Category Biology/Biotechnology

Mosses thrive in the most extreme environments on Earth, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the sands of Death Valley, the Antarctic tundra to the lava fields of active volcanoes. Inspired by moss’s resilience, researchers sent moss sporophytes—reproductive structures that encase spores—to the most extreme environment yet: space.

Their results, published in the journal iScience on November 20, show that more than 80% of the spores survived nine...

Temporarily anesthetizing the retina briefly reverts the activity of the visual system to that observed in early development and enables growth of responses to the amblyopic eye, new research shows.

In the common vision disorder amblyopia, impaired vision in one eye during development causes neural connections in the brain’s visual system to shift toward supporting the other eye, leaving the amblyopic eye less capable even after the original impairment is corrected. Current interventions are only effective during infancy and early childhood while the neural connections are still being formed.

But a new study in mice by neuroscientists in The Picower Institute f...

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have discovered how the longevity-associated protein Sirt6 orchestrates a delicate molecular balancing act that protects the body from age-related decline and disease. The new findings, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal how Sirt6 preserves health during aging and may pave the way for therapies that promote a longer, healthier life.

Sirt6, often described as a master regulator of aging, is known for its powerful protective effects against age-related diseases such as cancer, diabete...

Robots that can sense and respond to the world like humans may soon be a reality as scientists have created an artificial neuron capable of mimicking different parts of the brain.

Artificial neurons—tiny electronic circuits that replicate the way brain cells communicate—lie at the heart of neuromorphic computing, a field aiming to bring human-like intelligence to machines.

Despite rapid progress, today’s artificial neurons can only perform fixed tasks, each serving a narrow role...