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.
Scientists have made the first comprehensive inventory of cells present in the human placenta of the first trimester, a stage when many pregnancy complications are thought to arise. The findings could fuel new research on conditions such as preeclampsia and pre-term birth.
By analyzing gene expression patterns, researchers have identified previously unknown distinctions between mouse and human neurons. They have also developed a new way to track cellular changes associated with brain disorders.
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.
Analyzing soil samples from across the country, researchers have identified an antibiotic capable of treating strains of tuberculosis that do not respond to existing therapies.
Using a unique mouse model, Rockefeller scientists have developed a new strategy in cancer immunotherapy that is more safe and effective than other treatments of its kind.
As you encounter new experiences and form new memories, your brain changes. Now, researchers show that some of these change occur in a brain region devoted to visual perception.
Studying neurons in C. elegans, researchers made a surprising discovery: these roundworms, like most animals, process information using a digital, electric code.
DEET, a chemical in bug sprays, affects the behavior of highly diverse organisms—but how it works remains unclear. New research in C. elegans shows that the compound exploits unique receptors and neurons to interfere with the animals’ response to odors.
Researchers have discovered that the protein ASTN2 shuttles receptors away from the surface of neurons, a process that facilitates efficient brain activity.
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.
A new study in ants demonstrates that living in groups leads to improved fitness. The researchers show that, in larger groups, ants take on specialized roles and colony stability increases.
Researchers describe, for the first time, the structure of a smell-receptor protein common among insects. Its inner architecture illuminates how insects evolved to detect an amazing diversity of odors.
Scientists describe a group of proteins that protect cells from a subtype of human papilloma virus. They also outline genetic mutations that make this virus unusually harmful in people with epidermodysplasia verruciformis, a rare skin condition.
Researchers find that a deficiency of acetyl-L-carnitine is associated with a particular subtype of depression. Individuals with very low levels of this molecule often have highly severe symptoms and don’t respond to traditional antidepressants.
A new study in ants identifies a peptide that plays an important role in regulating reproduction. This research illuminates a potential trajectory for the evolution of distinct social castes—workers and queens.
Scientists find that certain neurons release nitric oxide onto nearby blood vessels, and potentially use this mechanism to control awareness in the brain.
Scientists have long debated the evolutionary origins of human speech. New research reveals neural circuits in the brains of monkeys that may represent the source of our unique speech capabilities.
A new study sheds light on the mysterious ways in which evolution may tweak the brain to shape behavior. It started with a close look at two Drosophila species and their mating maneuvers.
Scientists have found a metabolic particularity in tumor cells lacking oxygen. The discovery might point to new drugs to target the most difficult-to-treat spots within a tumor.
A new study shows that a group of neurons, previously thought to die in the course of development, in fact become incorporated into the brain’s cortex. This research has implications for understanding—and possibly treating—several brain disorders.
Scientists have found a new way to trawl blood samples for snippets of RNA released by tumors or diseased organs. The method might eventually help doctors diagnose and track a wide range of medical conditions.
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.
