News & HighlightsNews
Researchers keep a mammalian cochlea alive outside the body for the first time
The technological breakthrough may improve our understanding of the cellular mechanisms behind hearing and its loss, which remain poorly understood.
This brain circuit drives the urge to mate. Except when it doesn’t.
Scientists discovered an identical neural circuit that operates differently in male and female mice.
Why scientists and policy experts are trying to map the genomes of every animal, plant and fungal species in the US
The Vertebrate Genomes Project has set its sights on creating high-quality reference genomes to help answer some of science’s biggest questions.
Our ability to recognize objects depends on prior experience
New findings suggest neurons have much more functional dexterity than scientists previously realized.
Using a pea-sized node in the brain to potentially treat drug addiction
Ines Ibañez-Tallon is revealing how an understudied region of the brain plays an outsized role in opioid and nicotine dependence. 
A scientist’s 30-year quest reveals why a fat-sensing hormone can lose its effectiveness, leading to obesity
Jeffrey M. Friedman’s lab has discovered a mechanism to explain how leptin resistance works.
Researchers discover a cause of leptin resistance—and how to reverse it
Most obese patients grow resistant to satiety signals from the hormone leptin. A new study shows that leptin sensitivity can be restored in mice, leading to weight loss.
Researchers identify a gene potentially linked to the evolution of spoken language
When placed in mice, an RNA-binding protein found only in the brains of humans changed how the animals vocalized to each other.
A single protein may have helped shape the emergence of spoken language
How much does the evolution of human speech owe to one amino acid?
How fruit flies flit between courtship and aggression to fight for mates
Male fruit flies don’t just sing to their mates; they also use sound-cancelling wing-flicks to jockey with rivals. This new understanding of how male flies compete for female partners could shed light on how the brain balances cooperation and competition.
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