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c elegans transgenerational epigenetic inheritance behavior neuron genetics
Worm Parents Pass on Behaviors Epigenetically to Offspring
Two research groups demonstrate that in Caenorhabditis elegans, behavioral traits can be passed down through the germline to future generations, even though they aren’t hard-wired.
Worm Parents Pass on Behaviors Epigenetically to Offspring
Worm Parents Pass on Behaviors Epigenetically to Offspring

Two research groups demonstrate that in Caenorhabditis elegans, behavioral traits can be passed down through the germline to future generations, even though they aren’t hard-wired.

Two research groups demonstrate that in Caenorhabditis elegans, behavioral traits can be passed down through the germline to future generations, even though they aren’t hard-wired.

genetics & genomics, neuroscience

sei proteins help protect flies from heat-induced seizures
Image of the Day: Seizure Proteins
Nicoletta Lanese | Aug 14, 2019 | 1 min read
The sei ion channel in fruit flies keeps their neuronal excitability in check.
rahul desikan als amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Neuroscientist Rahul Desikan Dies
Kerry Grens | Jul 19, 2019 | 2 min read
He developed an MRI-based map of the human cortex, discovered genetic risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases, and wrote about his struggles with ALS.
Image of the Day: Neuron Guides
Carolyn Wilke | Mar 27, 2019 | 1 min read
A gene helps motor neurons successfully venture out from the spinal cord to muscles during mouse development.
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.
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