Biological neural networks as a research area focus on the structure, dynamics, and computation of networks of real neurons in living organisms, integrating cellular neurophysiology, synaptic plasticity, and systems-level circuit organization. The field investigates how biophysical properties, connectivity patterns, and neuromodulatory influences give rise to information processing, learning, memory, and behavior. It spans experimental and theoretical approaches, including electrophysiology, imaging, connectomics, computational modeling, and data-driven analysis of large-scale neural recordings, with the dual goals of explaining brain function mechanistically and providing biologically grounded principles that inform artificial neural network design and neuroengineering applications.
Dr. Martin Wessendorf is a neuroscientist and an associate professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota. His work focuses on how the brainstem controls the function of neurons in the spinal cord. Daniel Wang also researches ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 27, 2026
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University of Tübingen researchers have shown that crows, when confronted with a visual choice, make a decision twice as fast as humans and monkeys. In the experiment, two carrion crows took just 235 milliseconds on average ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 25, 2026
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What if the brain evolved to serve the gut? Scientists at Flinders University are challenging a cornerstone of biology, arguing that the gut's nervous system may be the body's original "brain," with the brain evolving later ...
Evolution
Oct 19, 2026
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Ever wonder what goes on inside the brain of a worm—how it processes information, responds to stimuli and perceives the world around it? Northeastern University researchers have opened up that can of worms, specifically the ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 17, 2026
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Limbs evolved as a means of locomotion. From the primitive rotating flagella of bacteria to the wings of flies and even our own legs, animals use these appendages to travel to find food or mates or escape predators. But in ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 15, 2026
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Our brain must be able to learn new things without losing previously stored information or the stability of its networks. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN) in Magdeburg, together with partners in ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 14, 2026
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurological disorders associated with later life, and its prevalence rises sharply with age. It affects the brain systems that control movement, often causing tremor, stiffness, ...
Bio & Medicine
Oct 12, 2026
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Cholesterol, a fat-like substance in the body best known for its role in cardiovascular health, also plays a key role in how neurons—foundational cells for the brain's ability to process and integrate information—communicate ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 8, 2026
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Anyone who has ever tried and failed to swat a fly has experienced the speed of a tiny nervous system. Now, a new review brings together evidence that its secret lies partly in microscopic movements and shape changes within ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 6, 2026
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When you walk into a bakery and smell fresh cookies, the enticing smell draws you in. After you eat a handful of cookies, though, the same smell likely doesn't send you back for more. Researchers in the McKelvey School of ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 5, 2026
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