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A rendering of a human brain in blue on a dark background with blue and white lines surrounding the brain to represent the construction of new connections in the brain.
Defying Dogma: Decentralized Translation in Neurons
To understand how memories are formed and maintained, neuroscientists travel far beyond the cell body in search of answers.
Defying Dogma: Decentralized Translation in Neurons
Defying Dogma: Decentralized Translation in Neurons

To understand how memories are formed and maintained, neuroscientists travel far beyond the cell body in search of answers.

To understand how memories are formed and maintained, neuroscientists travel far beyond the cell body in search of answers.

translation

Infographic showing the selective strengthening of synapses that received stimulation.
Infographic: Synaptic Plasticity in the Sea Slug
Danielle Gerhard, PhD | Sep 8, 2023 | 1 min read
The sea slug has helped scientists in their quest to understand how neurons encode memories.
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Infographic: Beyond the Nucleus: mRNA Localization in Neurons
Danielle Gerhard, PhD | Sep 8, 2023 | 1 min read
To support thousands of incoming connections, neurons use sophisticated transportation networks for delivering mRNA to faraway regions.
Maintaining Hormone Balance Through RNA Decay
The Scientist Speaks - What Comes Up Must Go Down: Maintaining Hormone Balance Through RNA Decay
The Scientist | 1 min read
Neelanjan Mukherjee discusses how RNA decay is essential for regulating a blood pressure-controlling hormone.
Digital illustration of neurons
Captivated by the Great Expanse of Neurons
Danielle Gerhard, PhD | Aug 1, 2023 | 2 min read
According to Erin Schuman, science driven by fascination rather than tools will guide new discoveries.
illustration of a large purple molecular complex with a strand of orange RNA running through it and red strand emerging from it
Study Reveals Outsize Role of mRNA Region in Tuning Expression
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Jan 27, 2022 | 3 min read
A new method helps researchers uncover the rules of ribosome recruitment in yeast.
The Scientist Speaks - Thieves on the Inside: Viral Control of Host Gene Expression
Niki Spahich, PhD | 1 min read
Britt Glaunsinger discusses how viruses steal from their hosts to take over cellular processes and promote their own survival.
Fruit flies in a vial
Accurate Protein Production Promotes Longevity
Ruth Williams | Sep 15, 2021 | 3 min read
Worms, flies, and yeast live longer if the fidelity of their protein-making machinery is improved, a study shows.
A microscope image of a dinoflagellate.
Dinoflagellate Genome Structure Unlike Any Other Known
Amanda Heidt | May 10, 2021 | 5 min read
The transcription of DNA drives the remarkably tidy organization of chromosomes in the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium microadriaticum.
How RNAs Called SINEUPs Upregulate Translation
Catherine Offord | Jan 1, 2021 | 2 min read
The recently discovered long noncoding RNAs seem to boost the production of specific proteins in the cell by interacting with RNA-binding proteins, researchers find.
Infographic: Synthetases and the Evolution of Circulatory Systems
Amber Dance | Jun 1, 2020 | 3 min read
Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases picked up new protein domains that participate in vasculature formation around the same time that organisms evolved key adaptations in the circulatory system.
Protein Synthesis Enzymes Have Evolved Additional Jobs
Amber Dance | Jun 1, 2020 | 10+ min read
Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, which help translate the genetic code into protein, also function in angiogenesis, fat metabolism, and more.
Paper Used in Creationist Teaching Retracted After 30 Years
Ashley Yeager | Nov 11, 2019 | 2 min read
Criticism of the paper first surfaced in 1994, and its author was accused of scientific misconduct.
translation gene genetics ribosome enhancers knowable magazine
What Does It Look Like to “Turn On” a Gene?
Alla Katsnelson, Casey Rentz, and Knowable Magazine | May 3, 2019 | 8 min read
Only recently have scientists directly witnessed this most pivotal of events in biology, thanks to new technology that allows them to observe the process in living cells. It’s teaching them a lot.
Study: Ribosomes are Functionally Diverse
Diana Kwon | Jun 22, 2017 | 2 min read
New research suggests that the cells’ protein factories have preferences for specific messenger RNAs they translate. 
Mouse Livers Grow and Shrink Daily
Abby Olena, PhD | May 4, 2017 | 3 min read
Feeding-fasting rhythms and light-dark cycles direct regular changes in organ and cell size, as well as ribosome number and protein levels.
Noncoding RNA Helps Cells Recover from DNA Damage
Diana Kwon | May 1, 2017 | 2 min read
Scientists discover transcripts from the same gene that can express both proteins and noncoding RNA.
 
Starvation Response Triggers Melanoma Invasion
Catherine Offord | Apr 1, 2017 | 2 min read
Through similar mechanisms, amino acid depletion in culture and cytokine activity in the tumor microenvironment prompt cancer cells to metastasize.
Top Technical Advances 2016
Kerry Grens | Dec 15, 2016 | 4 min read
The year’s most impressive achievements include methods to watch translation in cells, trace cell fates, avoid mitochondrial mutations, edit DNA, and build antibiotics from scratch.
Protozoans Found With No Dedicated Stop Codons
Karen Zusi | Oct 1, 2016 | 3 min read
Some ciliates use the same trio of nucleotides to code for an amino acid and to stop translation.
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