Light News and Research

RSS

Scientists Unveil Dynamic Structure of Vision-Linked Protein RBP3

Scientists have for the first time looked deep into the protein structure that may determine our vision - and discovered that it is much more dynamic than previously thought.

8 Apr 2025

Breakthrough Ultrasound Technique Reveals Living Cells in 3D

While medical centers use ultrasound daily, so far this technology is not capable of observing body tissues at the scale of cells.

4 Apr 2025

Ancient DNA Reveals Long Isolated North African Lineage

The study provides critical new insights into the African Humid Period, a time between 14,500 and 5,000 years ago when the Sahara desert was a green savanna, rich in water bodies that facilitated human habitation and the spread of pastoralism.

4 Apr 2025

New Brain Organoid Model Reveals How Microglia Respond to Viral Infections

Organoids have revolutionized science and medicine, providing platforms for disease modeling, drug testing, and understanding developmental processes.

4 Apr 2025

Mapping Larger Tissue Sections Without Specialized Equipment

By creating comprehensive maps of the locations of gene expression in tissue, spatial transcriptomics technologies have made it possible to perform new types of biological assessments.

4 Apr 2025

Innovative Imaging Technique Tracks Cellular Processes with Minimal Damage

An advancement in imaging technology has the potential to revolutionize the understanding of the inner workings of living cells and offer insights into a variety of diseases.

3 Apr 2025

CD11c Microglia Play Key Role in Neurodevelopmental Delays from Maternal Inflammation

A research group led by Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan has uncovered a potential mechanism linking maternal inflammation to delayed neurodevelopment in infants.

2 Apr 2025

Genetic Study Reveals Heritable Basis for Music Enjoyment

Music is central to human emotion and culture. Does our ability to enjoy music have a biological basis? A genetic twin study, published in Nature Communications, shows that music enjoyment is partly heritable.

30 Mar 2025

Breakthrough Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Hereditary Hearing Loss

Congenital hearing loss refers to impaired auditory function that occurs due to genetic causes. GJB2 is the gene responsible for approximately half of all cases of hereditary hearing loss.

28 Mar 2025

Horses' Unique Genetic Adaptation for Superior Endurance Revealed

Researchers have revealed a secret behind horses' exceptional endurance – a mutation in the KEAP1 gene that boosts energy production while protecting against cellular oxidative stress.

28 Mar 2025

Serendipitous Discovery Reveals How Whole-Genome Duplication Drives Evolution

Sometimes, the most significant scientific discoveries happen by accident. Scientists have long known that whole-genome duplication (WGD) - the process by which organisms copy all their genetic material - plays an important role in evolution.

27 Mar 2025

Dscamb Protein Ensures Proper Spacing in Zebrafish Cone Cells

In vertebrate retinas, specialized photoreceptors responsible for color vision (cone cells) arrange themselves in patterns known as the "cone mosaic".

26 Mar 2025

How Chromosomes Shape Up for Cell Division

Among the many marvels of life is the cell’s ability to divide and thus enable organisms to grow and renew themselves.

26 Mar 2025

MIT Scientists Use Light to Control Cell Movement in Starfish

Life takes shape with the motion of a single cell. In response to signals from certain proteins and enzymes, a cell can start to move and shake, leading to contractions that cause it to squeeze, pinch, and eventually divide.

25 Mar 2025

Ancient Neurohormone Found to Control Appetite in Both Humans and Starfish

A team of biologists at Queen Mary University of London has discovered that a neurohormone controlling appetite in humans has an ancient evolutionary origin, dating back over half a billion years.

25 Mar 2025

EMBL Scientists Observe DNA Looping Process in High Resolution

Among the many marvels of life is the cell's ability to divide and thus enable organisms to grow and renew themselves.

25 Mar 2025

Scientists Identify Crucial Mechanism for Maintaining Neuronal Identity in the Brain

A team of researchers from the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche, in collaboration with researchers from Columbia University (New York, USA), has identified a mechanism that regulates the production of two different proteins from the same gene.

24 Mar 2025

Dendritic Spine Clusters Physically Link Memories Formed Close in Time

According to a recent study, the reason why memories from the same day seem connected while events from weeks apart feel separate is as follows: Human brains use dendrites, which are spiny extensions of neurons, rather than the cell bodies to physically connect memories that happen in close succession.

24 Mar 2025

Your Brain Maps Social Interactions Like a GPS

A study reveals how the brain uses 'basis functions' to simplify social decision-making, impacting biases and teamwork dynamics in group settings.

24 Mar 2025

UV Light Reshapes 3D Genome Structure, Altering DNA Repair and Gene Activity

Research shows UV radiation modifies 3D genome structure, affecting DNA damage response and gene activity, offering insights for cancer prevention strategies.

24 Mar 2025