brain

The Heart Can Directly Influence Our Emotions

Natalia Mesa, PhD | Mar 1, 2023 | 4 min read

Researchers find that an increased heart rate can induce anxiety in mice, given the right context.

Microscopy image with blue and red neurons, where red indicates neurons involved in a memory engram

Asthma Drug Helps Mice Retrieve Memories “Lost” to Sleep Deprivation

Zunnash Khan | Jan 24, 2023 | 4 min read

A study finds roflumilast can reverse sleep deprivation–induced amnesia in mice, hinting at pathways to treating memory loss in people.

Explore how scientists determine the atomic structures of protein aggregates

Revolutionizing Neurodegeneration Research with Cryo-EM

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team and Thermo Fisher Scientific | 1 min read

Advancements in cryo-EM technology allow researchers to develop drugs and diagnostic tools for neurodegenerative diseases.

Immunity-Linked Genes Expressed Differently in Brains of Autistic People

Laura Dattaro, Spectrum | Jan 11, 2023 | 4 min read

Data from postmortem brain tissues adds to the evidence that inflammation is associated with autism.

silhouette of woman's head with lights inside it

Book Excerpt from The Phantom God

John C. Wathey | Jan 2, 2023 | 4 min read

In Chapter 1, “Why Is God Two-Faced?,” author John Wathey argues that the answer to this question is the key to an ethological understanding of religion.

The Brain Inside Out: Mapping the Nervous System Wiring

The Brain Inside Out: Mapping the Nervous System's Wiring

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read

An expert panel will describe their efforts to chart billions of neuronal connections and discuss how this data provides unparalleled insight into neuronal cell biology, signal processing, and behavior.

Book cover of The Phantom God by John C. Wathey

Opinion: Neuroscience Could Help Demystify Religious Experience

John C. Wathey | Jan 2, 2023 | 4 min read

If we ask the right questions, modern tools could help researchers solve mysteries such as why many people believe in a God that both provides unconditional love and levies eternal damnation.

Silent Synapses May Provide Plasticity in Adulthood

Holly Barker, PhD | Dec 13, 2022 | 4 min read

Inactive synapses—found on tiny neuronal projections called filopodia—are abundant in the adult brain, a mouse study suggests.

LabTalk Podcast - Understanding Microglial Response in Alzheimer’s Disease

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team and 10x Genomics | 1 min read

Single-cell technologies reveals subpopulations of microglia that play distinct roles in diseased and healthy brains.

This is DishBrain, an in vitro system that combines human brain cells with artificial intelligence technology, which researchers at Australian biotech Cortical Labs recently trained to play the classic 1972 Atari video game Pong. Fluorescent markers show axons in green, neuron bodies in purple, dendrites in red, and all other cells in blue. Where multiple markers are present, colors are merged and typically appear as yellow or pink. Posted: October 12, 2022

Caught on Camera

The Scientist Staff | Dec 12, 2022 | 4 min read

See some of the coolest images recently featured by The Scientist.

Human hand with white glove holding a white mouse in a green background.

Study Traces a Neural Circuit Behind Green Light–Mediated Pain Relief

Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Dec 9, 2022 | 4 min read

A mouse study concludes color-detecting cones in the eye and a subset of neurons in the brain’s thalamus are why green light exposure has an analgesic effect.

Central Nervous System Modeling with iPSC-Derived Cells

The Creative Services Team in collaboration with BrainXell | 1 min read

Bryan Black and Lucas Thal will discuss their experiences screening hiPSC-derived neural cells to understand chronic pain and neuroinflammation.

Opinion: Harnessing Microglia Cells to Stave Off Neurodegeneration

Kristine Zengeler, The Conversation | Dec 8, 2022 | 5 min read

Dialing up the activity of a protein called SYK in the brain’s “janitors” could provide an avenue to treat Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Researchers Report Decoding Thoughts from fMRI Data

Grace van Deelen | Oct 20, 2022 | 5 min read

A method appears to be the first to noninvasively reconstruct language from brain activity.

LabTalk Podcast - Discovering the Secrets of Motor Neurons with Single Cell Sequencing

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team and 10x Genomics | 1 min read

Researchers identify new motor neuron subgroups and gain insights into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

A cross-section of a mouse hypothalamus, where cells of the arcuate nucleus are shown in bright green at the bottom.

Methylation in Young Brains May Be Key to Obesity: Mouse Study

Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Oct 19, 2022 | 4 min read

Epigenetic events, such as methylation, during early brain development in mice occur in genomic regions associated with BMI in humans, according to a new study.