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Welcome to the It Ain’t Magic science blog! (brought to you by the RIKEN Global Communications Team)
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.
Apr
9
Why being sick can create anxiety
Researchers have linked changes in mouse immune-cell metabolism to anxiety-related behavior and alterations in brain chemistry.
Apr
6
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.
Mar
9
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.
Feb
23
In living color: imaging the brain with synthetic bioluminescence
Feb
9
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!
Feb
7
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.