Brain/Neuroscience
Scientists discover molecular trigger for itching
The following is an edited excerpt. Once thought to be a low-level form of pain, itch is instead a distinct ...
Ethical path to artificial stem cell technology
Australian research has created a molecular roadmap that shows how any cell in the human body can be turned into ...
Body clock genes linked to depression
Genes believed to regulate sleep rhythm are expressed abnormally in people with major depressive disorders, scientists say ...
Anti-biotech activist Jeffrey Smith peddles pseudo-science
The following is an edited excerpt. When the definitive history of the GMO debate is written, Jeffrey Smith is going ...
How do identical twins develop different personalities?
The following is an excerpt. Find a link to the full story below. Despite having the same genetic makeup, identical ...
What role will genetics play in a biology-based approach to psychiatry?
Calls for a biology-based psychiatry are growing louder, but how will genetics fit into this puzzle? ...
Head for numbers? Brain anatomy best predictor of math aptitude
Children who are good at math may literally have a brain for numbers. New research indicates that the physical structure ...
Biological secrets of the criminal mind
The following is an excerpt. What is science revealing about the nature of the criminal mind? Adrian Raine, a professor ...
Unlocking crime using biological keys
The following is an excerpt. Bad brains result in bad behavior. A new body of knowledge is documenting beyond reasonable ...
Bad brains: Did my DNA make me do it?
Are perpetrators of violence suffering from a medical condition that demands a public health reaction that might radically alter the ...
Navigating the agricultural biotech minefield: When an MIT study is not an MIT study
Thanks to a credulous Reuters report, a shoddy piece of pseudoscience is making the rounds as “an MIT study” linking ...
‘Master gene’ makes mouse brain look more human
In the cartoon series named after them, Pinky and the Brain, two laboratory mice genetically enhanced to increase their intelligence plot ...
Gene networks in brains of deceased patients reveal potential therapy for Alzheimer’s disease
The following is an excerpt. Most information about the cause of Alzheimer's disease is based on studies from animal models ...
Radical gene therapy gives hope to young cancer patients
The following is an excerpt. Australian doctors are using radical gene therapy to help treat a rare and aggressive childhood ...
Embryonic stem cell transplant restores memory, learning in mice
The following is an excerpt. For the first time, human embryonic stem cells have been transformed into nerve cells that ...
Zebrafish genome helps in hunt for treatments
The following is an excerpt. When scientists began sequencing the zebrafish genome in 2001, the model organism was a favourite ...
Genetic expression in the human brain: The challenge of large numbers
Obama’s recently announced effort to map the human brain and the parallel European efforts (the Human Brain Project), are taking ...
Rare mutation could lead to the next blockbuster cholesterol drug
Mutations in a gene called PCSK9 give African Americans extremely low ‘bad cholesterol’ and a 90 percent reduced risk of ...
Turtle can freeze solid and survive, and we have those same genes
The following is an excerpt. Look beyond the western painted turtle's colorful stripes and you’ll find an animal that seems ...
Brain-building gene plays key role in gut repair
The following is an excerpt. A gene with a colorful name – mindbomb 1 – plays a key role far ...
Laser zaps away cocaine addiction in genetically engineered rats
The following is an edited excerpt. Aiming laser light at the portion of the brain associated with impulse control could ...
Hate the gym? Blame your genes
The following is an edited excerpt. According to scientists, the physical effects of exercising such as panting, sweating, pain can ...
Honey bee brain impacted by pesticides
The following is an edited excerpt. Two new studies have highlighted a negative impact on bees' ability to learn following ...
‘Novel, effective’ brain cancer treatment using genetic material
The following is an excerpt. In a first-of-its-kind experiment using microvesicles generated from mesenchymal bone marrow cells (MSCs) to treat ...
The womb’s strange epigenome
The following is an excerpt. This week, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesdescribes a little-known feature ...
Will animal-machine hybrids fight our next war?
The U.S. government is looking to animal-machine hybrids to safeguard the country and its citizens. The same advances that have ...
DNA damage occurs as part of normal brain activity
The following is an excerpt. Scientists have long known that DNA damage occurs in every cell, accumulating as we age ...
