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neuroscience, genetics & genomics

Sleep Is Critical for the Zebrafish Brain to Repair DNA Damage
Catherine Offord | Mar 6, 2019 | 2 min read
Neurons can only efficiently fix genetic injuries when the animals are asleep.
Four Sets of Mice Call Popular Autism Theory into Question
Sarah DeWeerdt | Feb 26, 2019 | 3 min read
Signaling imbalance, driven by too much excitatory activity, may be a consequence of whatever brain changes lead to autism rather than a cause of the condition.
Image of the Day: In the Eye of a Fly
Carolyn Wilke | Feb 26, 2019 | 1 min read
A missing microRNA leads to degenerating neurons and blindness in a fruit fly.
Stem Cell–Derived Neurons from People with Autism Grow Differently
Jef Akst | Jan 11, 2019 | 2 min read
Changes in gene expression also hint at how the brains of people with ASD develop differently from those of other people.
Can Viruses in the Genome Cause Disease?
Katarina Zimmer | Jan 1, 2019 | 10+ min read
Clinical trials that target human endogenous retroviruses to treat multiple sclerosis, ALS, and other ailments are underway, but many questions remain about how these sequences may disrupt our biology.
Analysis of 2,000 Brains Provides Clues to Schizophrenia, Autism
Catherine Offord | Dec 14, 2018 | 2 min read
The PsychENCODE project delves into the DNA, RNA, and protein changes related to brain development and neuropsychiatric disorders, but researchers caution it’s just a first step toward treatment.
Genetic Neurologist: A Profile of Huda Zoghbi
Anna Azvolinsky | Nov 1, 2018 | 8 min read
Turning to molecular genetics, the Baylor pediatric neurologist and geneticist works to discover the biological basis for the rare neurological diseases she sees in her patients.
Revealed: New Cortical Neuron Types
Ashley P. Taylor | Oct 31, 2018 | 2 min read
A pair of mouse studies describes neuronal subpopulations not identified before and some of their functions.
More Autism Genes Identified
Ashley Yeager | Oct 17, 2018 | 2 min read
Researchers parse genes linked with intellectual disability and autism from those tied to autism alone.
Alzheimer’s Gene Affects Energy Consumption in Mouse Brains
Sukanya Charuchandra | Oct 1, 2018 | 2 min read
One variant limited the brain’s ability to use glucose.
Image of the Day: Dopamine Made Them Do It
Sukanya Charuchandra | Sep 28, 2018 | 1 min read
Levels of the neurotransmitter drive ant foraging behavior in the desert.
Reprogrammed Müller Glia Restore Vision in Mice
Ashley Yeager | Aug 15, 2018 | 4 min read
A double gene-transfer therapy transformed the non-neuronal cells into rod photoreceptors in the retinas of animal models of congenital blindness.
people in graduation caps seen from the back
Genes Explain About 11 Percent of Differences in Years of Education
Shawna Williams | Jul 24, 2018 | 2 min read
The influence of genetic variants tops that of socioeconomic status.
Studies Unveil Hidden Ties Between Epilepsy Gene and Autism
Jessica Wright | Jul 24, 2018 | 3 min read
Scientists are finding patterns in symptoms among a handful of people with mutations in HNRNPU.
Genes Tied to Intelligence and Neurotic Behavior Identified
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 26, 2018 | 1 min read
Researchers found several hundred genes expressed in the human brain are tied to cognition or neuroses.
Human-Specific Genes Implicated in Brain Size
Abby Olena, PhD | May 31, 2018 | 5 min read
Three members of a gene family called NOTCH2NL may have been involved in the evolution of humans’ big cortex.
Aging-Related Diseases May Be a Negative Outcome of Human Evolution
Sukanya Charuchandra | May 31, 2018 | 3 min read
Genetic adaptations for human brain development also make us vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.  
Patent On Autism Genetic Test May Stifle Science
Jessica Wright | May 30, 2018 | 3 min read
LabCorp might be able to charge a licensing fee to any scientists who wish to sequence the gene HOMER1 in people who may have autism.
“Minibrains” May Soon Include Neanderthal DNA
Ashley Yeager | May 14, 2018 | 1 min read
Brain organoids engineered to carry the genetic material could reveal how our brains are similar to and different from those of our closest relatives.
Genetic Adaptation to Cold Brought Migraines With It
Viviane Callier | May 3, 2018 | 3 min read
Humans living in higher latitudes tend to have a variant of a gene involved in sensing cold temperatures, but it comes with a cost.  
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