A team of researchers from the U.S. Argonne National Laboratory has recently published a paper describing thoroughly the structure of bacterial enzymes, which play a fundamental role in human digestion. These bacteria help our digestion system to break down sugar ...
Ultrasound Helmets Control Brain Activity
Scientists at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona are exploring the use of ultrasound to stimulate brain activity without the invasive procedures or internal implants required for current electrical stimulation methods. In addition to treatment of neurological diseases like Parkinson’s ...
Potential Cancer Drug – From Sponges
Chemists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently discovered an unusual method to synthesize agelastatins – chemicals emitted by sponges of the Agelas family, residing deep in the ocean. The new discovery could help scientists to develop a cure for ...
Brain Rewards Good Deeds
Researchers at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California and Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland showed that the brain reacts differently to events when it perceives them as good deeds even if those good deeds are aimed at others. The scientists ...
Moral Decisions Similar to Mundane Decisions?
Harvard University scientists discovered that the mechanism responsible for making moral decisions affects simpler decisions, especially the ones related to money and food. Scientists reached this conclusion using advanced brain imaging techniques, designed to identify brain activity during decision making. ...
Ocean Color Predicts Hurricanes
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts and at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey discovered a correlation between the color of ocean water and the paths taken by ...
Vaccine-Delivery Patch with Dissolving Microneedle
Researchers from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology recently presented a new vaccine-delivery patch based on hundreds of microscopic needles that dissolve into the skin. The new technology could allow persons without medical training to painlessly administer vaccines, ...
Why Saliva Forms Beads on a String
A team made up of scientists from several institutions recently found the cause for the “beads-on-a-string” phenomenon, mostly known in saliva. When people stretch a glob of saliva between their thumb and forefinger, they see string of beads form, before ...
Neural Stem Cell Safeguards
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California have identified the safeguards preventing neural stem cells from dividing indefinitely, ensuring that a pool of such cells remain available to the brain throughout each person’s entire life. ...
Maternal Support Affects Bonobos’ Mating Success
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have recently reported a new discovery regarding apes’ behavior, specifically the Bonobo species. According to their study, maternal support affects male Bonobos’ chances of mating, even when the ape is ranked ...