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Researchers Highlight Crucial Contributions of Astrocytes to Mental Health

The health and function of the brain depend on astrocytes, which are essential cells in the central nervous system. According to recent research, they affect behaviors and higher cognitive functions by controlling local neuronal activity.

22 Apr 2024

Unveiling the Mysterious Role of 'Zombie Neurons' in Cerebellar Learning

Nestled at the back of your head, the cerebellum is a brain structure that plays a pivotal role in how we learn, adapting our actions based on past experiences.

3 Apr 2024

Uncovering the Neural Basis of Goal-Directed Navigation in Fruit Fly Brains

When we walk down the street, we have an internal sense of which way we are heading, from looking at street signals and physical landmarks, and also a sense of where we'd like to go.

9 Feb 2024

A New Tool for Monitoring Neuronal Inhibition

By tracking when distinct subsets of brain cells activate, researchers have understood the complex activity patterns found in both human and animal brains for many years. Knowing how long those neurons stay active and when they turn off again is crucial to understanding the brain and its associated disorders.

24 Jan 2024

New Cell Model Paves Way for Faster Treatments for Neuromuscular Diseases

Scientists have so far identified around 800 different neuromuscular diseases. These conditions are caused by problems in the way muscle cells, motor neurons and peripheral cells interact.

20 Dec 2023

Shedding Light on the Brain's Reward System

A new study provides deeper insights into how the brain learns and adapts through trial and error, whether a scientist or a pup.

14 Dec 2023

The Evolving Landscape of Consciousness Studies

In this interview, we speak to Umberto Olcese, an Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam, to delve into the complex and fascinating world of consciousness from a neuroscientific perspective.

12 Dec 2023

Pancreatic Nerve Zaps Restore Insulin Production and Reverse Diabetes in Mice

Insulin is a hormone that decreases blood glucose levels. The only cells that produce insulin are pancreatic beta cells (β-cells), and a decrease in these cells is a major cause of diabetes.

5 Dec 2023

Unveiling the Cerebellar Nuclei’s Role in Associative Learning

The regulation of associative learning was traditionally believed to be controlled by the cortex within the cerebellum, commonly known as the “little brain.”

21 Nov 2023

The Factors Influencing Egg Cell Development

According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Northwestern Medicine scientists discovered how cytoskeletal proteins influence the growth of developing eggs in fruit flies, findings that advance the field’s understanding of how egg cells form and distinguish themselves from other sister cells.

11 Oct 2023

Scientists Discover How Brain's "Population Clock" Guides Behavior

From Aristotle's musings on the nature of time to Einstein's theory of relativity, humanity has long pondered: how do we perceive and understand time? The theory of relativity posits that time can stretch and contract, a phenomenon known as time dilation. Just as the cosmos warps time, our neural circuits can stretch and compress our subjective experience of time. As Einstein famously quipped, "Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute".

14 Jul 2023

First 'Living Digital Camera' Stores Images in DNA

In a world first, a 'biological camera' bypasses the constraints of current DNA storage methods, harnessing living cells and their inherent biological mechanisms to encode and store data.

12 Jul 2023

New Technology can Help Probe the Connections Between the Brain and Gut

The brain and the digestive tract are in constant communication, relaying signals that help to control feeding and other behaviors.

23 Jun 2023

Metabolic reactions upon activating Akt2 enzyme revealed

Takeaki Ozawa and his team from the University of Tokyo reveal the metabolic reactions upon activating an enzyme called Akt2.

22 Feb 2023

Nearly two million-euro ERC Consolidator Grant supports research on fruit fly's locomotion

When we try walking in a straight line with our eyes closed, after a few steps forward we inevitably deviate from our intended path.

1 Feb 2023

MIT researchers use specialized MRI sensor to detect light deep within tissues

Using a specialized MRI sensor, MIT researchers have shown that they can detect light deep within tissues such as the brain.

3 Jan 2023

Optogenetic control of mitochondria–lysosome contacts induce mitochondrial fission with spatiotemporal accuracy

Researchers from UC, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the University at Buffalo demonstrated that light-activated proteins can help normalize dysfunction within cells.

8 Aug 2022

New technique uses microscopic magnetic particles to remotely activate brain cells

Scientists at UCL have developed a new technique that uses microscopic magnetic particles to remotely activate brain cells; researchers say the discovery in rats could potentially lead to the development of a new class of non-invasive therapies for neurological disorders.

From University College London 24 Feb 2022

Novel method for controlled interrogation and recording of neuronal activity

A new approach for regulated interrogation and recording of neuronal activity was developed by scientists at the University of Freiburg.

24 Feb 2022

Hemoglobin plays role as a chemosensory signal for mother mice to protect offspring

Biochemists in Japan were surprised to discover that the molecule hemoglobin in the blood works not only as an oxygen carrier, but when the blood is spilled as a result of aggression, accident or predator attack, the molecule also acts as a chemosensory signal -; a chemical stimulus picked up by the senses, namely smell in this case -; for lactating mother mice, prompting digging or rearing behavior in them to check the surrounding environment and keep their offspring safe.

11 Feb 2022