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A gut bacterium has been found to modulate locomotor activity in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. This effect is mediated by the level of a sugar and the activity of neurons that produce the molecule octopamine.
The coenzyme NAD+ can be produced from the amino acid tryptophan. It emerges that inhibiting an enzyme that degrades an intermediate in this pathway can help to combat kidney and liver diseases in mouse models.
An experiment has measured the energy spectrum of solar neutrinos associated with 99% of the nuclear reactions that power the Sun. The results provide a glimpse into the depths of the solar core.
A natural material has been discovered that exhibits an extreme optical property known as in-plane hyperbolicity. The finding could lead to infrared optical components that are much smaller than those now available.
Interactions between the B and T cells of the human immune system are implicated in the brain disease multiple sclerosis. It emerges that B cells make a protein that is also made in the brain, and that T cells recognize this protein.
Can the predicted rise in global food demand by 2050 be met sustainably? A modelling study suggests that a combination of interventions will be needed to tackle the associated environmental challenges.
A remarkable metal–ceramic composite material has been produced that could aid the development of the next generation of power plants — and might even have a role in curing the world of its addiction to fossil fuels.
Pigmented cells in the skin of cuttlefish can contract or relax to produce different skin-colour patterns. Tracking the dynamics of these cells reveals how this display system develops, and how it is controlled.
The parasite Trypanosoma brucei causes sleeping sickness. It evades human defences by changing the version of a protein that coats its surface. Analysis of its genome and nuclear structure clarifies this variation process.
Efforts to find early traces of life on Earth often focus on structures in ancient rocks, called stromatolites, that formed by microbial activity. One of the oldest proposed stromatolite discoveries has now been questioned.
An exotic ultracold gas known as a Bose–Einstein condensate has been produced and studied in space. Such gases could be used to build quantum sensors that probe the properties of the Universe with extreme precision.
In 1993, two papers reported observations of an astronomical phenomenon called gravitational microlensing. The results showed that microlensing could be used to probe the elusive dark matter that is thought to pervade the Universe.
Experiments reveal a previously unreported type of electronic noise that is caused by temperature gradients. The finding has practical implications, and could help in detecting unwanted hotspots in electrical circuits.
Light-emitting diodes made from perovskite semiconductors have reached a milestone in the efficiency with which they emit light — potentially ushering in a new platform for lighting and display technology.
A new technique, in which forebrain-precursor cells are ablated from early-stage mouse embryos and replaced with embryonic stem cells, promises to facilitate our ability to study the central nervous system.
UK Biobank contains a wealth of data on genetics, health and more from 500,000 participants. A detailed overview of the biobank and an analysis of its brain-imaging data show the value of this resource.
