in temperature

21

The stars align

The stars align

by amanda alvarez | Drop of science

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.

7

What’s that smell? The advantage of sniffing

What’s that smell? The advantage of sniffing

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Rhythmic sniffing boosts phase-coded neuronal signals in the mouse olfactory bulb that allow odors to be identified.

27

Quantum dots light up cancer with a little help

Quantum dots light up cancer with a little help

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

Researchers have found a small connecting protein that can help make quantum dot-based probes for biomedical imaging.

24

Most precise measurement ever of proton magnetic moment

Most precise measurement ever of proton magnetic moment

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

Using a sophisticated setup, scientists have made the most precise measurement to date of the proton magnetic moment.

9

Proton and antiproton still seem identical

Proton and antiproton still seem identical

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

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.

4

Microcolumns: elementary neuronal units that carpet the (mouse) brain

Microcolumns: elementary neuronal units that carpet the (mouse) brain

by amanda alvarez | Hot Off the Press

A hexagonal lattice organizes major cell types in the cerebral cortex, with similar cells synchronizing their activity in microcolumns.

24

Jupiter’s volcano-powered auroral lights

Jupiter’s volcano-powered auroral lights

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

A collaborative effort used data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft to explain the transient auroras found on Jupiter.

13

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

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

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

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

3

Random movements help color-detecting cells form the proper pattern

Random movements help color-detecting cells form the proper pattern

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

Scientists have used a mathematical model to explain why zebrafish cone cells in the eye are arranged in a specific pattern in all individuals.

29

Visualizing chick-brain morphogenesis

Visualizing chick-brain morphogenesis

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

A new statistical-based method provides insight into the morphogenesis of developing organs.

25

Skin-like wearable electronics

Skin-like wearable electronics

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

Sensors made from stretchable nanomesh allow skin to breathe naturally while continuously monitoring patient health.

22

Solar cells you can put in the wash

Solar cells you can put in the wash

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

Scientists have developed ultra-thin photovoltaic solar cells that can be incorporated into fabric and even washed.

20

Learning and unlearning to fear: The two faces of noradrenaline

Learning and unlearning to fear: The two faces of noradrenaline

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Fear association and unlearning fear association require different populations of noradrenaline neurons in the locus coeruleus.

14

ּּּBigger oocytes = more mistakes

ּּּBigger oocytes = more mistakes

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

The large size of mouse oocytes is shown to create errors when chromosomes divide between daughter cells.

7

Superfly flight simulator helps unravel navigation in the brain

Superfly flight simulator helps unravel navigation in the brain

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Optical imaging neural activity in flies as they use a flight simulator can help us understand how the brain codes navigation.

5

Skipping fatty acids could be recipe for schizophrenia

Skipping fatty acids could be recipe for schizophrenia

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Prenatal lack of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids linked to epigenetic changes that lead to schizophrenic symptoms in mice.

21

A gut-wrenching defense against parasitic worms

A gut-wrenching defense against parasitic worms

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

Mast cells in the gut help fight off parasitic worms in the early stages of infection.

18

Memory retrieval needs a neuronal connecting flight

Memory retrieval needs a neuronal connecting flight

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Scientists use optogenetics to discover a part of the brain necessary for retrieving memories of personal experiences.

10

From egg to embryo

From egg to embryo

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

A newly discovered gene turns off an egg’s egginess, allowing it to become an embryo.

3

This nickel catalyst bats from both sides of the plate

This nickel catalyst bats from both sides of the plate

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

Scientists discover that a nickel catalyst acts as both a acid and a base during molecule assembly.

27

New info about how chromosomes form

New info about how chromosomes form

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

Fewer components are needed for chromosome assembly during cell division than previously supposed.

25

Tracking how stars grow up in a virtual playground

Tracking how stars grow up in a virtual playground

by amanda alvarez | Research Highlight

Amanda Alvarez writes about Steven Rieder and his research in modeling clusters of growing new stars.

21

Protons are lighter than previously thought

Protons are lighter than previously thought

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

A new and most precise measurement of protons shows that they are lighter than previously thought.

20

Untangling depression in Huntington’s disease

Untangling depression in Huntington’s disease

by riken research highlights | Research Highlight

New research implicates clumps of insoluble, misfolded proteins in the development of mental illness in people with Huntington’s disease

6

Imaging whole-body cancer metastasis at the single-cell level

Imaging whole-body cancer metastasis at the single-cell level

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

A new optical clearing method allows imaging of cancer metastasis at incredibly high resolution.

2

Meet the editors: the growing pains of scientific publishing

Meet the editors: the growing pains of scientific publishing

by amanda alvarez | What's Up With Us

Amanda Alvarez writes about the recent seminars at RIKEN by Philip Campbell and Emilie Marcus, the editors-in-chief of Nature and Cell.

17

Carbon nanotubes, what are they good for?

