neural development

A single amino acid substitution in a protein causes increased neuron production in the frontal lobes of humans compared to Neanderthals—a tiny difference that could have given our species a cognitive edge, researchers say.

Once thought of as a mere motor coordination center, the “little brain” is now appreciated as participating in higher neurological processes.

Geckos injected with neural stem cells modified to block cartilage growth developed the skeletal and nervous components normally lacking from regrown tails.

The hormone, which is well known for regulating appetite, appears to influence neuronal development—a finding that could shed light on disorders such as autism that involve dysfunctional synapse formation.

Researchers combine organoids, CRISPR-Cas9, and cellular barcoding technologies to identify genes that influence brain size.

Cell lines from individuals with macrocephalic autism spectrum disorder have an increased number of double-strand breaks in the DNA of long neural genes.

A gene involved in a newly described syndrome affects neural functioning in fruit fly embryos.

Selected Images of the Day from the-scientist.com

Scientists discover a molecular factor that allows them to follow neurons from birth to maturity.

Neuroscientists identify how the left and right hemispheres of the mammalian brain connect during development.

Zika virus may commandeer a receptor on the surface of neural progenitor cells, scientists show.