Scientists discovered a protein that plays a crucial role in regulating fatty acids, the molecules that make up body fat. This research could lead to new options for treating people with diseases associated with fatty acid buildup.
New research on leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite, reveals a previously unknown mechanism that may be responsible for at least 10 percent of obesity cases. The findings could help identify individuals with treatable forms of the condition.
When looking for food, the roundworm C. elegans searches the same area for up to 20 minutes before trying its luck at more distant locales. New research on the worm’s brain explains how this behavior arises at the level of molecules and cells.
Researchers have identified a rare type of cancer cell that cannot make cholesterol, a key nutrient. By targeting this deficiency, scientists may be able to develop new strategies for treating the disease.
Scientists have learned new tricks that could be useful in preventing mosquito-borne illnesses such as Zika and yellow fever. A new study shows that some appetite-reducing drugs can curtail the insects’ impulse to feed on warm-blooded hosts.
Geckos are amazingly agile. In addition to running across land and up trees, the animals can prance across the surface of water. A new study reveals how they do it.
Researchers have assembled a new and improved DNA catalogue for the mosquito Aedes aegypti. This tool will help researchers understand the insect’s biology, and may lead to new strategies for preventing diseases like Zika and dengue.
A new study shows that embryonic cells retain a memory of the chemical signals to which they are exposed. Without these memories, cells fail organize into distinct tissue types.
Using gene editing technology, researchers have developed a new way to study B cell activation in mice. This technique makes research more efficient, and has the potential to improve our understanding of immune responses in humans.
Researchers have uncovered the genetic factors that make some people susceptible to Whipple's disease, an intestinal inflammatory disorder that causes diarrhea, pain, and weight loss.
Maimon, who studies cognition and decision-making, and Marraffini, who studies the bacterial defense system CRISPR-Cas, are among 19 scientists nationwide to receive this designation.
Scientists have discovered a curious way for cells to die. In studying it, they are learning about how remnants of diseased cells are normally chewed up and removed.
New research has helped explain what goes wrong in Aicardi-Goutières syndrome, a rare brain disorder. Patients with the disease have genetic abnormalities that may put their cells at risk of accidentally triggering an antiviral response.
A new study illuminates the biology that guides behavior across different stages of life in worms, and suggests how variations in specific neuromodulators in the developing nervous system may lead to occasional variations.
Virtually all aspects of life and disease depend of brief exchanges between cells. A new technique to study cell-to-cell contacts lets interacting cells “smear” one another with the biological equivalent of lipstick.
The symptoms of Huntington’s typically appear in middle age, but the disease may in fact originate much earlier. New research shows that a patient’s neural abnormalities may arise already during embryonic development—suggesting that treating the disease early may be beneficial.
New research shows that subtle differences between bacterial strains may cause dramatic differences in outcome between people infected with the same microbe.
With new imaging methods, scientists hope to make significant progress in the fight against obesity. A new report reveals striking images of neural projections within fat tissue, and clues for the development of new drugs.
Scientists studying the cell’s DNA-copying machinery have discovered a molecular mechanism that helps reactivate it should it stop prematurely. Its function may prevent genetic errors like those that cause cancer.
Scientists have discovered a group of brain cells that may play a role in keeping smokers addicted to nicotine. Their work could ultimately lead to new drugs to help people conquer their tobacco dependence.
Kronauer has been promoted to associate professor. He has dedicated his laboratory to investigating the molecular basis underlying complex social behavior among insects.
A protein transferred from male to female mosquitoes during sex influences female mating behavior—a phenomenon that could be exploited to limit the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses like Zika and dengue.
Young was honored for his discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm. He accepted the Nobel medal and diploma from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
Researchers have found that the cells directing the very first steps of brain formation are not other neurons, as scientists have long assumed. They've also uncovered previously hidden molecular pathways that attract neurons into the brain.
Scientists have identified a protein that many viruses require to spread within a host—a discovery that could lead to fighting diseases as varied as parainfluenza, West Nile, and Zika with a single drug. This finding could also lead to the development of treatments for emerging viruses.
