Researchers one step closer to cocaine antidote

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have gained new insight into the mechanism behind a protein dopamine transporter that could help in the development of future medical treatment against cocaine addiction.

Toxic fruits hold the key to reproductive success

In the course of evolution, animals have become adapted to certain food sources, sometimes even to plants or to fruits that are actually toxic. The driving forces behind such adaptive mechanisms are often unknown. Scientists ...

Dolphins and whales experience pleasure

Sam Ridgway has spent most of his life learning about dolphins and whales. Over his five-decade career he has asked these cetaceans various questions, including how deep they can dive and how depth affects their hearing. ...

Video: Why some people just don't like music

For many people, enjoying music results in noticeable physical reactions – sweaty palms or a shiver down the spine. Music can cause the release of dopamine in your body, which provides a feeling of immense pleasure and ...

Dopamine turns worker ants into warrior queens

(Phys.org) —The ritualized fighting behavior of one ant species is linked to increases in dopamine levels that trigger dramatic physical changes in the ants without affecting their DNA, according to research from North ...

Cell membranes: Synthetics save time and cut costs

Screening for critical drug targets known as G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is now possible without the need to extract these proteins from their native cells. Extraction requires the use of stabilizing lipids, which ...

Are bacteria making you hungry?

Over the last half decade, it has become increasingly clear that the normal gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria play a variety of very important roles in the biology of human and animals. Now Vic Norris of the University of Rouen, ...

Researchers seek to improve drug delivery with hydrogels

Researchers in Japan have developed a technique which allows them to control and target drug delivery to specific sites of the body at specific times, thus reducing side effects and improving treatment dramatically. The results ...

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