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Visualizing cellular life with greater precision
Fluorescent proteins have revolutionized science, enabling researchers to tag and visualize individual molecules in living cells, tissues, and animals. Using these tools, researchers have watched viruses infect cells in real time, observed cellular waste collection, and tracked the signaling that…
An internal liver clock orchestrates fat secretion
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is among the most common chronic liver diseases and, when untreated, can progress to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A new study led by Ronald Evans, PhD, found that production of the protein FGF1…
How do GLP-1 drugs affect gene expression?
GLP-1s are building a reputation as “wonder drugs.” First characterized for their ability to improve insulin release and treat diabetes, the drugs were later found to promote weight loss and improve cardiovascular health. In addition to those bonus benefits, GLP-1…
Mitochondrial DNA can impact human health and disease
Some of your most important life partners are the mitochondria that power all your cells. You and these little cellular powerhouses are in a 1.5-billion-year-old evolutionary relationship—but mitochondria brought some baggage. Mitochondria brought their own DNA with them when they…
Why does the body deem some foods safe and others unsafe?
In little moments like when sipping coffee or licking an ice cream cone, it doesn’t seem like your body is pulling off a biological miracle. But it is. That ice cream is not you—yet when you put it in your…
How do plant roots grow in unpredictable temperatures?
Plants can’t move to escape the heat like humans can—they are forced to adapt. As temperatures fluctuate, one key survival strategy is the ability of roots to keep growing, allowing plants to access water and nutrients farther away in the…
Can naked mole rats peacefully hand over power?
Naked mole rats keep kingdoms underground. One queen bears all the children, while other mole rats maintain complex subterranean tunnels, forage for food, take care of newborns, and perform other necessary upkeep. This society hinges on the central pillar of…
What keeps thirsty plants alive during drought?
For more than 25 years, the American Southwest has faced the severe social and economic consequences of a megadrought, including a $1.1 billion agricultural loss in California in 2021 alone. New research led by Joseph Ecker, PhD, provides a roadmap…
How do astrocytes contribute to fragile X syndrome?
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is an inherited genetic developmental condition that strongly impacts brain development. Its symptoms are broad and highly variable, and there is currently no cure. Existing treatments are limited to medications and therapies to help manage symptoms.…
From Salk Institute discovery to patient care: Vitamin D analog shuts down pancreatic cancer’s shield in clinical trial
A small clinical trial led by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute put a Salk Institute idea to the test in patients: that activating the vitamin D receptor can help reshape the protective environment surrounding pancreatic tumors in ways that could make…
What changes happen in the aging brain?
Neurodegenerative diseases affect more than 57 million people globally. Though scientists know that aging is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, the mechanisms underlying its impact remain unclear. But a great place to start is epigenetic change—the way small…