Brain tissue kept alive for weeks with new microfluidic device


A new microfluidic device can keep tissue cultures functional for weeks on an artificial membrane

Memory retrieval needs a neuronal connecting flight


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

RIKEN Research Winter Issue


It’s almost the end of the year and a here’s an early holiday present! The winter issue of RIKEN Research is here, covering plant parasites, depression, atomic clocks, and more! Enjoy!

Chaos theory provides hints for controlling the weather


Computer simulations were used to show that small adjustments to certain variables in the weather system could modify weather phenomena such as sudden downpours.

Opossums are the first genome edited marsupials


A new piezoelectronic microinjection method has allowed the first successful genome editing in marsupials: albino opossums.

A new type of cell death discovered in fly guts


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

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Opossum hearts hint at new ways of fighting cardiovascular disease

Artificial intelligence improves the diagnosis of congenital heart defects before birth

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Science communication symposium


Friday I participated in a small symposium that focused on science communication (for institutions in Japan). We discussed using social media as a means to self-publish wow! and amazing! research findings. Here are some of my thoughts about how useful this plays out in Japan.

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.

Tape and vermilion: ingredients for mapping artifact origins


Vermilion samples taken from ancient artifacts with sulfur-free tape can tell us about trade patterns 3000 years ago.

Eve Marder: freeing knowledge, crashing neurons


None of us would get on a plane that had its parts changed in mid-air, says Eve Marder, who has spent her career probing a very specific cluster of crustacean nerve cells. Yet we are all walking around undergoing a constant turnover of cellular parts, and so are the lobsters and crabs Marder studies.

Leaky plants bad for drought resistance


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

Bacterial drug resistance studied by robotic E. coli evolution


Experimentally evolving E. coli under pressure from a large number of antibiotics was able to identify constraints underlying evolved drug resistance.

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.

New lab-grown retinal sheets almost ready for clinical trials


A new retinal transplant technique works by preventing bipolar cells from maturing in lab-grown retinal sheets.

Talking science Illustration with Misaki Ouchida


Whether it’s bird anatomy or science cartoons, Masaki Ouchida can do it all. She spoke with us about her career in science illustration, from the US to Japan.

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.

Introducing Nikola, the emotional android boy


A new android named Nikola will help researchers study facial expressions, emotions, and social interactions.