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Study Sheds Light on How Foxp2 Gene Controls the Ability to Produce Speech

Mutations of a gene called Foxp2 have been linked to a type of speech disorder called apraxia that makes it difficult to produce sequences of sound. A new study from MIT and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University sheds light on how this gene controls the ability to produce speech.

5 May 2023

Research Sheds Light on How Nature has Optimized Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis plays a crucial role in shaping and sustaining life on Earth, yet many aspects of the process remain a mystery.

4 May 2023

CITES: Regulating the International Wildlife Trade to Preserve the Viability of Species

In this interview, we talk to CITES about regulating wildlife trade to preserve species viability, international collaboration, and the future of wild flora and fauna.

3 May 2023

Study Reveals How the Formation of Microtubules Drives Cell Division

Cellular life hinges on a network of hollow cables called microtubules dynamically lengthening and shortening according to the needs of the moment.

2 May 2023

Argonne's Advanced Photon Source Helps Identify New Antibodies Against Coronaviruses

Results could speed development of new antivirals or vaccines that could counter many different coronavirus variants.

2 May 2023

Study Uncovers Somatic Mutations That Play a Role in Common Form of Adult Epilepsy

Epilepsy affects approximately 1-in-26 people and the most common form, known as temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), often cannot be adequately treated with anti-seizure medications.

2 May 2023

How Exploratory Actions Enable Animals to Efficiently Learn Their Spatial Environment

Neuroscientists have uncovered how exploratory actions enable animals to learn their spatial environment more efficiently.

2 May 2023

Previously Unknown Regulatory Mechanism for Circadian and Temperature Signaling Pathways Revealed

Ever wondered why people become tired when the sun goes down? What causes some flower petals to open during the day and close at night? Or how monarch butterflies ascertain when to migrate south?

2 May 2023

The Origins of Human Accelerated Regions

Large parts of the human genome were changed over a million years ago due to a random event during egg or sperm formation that resulted in the deletion, duplication, or reversal of sections of DNA. Investigators have demonstrated that those structural variants likely set off a cascade of other fast alterations in human DNA that may underpin unique human traits, particularly the brain.

28 Apr 2023

Study Shows Profound Fluctuations in Gut Microbiome Throughout the Day and Across Seasons

The balance of microbes in the human gut varies substantially from morning to night and even more by season -; with profound fluctuations completely transforming the microbiome from summer to winter, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week 2023.

28 Apr 2023

Research Deepens Our Understanding of Circadian Rhythm Regulation

New research from a multidisciplinary team helps to illuminate the mechanisms behind circadian rhythms, offering new hope for dealing with jet lag, insomnia and other sleep disorders.

27 Apr 2023

Researchers Identify Genes Responsible for Craniofacial Dysmorphology in Down Syndrome

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute, King's College London and University College London have shed light on the genetics behind changes in the structure and shape of the face and head in a mouse model of Down Syndrome.

27 Apr 2023

UMass Amherst Researcher Receives New Innovator Grant

Lutz Grossmann is on a scientific quest to develop tasty, animal-free protein that has a minimal carbon footprint and is generated without the use of agricultural land, which is a common and more stressed source of the world’s food supply.

27 Apr 2023

Membrane-Remodeling Proteins in Cyanobacteria are Similar to Protein Found in Higher Organisms

The cells of living organisms are equipped with proteins that are involved in the shaping and remodeling of cellular membranes, thereby performing important tasks.

26 Apr 2023

Revealing an Unanticipated Mechanism for Chaperone-Mediated Ribosome Repair

Researchers have discovered that if oxidative stress destroys protein factories known as ribosomes, repair crews may go in to assist in repairing the damage so that production may restart rapidly.

26 Apr 2023

Researchers Illuminate How Neurons Consume and Metabolize Glucose

The human brain has a sweet tooth, burning through nearly one quarter of the body's sugar energy, or glucose, each day.

21 Apr 2023

Engineered Sustainable, Patient-Specific NPCs Could Help Treat Neurodegenerative Diseases

Progressive loss of neurons is the underlying cause for a diverse spectrum of severe diseases called neurodegenerative diseases, which include Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and retinitis pigmentosa.

21 Apr 2023

Spatial Organization of Chromosomes and the Role of DNA Tension

Two protein complexes are primarily responsible for chromosomal spatial organization in human cell nuclei. DNA tension has an unanticipated function in this. Together with Austrian colleagues, nanoscientist Cees Dekker and his PhD candidate Roman Barth of TU Delft’s Kavli Institute of Nanoscience published their detailed visualization in Nature on April 19th, 2023.

21 Apr 2023

Ingenious Approach to Identify AIEgens From Natural Fluorescent Species

Plants that glow in ultraviolet (UV) light are not only a figment of science fiction TV and film.

21 Apr 2023

Adding Few Cell Layers Inside a Corn Kernel Could Increase the Grain's Nutrient Content

What if, by adding a couple of cell layers inside a corn kernel, the grain could become significantly richer in essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and protein? Such an improvement could benefit people who rely on corn for a large portion of their diet, as in many parts of the global south.

20 Apr 2023

Light News and Research

Study Sheds Light on How Foxp2 Gene Controls the Ability to Produce Speech

Research Sheds Light on How Nature has Optimized Photosynthesis

CITES: Regulating the International Wildlife Trade to Preserve the Viability of Species

Study Reveals How the Formation of Microtubules Drives Cell Division

Argonne's Advanced Photon Source Helps Identify New Antibodies Against Coronaviruses

Study Uncovers Somatic Mutations That Play a Role in Common Form of Adult Epilepsy

How Exploratory Actions Enable Animals to Efficiently Learn Their Spatial Environment

Previously Unknown Regulatory Mechanism for Circadian and Temperature Signaling Pathways Revealed

The Origins of Human Accelerated Regions

Study Shows Profound Fluctuations in Gut Microbiome Throughout the Day and Across Seasons

Research Deepens Our Understanding of Circadian Rhythm Regulation

Researchers Identify Genes Responsible for Craniofacial Dysmorphology in Down Syndrome

UMass Amherst Researcher Receives New Innovator Grant

Membrane-Remodeling Proteins in Cyanobacteria are Similar to Protein Found in Higher Organisms

Revealing an Unanticipated Mechanism for Chaperone-Mediated Ribosome Repair

Researchers Illuminate How Neurons Consume and Metabolize Glucose

Engineered Sustainable, Patient-Specific NPCs Could Help Treat Neurodegenerative Diseases

Spatial Organization of Chromosomes and the Role of DNA Tension

Ingenious Approach to Identify AIEgens From Natural Fluorescent Species

Adding Few Cell Layers Inside a Corn Kernel Could Increase the Grain's Nutrient Content

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

From Memory to Metaplasticity: Unraveling the Brain's Secrets

Revolutionizing Mass Spectrometry: A Deep Dive into Plasmion’s SICRIT® Technology

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