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Members of neuroscientist Cori Bargmann’s lab spend quite a bit of their time watching worms move around. These tiny creatures, Caenorhabditis elegans, feed on soil bacteria, and their very lives depend on their ability to distinguish toxic microbes from nutritious ones. In a recent study, Bargma...

To fight superbugs, scientists are turning toward antibodies   "'The bottom line is that the bacteria now develop resistance to anti-infectious agents faster than we can develop the anti-infectious agents,' says Dr. Jean-Laurent Casanova, a professor at Rockefeller University who studies how ge...

Jean-Laurent Casanova, professor and head of the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases, is the recipient of the 2016 Stanley J. Korsmeyer Award for his work investigating the genetic basis of pediatric infectious diseases. The award, given by the American Society for Clini...

Methylation’s Role in Eusocial Insect Behavior Questioned   "'Discovering that there is no evidence to support methylation as a reason why two ants can behave so differently was, on the one hand, a little sobering,' said study coauthor Daniel Kronauer of Rockefeller University in a press rele...

The exquisite social hierarchy of insect colonies has long fascinated scientists. Take two eggs—both contain identical genetic material, but while one becomes a sterile worker, the other may develop into a queen that can reproduce. Workers perform brood care and other crucial tasks that keep the ...

Winrich Freiwald, a neuroscientist who studies one of the most basic aspects of social interaction—how the brain processes faces—has been promoted to associate professor as of January 1. Freiwald, who heads the Laboratory of Neural Systems, works on understanding how a specialized system in t...

by Wynne Parry, science writer Winrich Freiwald, a neuroscientist who studies one of the most basic aspects of social interaction—how the brain processes faces—has been promoted to associate professor as of January 1. Dr. Freiwald, who heads the Laboratory of Neural Systems, works on unde...

by Eva Kiesler, managing editor In a recent episode of the CUNY TV talk show Conversations in the Digital Age, host Jim Zirin conducts a 30-minute interview with Rockefeller University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne about the university—which Mr. Zirin refers to as an “amazing instituti...

The Quest to Make a Better Mosquito Repellent   "It’s not easy for a human to find a mosquito that doesn’t want to be found, but a mosquito can locate us quite easily. It’s a human-seeking machine, sculpted by evolution to track the warmth of our bodies, the carbon dioxide in our breath, ...

The Quest to Make a Better Mosquito Repellent   "It’s not easy for a human to find a mosquito that doesn’t want to be found, but a mosquito can locate us quite easily. It’s a human-seeking machine, sculpted by evolution to track the warmth of our bodies, the carbon dioxide in our breath, ...

Will We Find a Cure for Cancer and Alzheimer's Anytime Soon?   "Science is on the march in the heart of New York City. With five Nobel Laureates on its faculty, Rockefeller University scientists are working to unlock the mysteries of dreaded diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. Rockefelle...

Despite their bad reputations, the vast majority of mutations are not harmful. Even in very rare genetic disorders, only one or two genetic variations ­— out of tens of thousands — is actually the cause of disease. Distinguishing between harmful and harmless mutations has long been a challenge....

Chronic stress can lead to changes in neural circuitry that leave the brain trapped in states of anxiety and depression. But even under repeated stress, brief opportunities for recovery can open up, according to new research at The Rockefeller University. “Even after a long period of chronic st...

From before birth through childhood, connections form between neurons in the brain, ultimately making us who we are. So far, scientists have gained a relatively good understanding of how neural circuits become established, but they know less about the genetic control at play during this crucial d...

Some responses come automatically, like reflexes. Others vary with circumstance and experience. A once-delicious smell can be easily overlooked during a stressful moment or when it calls to mind a bout of food poisoning, for instance. This happens because, within the brain, molecules known as neu...

Many animals gravitate towards heat, most often to regulate their own body temperatures. In rare cases, certain species—ticks, bedbugs, and some species of mosquitoes—seek out heat for food. For female mosquitoes, finding heat is essential for survival, as they need to feast on warm-blooded prey...

A Nobel Laureate Turning 90 Continues to Churn Out Ideas for New Drugs   "Paul Greengard has been busy. In August he co-authored a paper on molecules that appear to regulate genes that might protect against Parkinson’s. That same month he took the lead on another paper that describes a protei...

by Katherine Fenz, media relations manager Helen Hobbs, a cardiology researcher, received the 2015 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize during a festive event in the Caspary Auditorium last month. The award, which Dr. Hobbs received for her pioneering research into the genetics of high cholesterol and ...

For many living things, a roughly 24-hour internal clock governs the rhythms of life—everything from sleep in animals, to leaf opening in plants and reproduction in bread mold. Scientists have come to understand much about this internal time-keeping system, but one important aspect, its complex r...

Part of the reason people find smoking difficult to quit is that each time they have a cigarette, feelings of craving, irritability and anxiety melt away. This component of addiction is known as negative reward and is controlled in part by a region of the brain called the habenula. The neurotrans...

There's no such thing as a male or female brain, study finds   "These results add to a complex picture that you’d never guess from media accounts and pop psych books. After decades of research, 'we’re still debating the question of whether there are sex differences in the [human] brain and ...

During embryonic development, billions of neurons nimbly reposition themselves within the brain and spinal cord, and connect branches to form the neural circuits that ultimately control our movements, perception, and memory. Scientists have long sought to understand the driving forces in this met...

Congratulations to our latest award winners: Jesse Ausubel has been awarded an American Geographical Society honorary fellowship. The fellowship recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of geography. Certificates of this honor will be presented during the so...

The sight of a face offers the brain something special. More than a set of features, it conveys the emotions, intent, and identity of the whole individual. The same is not true for the body; cues such as posture convey some social information, but the image of a body does not substitute for a fac...

Loud noise, trauma, infections, plain old aging—many things can destroy hair cells, the delicate sensors of balance and sound within the inner ear. And once these sensors are gone, that’s it; the delicate hair cells don’t grow back in humans, leading to hearing loss and problems with balance. ...

Jean-Laurent Casanova, who investigates genetic vulnerability to infectious diseases among children, has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, the health and medicine arm of the National Academy of Sciences. Casanova is professor and head of the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Gen...

When the brain is at work, large numbers of neurons within it interact rapidly, passing messages, sometimes across large distances. The most recent addition to Rockefeller University’s faculty, Alipasha Vaziri, devises optical tools for capturing and manipulating these interactions to create dyna...

by Wynne Parry, Science Writer When the brain is at work, large numbers of neurons within it interact rapidly, passing messages, sometimes across large distances. The most recent addition to Rockefeller University’s faculty, Alipasha Vaziri, devises optical tools for capturing and manipulating ...

by Wynne Parry, Science Writer The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded a new three-year, $15-million grant to The Rockefeller University to help support the interdisciplinary Center for Basic and Translational Research on Disorders of the Digestive System. Established in 2...

Congratulations to our latest award winners: Hani Goodarzi has been named a Blavatnik Regional Awards Winner in the life sciences. Given by the Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Science, the award honors outstanding postdocs in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Winners ...