Microscopy News and Research

RSS

Neural mechanisms underlying behavioral flexibility revealed in mice

From work meetings to first dates, it's essential to adjust our behavior for success. In certain situations, it can even be a matter of life or death.

17 Dec 2025

Rethinking dopamine’s role in movement and Parkinson’s disease

A McGill-led study is challenging a popular theory about how dopamine drives movement, a discovery that could shift how scientists think about Parkinson's disease treatments.

17 Dec 2025

Multicolor fluorescent tagging enables real-time visualization of RNA in living cells

An innovative three-color method for capturing images of mRNA inside live mammalian cells has been developed by UMass Amherst chemists.

17 Dec 2025

Specific gut bacterium reduces weight gain and improves metabolic health

The gut microbiome is intimately linked to human health and weight. Differences in the gut microbiome-the bacteria and fungi in the gut-are associated with obesity and weight gain, raising the possibility that changing the microbiome could improve health.

16 Dec 2025

Novel cryo-EM findings could revolutionize T cell immunotherapy design

One of the most exciting advances in cancer treatments in the past decade is the development of T cell immunotherapies, in which a patient's own immune system is trained to recognize and attack dangerous cells. Yet a full understanding of how they actually work has eluded researchers.

16 Dec 2025

Scientists discover rapid synapse adaptation in neuronal communication

Every movement you make and every memory you form depends on precise communication between neurons. When that communication is disrupted, the brain must rapidly rebalance its internal signaling to keep circuits functioning properly.

16 Dec 2025

Researchers explore how the visual brain system recovers following traumatic injury

The brain shows a capacity to recover from traumatic injury, which somewhat contradicts the widely accepted idea that neurons do not regenerate.

15 Dec 2025

Cryo-EM reveals NPFFR1 activation and guides novel ligand design

This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying ligand recognition, subtype selectivity, and activation of neuropeptide FF receptor 1 (NPFFR1)-a Gi/o-coupled receptor that responds to endogenous RF-amide peptides (RFRP-3 from pro-NPFFB, NPFF from pro-NPFFA) and regulates physiological processes like opioid function, pain, and energy homeostasis.

13 Dec 2025

New research reveals the impact of DNA-histone cross-links on genome stability

DNA–protein cross-links (DPCs) represent a severe form of DNA damage that can disrupt essential chromatin-based processes. Among them, DNA–histone cross-links (DHCs) occur frequently within nucleosomes, yet their structural and functional consequences remain poorly understood due to their instability and low natural abundance.

13 Dec 2025

Virus shells use asymmetry to control RNA release and infection

Viruses are typically described as tiny, perfectly geometric shells that pack genetic material with mathematical precision, but new research led by scientists at Penn State reveals a deliberate imbalance in their shape that helps them infect their hosts.

12 Dec 2025

SN101 iPSC-derived therapy relieves chronic pain and preserves joints

SereNeuro Therapeutics, a preclinical biotechnology company developing non-opioid pain therapies, unveiled new data today on a novel approach to chronic pain management and joint tissue preservation.

12 Dec 2025

New findings show why the human intestine uniquely presents gluten to T cells

Human intestinal M cells function as dendritic cell-like antigen-presenting cells, displaying constitutive MHC-II activity and specialized machinery for processing gluten. Their ability to deamidate and present gliadin peptides positions them as key initiators of immune responses relevant to coeliac disease.

11 Dec 2025

Study reveals stepwise formation of cerebellar projections in the developing brain

A team of researchers at the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), has reconstructed for the first time how the cerebellum establishes its connections with the rest of the brain during the earliest stages of life.

11 Dec 2025

Discovery links human M cells to early steps of celiac disease

The human small intestine absorbs nutrients while protecting us from potentially harmful microbes. One of the cell types that plays a key role in this protection is the microfold cell, or M cell.

10 Dec 2025

Study provides new insights into brain signaling during sleep and wakefulness

An international team led by the University of Michigan has introduced new methods that reveal which regions of the brain were active throughout the day with single-cell resolution.

10 Dec 2025

Study shines new light on how cancer avoids the mitotic stopwatch pathway

When cell division (mitosis) takes too long, it can be a sign that something is wrong with the cells, for example DNA damage or chromosomal instability.

10 Dec 2025

SIRT3 deficiency worsens eustachian tube dysfunction during middle-ear infection

Middle-ear infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria remain among the most common pediatric illnesses worldwide.

9 Dec 2025

Study uncovers how the body's bile acids bind to block C. diff's most dangerous toxin

In a major step towards a precision therapy for Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection, researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have uncovered how the body's bile acids bind to block C. diff's most dangerous toxin.

9 Dec 2025

Intellicule secures $217,941 SBIR Phase I grant to develop biomolecular modeling software

Intellicule, a software company whose solutions determine the 3D structures of biomolecules imaged with cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), has received a $217,941 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant from the National Institutes of Health.

8 Dec 2025

New atomic structure reveals how NBCn1 transporter protein aids breast cancer cell survival

UCLA scientists have characterized the structure and function of a key survival protein in breast cancer cells that helps explain how these tumors resist environmental stress and thrive in acidic, low-oxygen environments that would normally be toxic to healthy cells.

5 Dec 2025