News & HighlightsNews
Researchers develop gene-filtering tool to identify disease-causing mutations
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....
Newly discovered windows of brain plasticity may help with treatment of stress-related disorders
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...
Study links epigenetic processes to the development of the cerebellar circuitry
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...
Experiments explain the events behind molecular ‘bomb’ seen in cancer cells
Since scientists have begun sequencing the genome of cancer cells, they have noticed a curious pattern. In many different types of cancers, there are cells in which a part of a chromosome looks like it has been pulverized, then put back together incorrectly, leading to multiple mutations. For yea...
New research explores how the fly brain reroutes odor information to produce flexible behavior
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...
Widespread skewed expression of mRNA components correlate with fine tuning of protein production
Long cast as a simple link between DNA and protein, messenger RNA has never offered much intrigue. But new research at The Rockefeller University suggests the molecule is up to something unexpected. By uncovering widespread disparities in the expression of components of mRNA molecules—something...
Mosquitoes are tuned to seek out temperatures that match warm-blooded hosts
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...
Researchers discover new aspect of gene regulation and a possible target for cancer drugs
There are about 20,000 genes in the human genome, but not all are used in all cells at all times. At any given moment, a cell is converting only roughly half its genes into proteins. And of those active genes, about 75 percent are regulated by a process known as “RNA polymerase pausing.” This...
Study suggests new way to help the immune system fight off sleeping sickness parasite
Some infectious diseases are particularly difficult to treat because of their ability to evade the immune system. One such illness, African sleeping sickness, is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, transmitted by the tsetse fly, and is fatal if left untreated. The trypanosome parasite is t...
New research helps to explain how temperature shifts the circadian clock
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...
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