Applied Science

Fasting May Protect Against Infections From Foodborne Diseases Such As Salmonella

micBeneficial Gut Bacteria. Credit: Darryl Leja, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, NIHFasting before and during exposure to Salmonella enterica microorganisms protects mice from developing a full-on infection, partially as a result of changes in the pets' digestive tract microbiomes, according to a new study published in PLOS Pathogens by Bruce Vallance as well...

Neuromorphic Chip: Artificial Neurons Identify Biosignals in Real Time

The neuromorphic chip reliably and precisely detects high-frequency oscillations in previously recorded intracranial EEG. Credit: UZH, ETHZ, USZScientists from Zurich have created a portable, energy-efficient gadget made from synthetic neurons that can decode brainwaves. The chip uses information recorded from the brainwaves of epilepsy patients to determine which regions of the brain cause epileptic...

The 2000 Year Old Greek Astronomical Calculator: Experts Recreate a Mechanical Cosmos for the Globe’s First Computer

Cosmos Display at the front of the Antikythera Mechanism, showing the positions of the Sun, Moon, and five planets as well as the phase of the Moon and the nodes of the Moon. Copyright © 2020 Tony FreethResearchers at UCL have fixed a significant piece of the challenge that makes up the ancient Greek...

Brain Memory Signals Connected to Blood Glucose Levels in New Research

A set of brain signals known to assist memories form may additionally influence blood glucose levels, finds brand-new research in rats.Researchers at NYU Grossman College of Medicine discovered that a strange signaling pattern in the brain area called the hippocampus, connected by previous studies to memory development, likewise affects the metabolic process, the procedure...

Researchers Discover “Gorditas” and Other Unheard Types of Brain Cells

The newly described oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (green) contact long-distance neuronal axons (magenta) on the wall of the brain ventricles.According to a study published June 20 in Science, scientists discovered two types of glial cells in the brains of adult mice - an astrocyte and an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell - after pushing neural stem cells to...

MIT Researchers Devised a Means to Program Memories Into Microbial Cells by Revising Their DNA

MIT researchers have devised a way to program memories into bacterial cells by rewriting their DNA more efficiently. Credit: MIT News, iStockphotoOrganic engineers at MIT have created a brand-new way to edit bacterial genomes successfully and program memories right into microbial cells by revising their DNA. Using this technique, various spatial and temporal information...

Neurotransmitter Levels in the Brain Can Predict Math Ability

Scanning was completed both during Time 1 and Time 2 (approximately 1.5 years later) in each of the 5 age groups (6-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 14-year-olds, 16-year-olds, and 18+-year-olds). Credit: Zacharopoulos G, et al., 2021, PLOS Biology, CC-BY 4.0The neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate have complementary functions - GABA inhibits neurons, while glutamate makes them extra active. Published...

Intestinal Microbes Can Help Reverse Brain Aging

On August 9, 2021, research from APC Microbiome Ireland (APC) at University College Cork (UCC), published in the leading international scientific journal Nature Aging, presents a new approach to invert aspects of brain deterioration and cognitive function related to aging through the microbes in the intestine.As our population ages, one of the leading global...