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A fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) sitting on a green grass blade with a green background.
How the Fly Brain Knows When to Release Insulin
An enzyme synthesized in the fly gut travels to the brain, where it induces insulin-like peptide secretion.
How the Fly Brain Knows When to Release Insulin
How the Fly Brain Knows When to Release Insulin

An enzyme synthesized in the fly gut travels to the brain, where it induces insulin-like peptide secretion.

An enzyme synthesized in the fly gut travels to the brain, where it induces insulin-like peptide secretion.

lipid

3D illustration of white Candida albicans yeast cells growing against host tissue.
A Fungal Messenger Impairs Immune Cell Function
Shelby Bradford, PhD | Nov 8, 2024 | 3 min read
Farnesol, a fungal signaling molecule, alters lipid synthesis in dendritic cells, causing mitochondrial dysfunction and decreased inflammatory responding.
Move Over, Proteins! Exploring Lipids in Adaptive Immunity
Kamal Nahas, PhD | Nov 27, 2023 | 5 min read
New research revealed hundreds of lipid antigens that may be recognized by adaptive immune T cells.
three black mice lined up next to each other. the one on the left, fed a low-fat diet, has one small bald patch, the middle mouse, fed fish oil, has a large bald spot across its shoulders and back, and the right mouse, fed cocoa butter, has no baldness.
Fish Oil in Diet Can Cause Hair Loss in Mice, Study Finds
Katherine Irving | Jan 19, 2023 | 3 min read
The oil’s omega-3 fatty acids accumulate in the mice’s skin, triggering an immune response that causes hair loss.
A false color transmission electron microscope micrograph showing the nuclear envelope, the rough endoplasmic reticulum, the nucleus, and the cytoplasm.
New Gene Mutants Identified in Rare Motor Neuron Diseases
Clare Watson | Oct 17, 2022 | 2 min read
The discovery of gene variants in cases of hereditary spastic dysplasia could provide a diagnosis to affected families where no genetic cause could be found before.
a brain surrounded by pills
Years of Prozac Alter Lipids in Young Monkeys’ Brains: Study
James M. Gaines | Sep 10, 2021 | 4 min read
Long-term administration of the antidepressant fluoxetine was tied to decreased concentrations of about 100 different brain lipids in adolescent macaques, hinting at a potential mechanism underlying the drug’s rare but severe side effects.
A computer-generated graphic showing a cross-section of red-colored bacteria, with the locations of the protein APOL3 labeled in green.
Human Protein Dissolves Bacterial Membranes
Abby Olena, PhD | Jul 15, 2021 | 4 min read
The protein, apolipoprotein L3, destroys invading microbes by acting as a detergent in the cytosol.
The Community-Wide Effort to Standardize QA/QC for Metabolomics and Lipidomics
The Scientist | Apr 27, 2021 | 1 min read
Perspectives on the basics and future of QA/QC
Lipid Droplets Are Intracellular Bacteria-Fighting Machines
Ruth Williams | Oct 15, 2020 | 3 min read
Far from being inert fat-storage depots within cells, these lipid-loaded organelles recruit immune proteins and block bacterial growth.
Lipid Expert and Babraham Institute Director Michael Wakelam Dies
Amy Schleunes | Apr 7, 2020 | 2 min read
Wakelam, who died of a suspected COVID-19 infection, is remembered for his research on the physiological function of lipids.
Immunology Leader Vincenzo Cerundolo Dies
Ashley Yeager | Jan 16, 2020 | 2 min read
The Oxford researcher’s work on lipid and peptide antigens revealed key mechanisms in inflammation, immunotherapy, and vaccination, which are being pursued in clinical trial treatments.
Image of the Day: Unusual ATP Synthase
Emily Makowski | Jan 8, 2020 | 2 min read
A single-celled organism has an energy-producing enzyme with unique features.
Photos of the Year
Carolyn Wilke | Dec 21, 2018 | 2 min read
From 500-million-year-old fat to a newly discovered virus, here are some stunners from The Scientist in 2018.
Researchers Identify Biomarkers for Obesity Risk in Women
Catherine Offord | May 31, 2018 | 2 min read
Low levels of a biochemical process involved in fat breakdown predicts weight gain and metabolic complications more than a decade later.
What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?
Barbara E. Corkey | Jul 1, 2016 | 10 min read
Insulin resistance and high levels of insulin and lipids all precede the development of metabolic dysfunction. Which metabolic factor is to blame?
How High Fat and Insulin Levels May Lead to Diabetes
Barbara E. Corkey | Jun 30, 2016 | 1 min read
Lipids and insulin play important roles in blood sugar regulation, and altered levels of either could kick start metabolic dysfunction.
On the Origins of Life
Jef Akst | Mar 17, 2015 | 2 min read
A new experimental system demonstrates that precursors of ribonucleotides, amino acids, and lipids may have simultaneously arisen from the same prebiotic chemistry.
Week in Review: April 28–May 2
Tracy Vence | May 2, 2014 | 3 min read
Male scientists stress mice out; using SCNT to reprogram adult cells; acetate can reach mouse brain, reduce appetite; WHO sounds “post-antibiotic era” alarm
Rare Fat Keeps Fly from Freezing
Sandhya Sekar | Apr 30, 2014 | 3 min read
Researchers report the first evidence of cryopreservation by an overwintering insect in which stores of an uncommon lipid are critical.
An Ancient Evolutionary Advantage?
Emily Willingham | Apr 1, 2014 | 3 min read
Shared sequences within the brain lipid-metabolism pathway between Neanderthals and modern Europeans highlight questions about how these genetic similarities arose.
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