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Displaying 169 of 2850 articles.

New study on mating behaviors offers clues into the evolution of attraction

In examining the mating rituals of roundworms, researchers uncovered a unique approach to reproduction that maximizes genetic fitness.

Innovative microscopy tech answers fundamental questions

A powerful tool captures data from an unprecedented 1 million neurons simultaneously, painting a much fuller picture of brain dynamics.

Cutting-edge methods yield surprising insights into Huntington’s disease

New findings add depth to our understanding of neurodegeneration.

How fruit flies control the brain's "steering wheel"

A newly discovered neural circuit mediates between navigational brain cells, acting as a sort of mental steering wheel. 

Researchers discover neuronal mechanism linked to a minutes-long decision process in fruit flies

They identified a brain signal that guides one type of decision-making—findings that could build a foundation for understanding how humans make educated and strategic decisions.

Ant colonies behave like neural networks when making decisions 

Colonies decide to flee rising temperatures in much the same way that neural computations give rise to decisions.

New study reveals where memory fragments are stored

The research demonstrates the distributed nature of memory processing in the brain, and reveals a dedicated pathway for memory recall, which is less understood than memory formation.

How a fly's brain calculates its position in space

New research reveals how neurons in a fly's brain signal the direction in which the body is traveling. The cells appear to literally perform vector math in order to act as a biological compass.

Dopamine’s many roles, explained

Studying fruit flies, researchers ask how a single brain chemical can orchestrate diverse functions such as learning, motivation and movement.

Study detects origins of Huntington's disease in two-week-old human embryos

The findings shed new light on the root causes of this disease, which leads to the degeneration of neurons in midlife.

New microscopy technique reveals activity of one million neurons across the mouse brain

Using light beads microscopy, researchers can now capture images of a vast number of cells across different depths in the brain at high speed, with unprecedented clarity.

Lonely flies, like many humans, eat more and sleep less

If COVID-19 lockdowns scrambled your sleep schedule and stretched your waistline, you're not alone. Fruit flies quarantined in test tubes sleep too little and eat too much after only one week of social isolation.

Study reveals how smell receptors work

The first-ever molecular images of an olfactory receptor at work answer decades-old questions about odor recognition.

When ant colonies get bigger, new foraging behavior emerges

By increasing the size of ant colonies bit by bit, scientists identified the mechanism responsible for the evolution of mass raiding behavior.

Identifying the spark of desire in fruit flies

In Drosophila’s neural circuitry for courtship, researchers discover a configuration that enables a male fruit fly to be persistent, yet flexible in his pursuit of a female.

Scientists discover a new class of neurons for remembering faces

Our brains have sensory cells, which process the faces that we see, and memory cells dedicated to storing data from person encounters. But until now, a hybrid neuron capable of linking vision to memory—and explaining how we recall familiar faces—remained elusive.

Scientists release error-free genomes of 25 animals—with another 70,000 coming up

Scientists have launched an ambitious effort to produce high-quality reference genomes for all vertebrate species, from mammals to birds and reptiles. The result could be discoveries with implications for animal conservation as well as human health and disease.

A case for simplifying gene nomenclature across different organisms

Scientists call it oxytocin in humans, isotocin in fish, mesotocin in birds, and valitocin in sharks. But according to a new study, it’s all the same hormone—and high time we settled on just one name.


Why male mosquitoes leave humans alone

Unlike their female counterparts, male mosquitoes have no desire to bite us. But the hardware for host-seeking is hidden in the male mosquito brain, locked behind a simple genetic switch. 

The blood may hold clues to some of COVID-19’s most mysterious symptoms

COVID-19 causes a host of diverse complications, from lung inflammation to blood clots, heart failure, and brain fog. A team of scientists believes these attributes may have a single culprit—and that findings from research on Alzheimer’s disease might give them a leg up in finding it.

What bats can teach us about COVID-19

Unlike most humans, bats are naturally resistant to coronavirus infection. Researchers are now searching their genomes for clues that might explain why SARS-CoV-2 can cause devastating disease in our own species.

Scientists discover mosquitoes’ unique blood-taste detectors

Female mosquitoes are armed with syringe-like stylets that begin to pump furiously only in the presence of blood. Scientists are now studying the specific neurons that line the stylet, and asking what mosquitoes taste when they bite us.

Rockefeller's Charles M. Rice honored with Nobel Prize for research that contributed to a cure for hepatitis C

Rice will receive the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for research that led to a cure for hepatitis C, a viral disease affecting 170 million people worldwide. His lab worked on the virus for three decades and became the first to produce a version of it that could be grown and studied i...

A revised map of where working memory resides in the brain

Findings from genetically diverse mice challenge long-held assumptions about how the brain is able to briefly hold onto important information.

Study uncovers the molecular events by which popular antidepressants work

Scientists have outlined a molecular program by which serotonin reuptake inhibitors reshape the brain to alleviate depression. Their findings provide clues for how to make better and faster-acting versions of these drugs.

How neurons in body fat grow to boost calorie-burning capacity

Scientists have found that a hormone tells the brain to dramatically restructure neurons embedded in fat tissue.  Their work widens our understanding of how the body regulates its energy consumption, and how obesity might be treated in the future.

Why memory-forming neurons are vulnerable to Alzheimer's

Scientists have used advanced technology to “micro-dissect” the first brain cells to perish in Alzheimer’s disease. The result is a short list of genes that could represent new drug targets.

Transparent fish reveal the subtle, cellular dance in which sensory organs take shape

How do primitive cells “know” where to go during development? Scientists studying the fish equivalent of inner-ear hair cells have shown that biochemical and mechanical cues work together to orchestrate a highly complex arrangement.

Brain study finds a molecular “off” switch for nicotine craving

In findings that might lead to better smoking-cessation tools, scientists have shown that manipulating a specific brain receptor can alter a mouse’s nicotine sensitivity.

How decisions unfold in a zebrafish brain

Tracking neuronal activity in a zebrafish brain, researchers can predict when the fish will flip its tail and to which direction, left or right.
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