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Natalia Mesa, PhD

Articles by Natalia Mesa, PhD

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Can We Predict How Well Someone Will Respond to a Vaccine?

(Left) The optic lobes are thought to be involved in visual processing. In this study, researchers found that guppies with larger optic lobes more quickly learned a visual discrimination task—identifying which color well contained food. (Right) The fish telencephalon is thought to be involved in spatial learning, memory, and inhibitory control. Here, the researchers found that a larger telencephalon might enhance the fish’s cognitive flexibility, allowing them to more quickly associate food with a new color after the researchers switched it.

Infographic: Two Guppy Brain Regions May Help Them Learn Tasks

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Fish Brain Region Size Correlates with Cognitive Flexibility

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Green Lab Initiatives Take Root Around the World

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X Chromosome Silenced in Some Cancers in Males

In the 1920s, the Institute for Sexual Research in Berlin was a haven for queer people, many of whom came to the institute seeking to express their identities without fear of being imprisoned. This undated photo depicts a costume party at the institute; its founder, Magnus Hirschfeld (second from right, in glasses), can be seen holding hands with his partner, Karl Giese (center).

Trans Medicine, 1919

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Skin Bacteria May Trigger Lupus: Mouse Study

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Ancient Viral DNA Helps Mouse Brains Fight Infection

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Ethanol-Making Microbe Tied to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

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Infographic: Generating Hundreds of 3D Organoid Images per Hour

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Expert JeWell-ry Designers

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How Fat Cells Help Kick Parasites Out of Mice: Study

The Scientist Digest cover September 2026
September 2026

Multiplex Microscopy Becomes Easier with Encoded Antibodies

A new system that enables researchers to uniquely tag monoclonal antibodies for use in microscopy could help simplify complex imaging studies.

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Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

Essential Genes Are Dominantly Activated by Single Transcription Factors

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Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

Rethinking ALS Biomarkers: From Discovery to Clinical Impact

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Engineering CAR-Neutrophils In Vivo to Target Glioblastoma

Engineering CAR-Neutrophils In Vivo to Target Glioblastoma

Miltenyi
Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Best Practices for qPCR Assay Design and Optimization

Bio-Rad

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