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Chiara Zurzolo and Ranabir Chakraborty stand next to a computer monitor displaying a microscopy image

Microglia Rescue Aggregate-Burdened Neurons

Charlene Lancaster, PhD | Jun 12, 2023 | 4 min read

Researchers discover that neurons trade protein aggregates for microglial-derived mitochondria through tunneling nanotubes.

an image of a slice of a rat brain is colored red on a black background. a lime green human organoid sits in the top left of the brain

Human Brain Organoids Transplanted Into Rats Respond to Visual Stimuli

Katherine Irving | Feb 3, 2023 | 3 min read

The organoids could one day be used to treat brain injuries in humans.

How Infectious Diseases Affect the Brain

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read

From a loss of taste to dementia, infectious agents cause an array of neurological symptoms.

a white mouse sits on a blue exercise wheel, looking out onto the shavings below

Mice With a Healthy Gut Microbiome Are More Motivated to Exercise

Katherine Irving | Dec 16, 2022 | 4 min read

A neural pathway between the gut and the brain led to the release of dopamine when the mice ran on a wheel or treadmill, but only in the presence of a robust microbiome.

Artist’s rendition of neural connections, with inactive neurons in the background

Ketamine Flips a “Switch” in Mice’s Brain Circuitry: Study

Andy Carstens | Dec 9, 2022 | 6 min read

After injecting moderate doses of the dissociative anesthetic into the animals, previously “awake” brain cells go dark, and those that had been dormant suddenly light up.

Breaking Down Barriers

The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read

Looking at the future of neurodegeneration research!

Circular clusters of <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> drift on a blue background.

Retching Mice Reveal the Brain Circuit Behind Vomiting

Katherine Irving | Nov 2, 2022 | 2 min read

The discovery could one day lead to the development of better antinausea medications.

a section of a rat brain is imaged in dull green. a much brighter green human organoid takes up a large portion of the left side of the brain.

Researchers Transplant Human Neurons into Rat Brains

Katherine Irving | Oct 12, 2022 | 2 min read

The human cells, engineered to respond to blue light, influenced rat behavior when stimulated.

Genetic knockout experiments reveal a role for the protein in forming and maintaining synapses between motor neurons and muscle fibers in mice.

Infographic: Vangl2 in Muscles Keeps Neuromuscular Junctions Organized

Catherine Offord | Sep 12, 2022 | 1 min read

Genetic knockout experiments reveal a role for the protein in forming and maintaining synapses between motor neurons and muscle fibers in mice.

A Novel Player at the Neuromuscular Junction

Catherine Offord | Sep 12, 2022 | 3 min read

The muscle transmembrane protein Vangl2 helps organize the development and maintenance of connections between muscles and motor neurons, a study concludes.

Neurons in all sorts of different colors, some glowing

How Fear Restructures the Mouse Brain

Natalia Mesa, PhD | Aug 15, 2022 | 4 min read

By combining deep learning and electron microscopy, researchers now have a more detailed understanding of how fear changes the brain.

The Cerebellum’s Functions in Cognition, Emotion, and More

Diana Kwon | Aug 15, 2022 | 10+ min read

Once thought of as a mere motor coordination center, the “little brain” is now appreciated as participating in higher neurological processes.

Scientist hunched over a lab workbench in exhaustion

Neurotransmitter Buildup May Be Why Your Brain Feels Tired

Andy Carstens | Aug 11, 2022 | 4 min read

Performing complex cognitive tasks leads to glutamate accumulating in a key region of the brain, a study finds, which could explain why mental labor is so exhausting.

black-and-white brain scan showing tumor

Glioblastoma Cells Imitate Immature Neurons to Invade the Brain

Sophie Fessl, PhD | Aug 5, 2022 | 3 min read

Neuron-like glioblastoma cells are the pioneers of deadly tumors’ spread through the brain, contributing to their devastating invasiveness, a study in mice finds.

Close-up of baby olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)

Moving Sea Turtle Eggs May Affect Hatchling Development

Margaret Osborne | Jul 28, 2022 | 5 min read

Hatchlings from eggs incubated in a natural nest were larger, exhibited faster neuronal development, and performed better on a motor activity test than those from eggs that were incubated in a hatchery, a study finds.

Fluorescent cells in culture connected by tunneling nanotubules

SARS-CoV-2 Could Use Nanotubes to Infect the Brain

Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jul 21, 2022 | 4 min read

Stressed cells can form hollow actin bridges to neighbors to get help, but the virus may hijack these tiny tunnels for its own purposes, a study suggests.

Different Forms of Autism Have Opposite Problems with Brain Precursor Cells

Charles Choi | Jun 13, 2022 | 3 min read

Compared with cells taken from non-autistic controls, neural precursors from autistic boys proliferated in atypical ways, a small study finds.

A pink and blue illustration of the central nervous system, visible through a translucent outline of a human head and shoulders, zooms in to show an illustration of interconnected neurons

Specific Brain Cells Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

Dan Robitzski | May 6, 2022 | 2 min read

Research identifies 10 types of dopamine-making neurons, one of which seems to die off during the disease.

Conceptual image of blue neurons with glowing segments over blue background.

CRACK Method Reveals Novel Neuron Type in Mouse Brain

Dan Robitzski | Apr 18, 2022 | 3 min read

A new technique reveals cells’ precise locations and functions in the brain. Its developers have already used it to identify a previously unknown neuron type.