Light-induced changes in shape power a pump in a marine bacterium

RIKEN biochemists have discovered how a miniscule pump in a marine microbe shuttles negative ions into the cell by changing shape when activated by light. As well as providing insights into how these ion pumps work, the findings ...

Chemists reveal how tau proteins form tangles

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease is the presence of neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. These tangles, made of tau proteins, impair neurons' ability to function normally and can cause the cells to die.

How a gene mutation leads to higher intelligence

When genes mutate, this can lead to severe diseases of the human nervous system. Researchers at Leipzig University and the University of Würzburg have now used fruit flies to demonstrate how, apart from the negative effect, ...

Scientists discover new mechanism involved in learning and memory

What happens inside neurons when we memorize a password or learn the cello? Some of our basic understanding about learning and memory comes from the study of conditions in which cognitive development is disrupted. For example, ...

Microscopy opens doors for studying neurological diseases

The intricate functions of cellular processes have mystified scientists for decades. But with the help of tools like cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM), researchers at Penn State College of Medicine are starting to see ...

Brain injury after long-duration spaceflight

Spending long periods in space not only leads to muscle atrophy and reductions in bone density, it also seems to have lasting effects on the brain. Neuroimaging studies (amongst others from this LMU team of researchers) has ...

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