Carbon nanotubes, what are they good for?

by kylius wilkins | Interviews, What's Up With Us

Kylius Wilkins talks to Urs Frey and his recent success manufacturing carbon nanotubes (CNTs).

8

Finding real rewards in a virtual world

Finding real rewards in a virtual world

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

A new study shows that mice who learn to find goals in virtual reality use their hippocampus the same was as in the real world.

25

RIKEN is looking for you

RIKEN is looking for you

by adam phillips | What's Up With Us

RIKEN is looking for you. Check out our new introductory videos! learn about exotic nuclei and much much more.

24

Promising mouse model for Ngly1 deficiency

Promising mouse model for Ngly1 deficiency

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

A recent study of Ngly1 deficient mice used a secondary knockout to create double knockouts with symptoms similar to human NGLY1 deficiency.

12

Nihonium walk of fame

Nihonium walk of fame

by jens wilkinson | Drop of science, What's Up With Us

A nihonium walk of fame is being built to commemorate the discovery of the 113th element

4

New rice fights off drought

New rice fights off drought

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Researchers have created drought resistant transgenic rice using a gene from a small Eurasian flowering plant

3

Centennial RIKEN Research

Centennial RIKEN Research

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

???This Spring we’ve put together a special centennial issue of RIKEN Research ???

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

25

Ethanol pretreated soil protects plants from drought

Ethanol pretreated soil protects plants from drought

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Pretreating soil with ethanol protected plants, including wheat and rice, from the adverse effects of water deprivation.

22

Marsupial heart regeneration ability given to mice

Marsupial heart regeneration ability given to mice

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Regeneration of mouse hearts ? ?? after birth achieved by figuring out how it’s possible in opossums.

19

How an herbal medicine protects against inflamed bowels

How an herbal medicine protects against inflamed bowels

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

A Japanese herbal medicine promotes good bacteria and innate immune cells in the gut, which protects against intestinal inflammation.

7

Robotic AI helps efficient growth of replacement organs

Robotic AI helps efficient growth of replacement organs

by masataka sasabe | Hot Off the Press

Humans team-up with a robotic AI to speed up experiments to find the best way to regrow damaged eye tissue from stem cells.

20

Extra “eye” movements are the key to better self-driving cars

Extra “eye” movements are the key to better self-driving cars

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

If self-driving cars make saccades like people, they might make fewer mistakes identifying important features of the road.

26

Palaeospondylus: mystery of vertebrate evolution solved

Palaeospondylus: mystery of vertebrate evolution solved

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Micro-CT scans using synchrotron radiation X-rays reveal Palaeospondylus morphology, finally allowing its placement on the evolutionary tree.

28

Xist knockout rescues miscarriages in mice

Xist knockout rescues miscarriages in mice

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Xist knockout rescues miscarriages in mice whose egg cells lack H3K27me3 epigenetic instructions.

27

A new type of cell death discovered in fly guts

A new type of cell death discovered in fly guts

by masataka sasabe | Hot Off the Press

A completely unknown type of cell death called “erebosis” has been discovered in the guts of the common fruit fly.

6

Diagnosing fetal heart disease benefits from explanatory AI

Diagnosing fetal heart disease benefits from explanatory AI

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Diagnosis accuracy improved when doctors used explanatory AI to help diagnose congenital heart disease from fetal ultrasound videos.

How does gravity affect antimatter?

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

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.

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.

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.

15

The first drug treatment for brain aneurysms (in mice)

The first drug treatment for brain aneurysms (in mice)

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Scientists discover that most aneurysms result from mutations. A mouse model shows they can be treated with drugs.

12

Simple but revolutionary modular organoids

Simple but revolutionary modular organoids

by jens wilkinson | Hot Off the Press

A new way to construct complex 3D organoids without using elaborate techniques! The trick using modular cubes with hydrogel layers.

19

Thoughts on the genetics of medicinal licorice

Thoughts on the genetics of medicinal licorice

by jens wilkinson | Drop of science

Jens talks about licorice and a recent RIKEN study that finally mapped its genome.

24

Pathogenic genetic variation linked to H. pylori-related stomach cancer

Pathogenic genetic variation linked to H. pylori-related stomach cancer

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Researchers find that the risk of stomach cancer due to infection withH. Pylori bacteria increases with specific genetic variations.

29

ERRg predicts atrial fibrillation and hidden comorbidity

ERRg predicts atrial fibrillation and hidden comorbidity

by adam phillips | Hot Off the Press

Polygenic risk scores based on the genetic data from more that a million people predicted atrial fibrillation, stroke, and mortality.

27

Memories are made of this ?? – (Part 2)

Memories are made of this ?? – (Part 2)

by adam phillips | Interviews

Thomas McHugh from the RIKEN Center for Brain Science continues his discussion about memories, emotions, the brain, and life.