Model Organisms News and Research

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Experts Extend Lives of Animals By Activating ‘Energy Saver’ Mode

The study, published today in Aging Cell, found strong evidence that triggering a protein governing energy level may help organisms live longer, in some cases by over 25%.

1 Oct 2026

Decoding the Mechanisms Behind Long-Term Epigenetic Gene Regulation Shifts

The transmission of biological traits from one generation to the next is generally attributed to DNA. But could some changes be passed on without altering the DNA sequence?

30 Sep 2026

Acorn Worm Larva Undergoes Extensive Cellular Reprogramming During Metamorphosis

A squishy worm originating as a floating, head-like form within the Pacific Ocean is reshaping scientific understanding regarding metamorphosis at the cellular scale.

14 Sep 2026

How Can Stressed Mitochondria Actually Protect Your Heart?

Mitochondria are popularly known as the “powerhouse of the cell,” but these cellular structures do so much more–including acting as signaling hubs.

9 Sep 2026

Salk Study Uncovers How Mitochondrial Signals Drive Lasting Cardioprotection

Mitochondria are popularly known as the "powerhouse of the cell," but these cellular structures do so much more-including acting as signaling hubs.

7 Sep 2026

FlatMux Imaging Platform Captures Live Brain Circuit Activity

The brain is a vast, densely interconnected network of neurons computing in parallel. Watching these computations unfold in real time could reveal how the brain processes sensation and guides behavior.

24 Jul 2026

Fruit Fly Study Reveals Biochemical Pathways Connecting Stress to Sexual Dysfunction

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have revealed key parts of the biochemical pathways connecting stress to sexual dysfunction.

1 Jun 2026

Structured National Genomic Program can be Effective for Rare Disease Diagnosis

For many families, eight years of uncertainty meant repeated specialist visits, inconclusive genetic tests and the growing fear that a clear answer might never come. For nearly half of the children enrolled in the Telethon Undiagnosed Disease Program (TUDP), that wait is now over.

21 Apr 2026

Genetic Barcodes Reveal Early Origins of Human Peripheral Nerves

Millions of neurons branch throughout our bodies, keeping them in close communication with our brains. This peripheral network begins to take shape long before birth, as the cells of a growing embryo move into position and adopt their specialized roles.

15 Apr 2026

New Base Editing Tool Reduces Unwanted DNA Bystander Mutations

The trajectory of base editing has been remarkable, progressing from the laboratory to patient care, treating debilitating or terminal illnesses, in less than a decade.

19 Mar 2026

New Cell-Free Method Reveals Hidden Rules of Bacterial Gene Expression

Inside every cell, thousands of molecular signals collide, overlap, and compensate, obscuring the true drivers of gene expression.

5 Mar 2026

Model Proteins Could Bring Order to Protein Science

Protein scientists could improve reproducibility and coordination across the field by rallying around a small, shared set of "model proteins," according to a new Perspective by Connecticut College chemist Marc Zimmer.

19 Jan 2026

Even Giant Hornet Stings Fail to Stop These Frogs From Attacking

Pond frogs' tolerance to hornet venom positions them as key predators and valuable models for studying pain resistance and ecological interactions in nature.

17 Dec 2025

New Aquatic Arthropod Model Emerges from Visualization of Endosymbiosis in Ostracods

Ostracods, sometimes called seed shrimp, are nearly microscopic, aquatic organisms, inhabiting all types of marine and freshwater environments.

13 Nov 2025

Scientists Build the First Cellular Atlas of the World’s Deadliest Mosquito

The most dangerous animal in the world just got easier to study-and perhaps defeat one day.

3 Nov 2025

CRISPRi Screening Reveals Genetic Insights into Cyanobacteria Acclimation

Cyanobacteria are the most abundant photosynthetic microorganisms on Earth. They live in nearly every habitat throughout the world, from permafrost to hot springs and from soils to oceans.

5 Sep 2025

New Insights into How Cilia Move and Power Cellular Motion

A team led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers has uncovered the atomic structure of a protein complex pivotal to the function of motile cilia, the hair-like structures extending from the surfaces of many cell types that generate their movement.

23 Jul 2025

OHSU Team Identifies Gene Essential for Brain's Protective Layer

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered a gene that is critical to the brain’s ability to form myelin, a protective layer around nerves, potentially leading to new treatments for an extremely uncommon childhood disorder and more common diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

23 Jul 2025

RNases Play Pivotal Role in Shaping the Molecular Foundation of Mendelian Disorders

A new review brings to light the pivotal role of ribonucleases (RNases) in shaping the molecular foundation of Mendelian disorders.

26 Jun 2025

Scientists Develop EvoCAST for Efficient and Accurate Gene Insertion

Ask scientists what gene editing tool is most needed to advance gene therapy, and they'd probably describe a system that's now close to realization in the labs of Samuel Sternberg at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and David Liu at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

16 May 2025