Evolving a dig-in-the-dark mole lifestyle comes with radical anatomical changes, making it hard even to guess the animal’s closest relatives. That’s why the true identity of Australia’s most enigmatic and…
Category: Life
Breakthrough Institute report: ‘Why genetically engineered microbes need a pathway to market’
Genetically engineered microbes need a pathway to market. Fertilizer runoff and nitrous oxide emissions remain massive issues for agricultural climate and environmental impacts, and damage from disease, drought, and high…
Targeting Reward Pathways to Treat Depression
Summary: New research highlights how the brain’s reward-learning system can guide personalized treatments for depression. By studying two brain signals, expected value and prediction error, researchers identified markers that predict…
Microglia Act Differently in Male and Female Brains
Summary: Microglia, the brain’s immune cells, play vital roles in clearing toxins and maintaining neuronal health but can also contribute to neurodegenerative diseases if overactive. New research reveals sex-based differences…
GLP-1 Drugs Offer Brain Benefits but May Pose Other Health Risks
Summary: A study analyzing data from over 2 million veterans found that GLP-1 receptor agonists, popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, provide significant neurological and behavioral health benefits, including…
In chimpanzees, peeing is contagious
Hate waiting in line for the bathroom? Chimpanzees have a social solution: Go all at once. A new study shows that peeing is contagious in chimpanzees, making it “the first…
How a brain-threatening parasite could soon be programed to deliver life-saving drugs
Parasites take an enormous toll on human and veterinary health. But researchers may have found a way for patients with brain disorders and a common brain parasite to become frenemies. A…
