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Chemical structures of DMT, Psilocybin and serotonin
Infographic: What a Trip
Researchers took a mind-bending trip to understand the connections between psychedelic compounds produced by fungi, plants, and humans.
Infographic: What a Trip
Infographic: What a Trip

Researchers took a mind-bending trip to understand the connections between psychedelic compounds produced by fungi, plants, and humans.

Researchers took a mind-bending trip to understand the connections between psychedelic compounds produced by fungi, plants, and humans.

neurotransmitters

3D multicolored conceptual image representing hallucinogens and the human brain.
Natural High: Endogenous Psychedelics in the Gut and Brain
Iris Kulbatski, PhD | Sep 8, 2023 | 8 min read
Psychedelics are evolutionarily ancient compounds produced by fungi, plants, and microbes. Humans also synthesize psychedelics. Researchers want to know how and why.
Image representing states of consciousness
High Time: The Roles of Endogenous Psychedelics
Iris Kulbatski, PhD | Aug 1, 2023 | 2 min read
Steven Barker is on a forty-seven-year-long journey to understand the mind-blowing science of psychedelics.
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. 
Photo of Chantell Evans
Chantell Evans Tracks Mitochondrial Cleanup in Neurons
Holly Barker, PhD | Dec 1, 2022 | 3 min read
The Duke University cell biologist uses live-cell microscopy to reveal how brain cells rid themselves of damaged mitochondria and what goes wrong in neurodegenerative disease.
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.
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.
GFP highlighting mouse neurons
Science Snapshot: How Brains Handle Surprise Parties
Lisa Winter | Jun 3, 2022 | 1 min read
When unexpected events occur, norepinephrine signals mouse brains to pay attention to key details.
Bee on purple flower
Dopamine Drives Bee Desires: Study
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 28, 2022 | 3 min read
Like in humans, the neurotransmitter appears to play a role in generating wanting-like behavior and, perhaps, happy memories in honeybees.
Stress Paralyzes Immune Cells
Emma Yasinski | Jul 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Scientists show that an influx of noradrenaline can halt immune cells in mice.
Flexible Synapse Strength May Underpin Mammal Brain’s Complexity
Asher Jones | Mar 24, 2021 | 3 min read
Neural connections in the mouse neocortex can release multiple packages of neurotransmitters per electrical impulse, a study finds.
Infographic: A New Model of Synapse Strength
Asher Jones | Mar 24, 2021 | 1 min read
Synapses in the mouse neocortex can release multiple packages of neurotransmitters, suggesting that connection strength is more flexible than previously thought.
disease & medicine, neuroscience, microelectrode, techniques, dopamine, serotonin, neuromodulator, neurotransmitter, neuropsychiatric disorders
Serotonin and Dopamine Linked to Decision-Making: Study
Amanda Heidt | Oct 16, 2020 | 5 min read
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers monitored subsecond changes in levels of the neurotransmitters in the human brain, unlocking new insight into their function.
Infographic: The Neurobiology of Suicidal Behavior
Catherine Offord | Jan 13, 2020 | 2 min read
Clues about the biological mechanisms that contribute to a person’s chance of contemplating or attempting suicide
What Neurobiology Can Tell Us About Suicide
Catherine Offord | Jan 13, 2020 | 10+ min read
The biochemical mechanisms in the brain underlying suicidal behavior are beginning to come to light, and researchers hope they could one day lead to better treatment and prevention strategies.
Serotonin Neurons Implicated in SIDS
Ashley Yeager | Jan 1, 2019 | 2 min read
Inhibiting nerve cells that produce the neurotransmitter made it harder for baby mice to recover from bouts of slowed breathing.
Nicotine’s Effects Passed On Through Generations of Mice
Kerry Grens | Oct 16, 2018 | 2 min read
Male rodents exposed to nicotine had changes in sperm genome methylation and produced pups and grandpups with abnormal behavior.
Image of the Day: Electrify
Sukanya Charuchandra | Aug 9, 2018 | 1 min read
Researchers have identified what makes synapses strong or weak in fruit flies.
Serotonin Involved in a Slug Host’s Response to a Parasite
Yao-Hua Law | Mar 12, 2018 | 3 min read
Host slugs given Prozac to increase their serotonin levels no longer avoid parasitic nematodes, the same behavior seen in infected slugs.
Image of the Day: Red Alert
The Scientist Staff and The Scientist Staff | Nov 9, 2017 | 1 min read
Researchers unveil the neural basis of alertness in larval zebrafish.   
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