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Genetics

·September 5, 2025·4 min read

Environment Shapes Autism-Linked Social Behaviors

A new study shows that environment significantly affects social behavior in zebrafish carrying a mutation linked to autism. In stressful, white Styrofoam tanks, the fish displayed higher anxiety and less social contact, while in familiar Plexiglass tanks their sociability improved.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 4, 2025·5 min read

Autism Gene Found to Alter Brain’s Social Hormone Signals

A new study reveals how a mutation in the Shank3 gene, associated with autism, alters social behavior by disrupting vasopressin release in the brain. In mice, this mutation reduced sociability and defensive aggression by limiting vasopressin reaching the lateral septum.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·September 2, 2025·9 min read

Alzheimer’s Linked to Epigenomic Breakdown, Not Just Plaques

A new large-scale study shows that Alzheimer’s disease is marked by the erosion of epigenomic control, where brain cells lose the ability to maintain stable gene expression. Using a multi-region atlas of 3.5 million cells, researchers found that vulnerable cells in key memory regions such as the hippocampus suffer breakdowns in nuclear compartmentalization and lose their “epigenomic information.”

This shows a brain surrounded by viruses and DNA.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 31, 2025·5 min read

Could a Common Virus Help Drive Parkinson’s?

New research suggests a previously harmless virus may be linked to Parkinson’s disease. Scientists detected Human Pegivirus (HPgV) in the brains and spinal fluid of Parkinson’s patients but not in controls, challenging assumptions that the virus is benign.

This shows a map of the world with DNA and speech bubbles overlayed.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 30, 2025·5 min read

Genetics Reveal How Human Contact Shapes Language Evolution

A new study shows that genetic evidence of historical contact between populations reveals consistent patterns of language change. By combining genetic data with linguistic databases, researchers found that unrelated languages became 4–9% more similar after human contact.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 30, 2025·5 min read

“Junk DNA” Plays Key Role in Brain Development and Disease

A new study shows that repetitive DNA, once dismissed as “junk,” plays a critical role in shaping the human brain. Scientists found that LINE-1 transposons, a type of mobile DNA element, are active in stem cells and regulate key genes during early brain development.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 29, 2025·4 min read

Stem Cells Use Toggle Switch to Regenerate Neurons

Scientists have uncovered how stem cells in the olfactory system continually regenerate neurons responsible for our sense of smell. Using live zebrafish imaging, cell tracking, and single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers identified a bistable toggle switch that drives progenitor cells to commit to specific fates and self-organize into “cellular neighborhoods.”

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·August 28, 2025·4 min read

Brain Cells Behind Depression Identified

Researchers analyzing post-mortem brain tissue found two cell types altered in people with depression: excitatory neurons that regulate mood and stress, and microglia that manage inflammation. The findings highlight how depression is tied to measurable brain changes, not just emotional symptoms.

This shows a brain surrounded by proteins in a snow globe.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·August 26, 2025·6 min read

Blocking a Brain “Death Complex” Slows Alzheimer’s

Scientists have discovered that a toxic complex formed between NMDA receptors and TRPM4 channels drives neuron death in Alzheimer’s disease. Using a novel molecule called FP802, researchers were able to break apart this “death complex” in mice, preventing cognitive decline, synapse loss, and mitochondrial damage.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 21, 2025·5 min read

Gene Blueprint of Neural Stem Cells in the Brain Identified

A new study has mapped the genetic blueprint of neural stem and progenitor cells (NPCs), the rare cells responsible for generating new neurons in the adult brain. Using a digital sorting algorithm and cross-species analysis, researchers identified 129 NPC-specific genes, 25 of which are already linked to neurological disorders and 15 that may explain previously unknown conditions.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 20, 2025·5 min read

400 Genes Identified as Key Drivers of Aging

A massive genetic study has identified more than 400 genes that drive different forms of unhealthy aging, from cognitive decline to metabolic problems. The findings show that frailty is not a single condition but multiple subtypes with distinct biological pathways.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·August 20, 2025·3 min read

Blocking Protein Reverses Age-Related Memory Loss

Aging disrupts memory by increasing levels of the protein FTL1 in the hippocampus, new research shows. In mice, excess FTL1 caused neurons to grow abnormally and led to memory decline, while reducing FTL1 reversed these impairments.