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ISTA scientists present new microscopy method to reconstruct mammalian brain tissue Our brain is a complex organ. Billions of nerve cells are wired in an intricate network, constantly processing signals, enabling us to recall memories or to move our bodies. Making sense of this complicated network requires a precise look into how these nerve cells are arranged and connected.

Agriculture's impact on insect diversity is more severe than previously thought, according to a new study from the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. It has long been known that agriculture contributes to the decline in insect biodiversity. The loss of host plants, frequent mowing, and pesticide use all deprive many species of their habitats.

Scientists from The University of Manchester have changed our understanding of how cells in living organisms divide, which could revise what students are taught at school. In a Wellcome funded study published today (01/05/25) in Science - one of the world's leading scientific journals - the researchers challenge conventional wisdom taught in schools for over 100 years.

The marine worm Ramisyllis multicaudata , which lives within the internal canals of a sponge, is one of only two such species possessing a branching body, with one head and multiple posterior ends. An international research team led by the Universities of Göttingen and Madrid is the first to describe the internal anatomy of this intriguing animal.

The 'cell of origin' of the second most common lung cancer and the way that it becomes dominant in the lung have been discovered, in a new study in mice and humans from researchers at UCL, the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge. The study, published in Science , found that a population of basal cells found in the trachea (windpipe) outcompetes other cell types and becomes dominant, eventually invading and occupying large areas of the lung.

Human fibroblasts observed by fluorescence microscopy. Mitochondria are marked in red, fibroblast core DNA is marked in blue © Nivea Dias Amoedo/Inserm A deterioration in skin quality, its ability to heal, and its normal aging, is often observed in people with chronic hyperglycemia. A team of researchers from Inserm, the University of Bordeaux and LVMH Recherche has investigated how hyperglycemia alters the human dermis, and in particular the cells involved in its healing, the fibroblasts.

An international study co-authored by McGill psychologist Caroline Palmer suggests our brains and bodies don't just understand music, they physically resonate with it. These discoveries, based on findings in neuroscience, music, and psychology, support Neural Resonance Theory (NRT). NRT maintains that rather than relying on learned expectations or prediction, musical experiences arise from the brain's natural oscillations that sync with rhythm, melody and harmony.

Why do some ancient animals become fossils, while others vanish without a trace - A new study from the University of Lausanne reveals that the size and chemical composition of an animal are among the determining factors in its chances of surviving millions of years as a fossil, or vanishing without a trace.that an animal's size and chemical composition are among the determining factors in its chances of surviving millions of years as a fossil, or vanishing without a trace.

Scientists have been divided for centuries by the question of what consciousness is. The two major theories have now been put to the test by a group of researchers, including neuroscientists Floris de Lange and Yamil Vidal from the Donders Institute at Radboud University, and have been found to be partly incorrect.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered protein models combined with genome sequencing technology could help scientists better diagnose and treat genetic diseases, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU). The research findings, published in Nature Communications, could improve the future of personalised medicine by harnessing the power of new data tools.

An international research team led by Professor Kiavash Movahedi from the Brussels Center for Immunology at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has published groundbreaking results today in the prestigious journal Immunity . Their study sheds new light on the possibility of effectively replacing defective microglia-the brain's immune cells-marking a potential breakthrough in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Scientists discovered a new mechanism involved in blood pressure regulation, opening the door to novel therapeutic approaches. Hypertension affects nearly one in three adults worldwide and is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Previous studies suggest that the junctional protein paracingulin plays a role in the development of hypertension, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Scientists have developed a new technique to screen engineered enzyme reactions, which could lead to faster and more efficient creation of medicines and sustainable chemicals. Enzymes are proteins that catalyse chemical reactions, turning one substance into another. In labs, scientists engineer these enzymes to perform specific tasks like the sustainable creation of medicines, and materials.

Research published in the journal Human Reproduction reveals that women with endometriosis are at a significantly higher risk for developing a range of autoimmune, autoinflammatory, and mixed-pattern diseases. The new study, of unprecedented scale, examines not only clinical associations, but also for the first time the biological basis for these comorbidities - through genetics.

A recent study by the Universities of Jena, Bielefeld and Münster provides evidence that some results of behavioural experiments with insects cannot be fully reproduced. So far, possible reproducibility problems have been little discussed in this context. If an experiment is repeated under similar conditions, the results should be the same.

Bonn researchers link immune cells to higher risk of duodenal carcinoma in hereditary FAP People with the hereditary disease familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) have a greatly increased risk of developing a malignant tumor of the duodenum. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn have now discovered a mechanism in the local immune system that can drive the development of cancer.

Mothers who are anaemic in the first 100 days of pregnancy have a much higher chance of having a child with congenital heart disease, according to new research funded by the British Heart Foundation and published in the journal BJOG . As a result, researchers will now investigate whether taking iron supplements before and during pregnancy could help to prevent some heart defects at birth.

While glioblastoma is a highly aggressive brain tumor that currently offers little hope of cure, researchers at the CANTHER laboratory (CNRS / Inserm / University of Lille / Lille University Hospital / Pasteur Institute of Lille) and the Laboratoire de Bioimagerie et Pathologies (CNRS / University of Strasbourg) have succeeded in identifying different forms of this tumor and mapping them precisely by analyzing the activity of gene regulatory factors.

A team from the University of Geneva has identified a single gene behind the corn snake's skin pattern diversity. In many animals, skin colouration and its patterns play a crucial role in camouflage, communication, or thermoregulation. In the corn snake, some morphs display red, yellow, or pink blotches, and their dorsal spots can merge or turn into stripes.

The unexpected discovery on Mexican islands in the Caribbean makes it crucial to conserve the animals' habitats, Professor Hans Larsson says McGill researchers, in collaboration with Mexican scientists, have discovered two previously unknown species of crocodiles, one living on the island of Cozumel and the other on the atoll of Banco Chinchorro, both off the Yucatán Peninsula.