RED-LIGHT DISTRICT Levels of a brain reward compound increased in male fruit flies genetically engineered to ejaculate when exposed to red light when the insects were bathed in the rosy hue.
Avi Jacob/BIU microscopy unit
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Magazine
In the April 14 SN: Killer heat, mass insect migrations, the latest Saturn updates, rethinking the Nobel Prize, tectonics on Venus, the science of mass shootings, ancient tool trends and more.
Body & Brain
Topic Image Rail
GUT WRENCHING Pathogen detectors built into food packaging could help curb the spread of foodborne illness.
mubus7/Shutterstock
THE WINNER IS… In mice, norovirus invades tuft cells (the two bright green spots) in the lining of the small intestine (left) and the colon (right). Other cells in the intestines that weren’t infected (blue) are also shown.
C. Wilen et al/Science 2018
Body & Brain
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Clinical Trials
Science TickerEbola vaccine proves effective, final trial results show
The Ebola vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV proved effective at stopping the spread of the virus in a clinical trial in West Africa.News in Brief
Ebola vaccine proves effective
The Ebola vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV proved effective at stopping the spread of the virus in a clinical trial in West Africa. -
Biomedicine
Science TickerA new coronavirus is killing pigs in China
Genetic evidence identifies a previously unknown coronavirus that’s causing problems in pigs.News
Scientists are tracking how the flu moves through a college campus
Researchers are following the spread of viruses and illness among students in a cluster of University of Maryland dorms to learn more about how the bugs infect. -
Neuroscience
News
Human brains make new nerve cells — and lots of them — well into old age
In humans, new neurons are still born in old brains, new research suggests.News in Brief
Brain waves of concertgoers sync up at shows
During a live musical performance, audience members’ brain waves get in sync. -
Nutrition
News
The small intestine, not the liver, is the first stop for processing fructose
In mice, fructose gets processed in the small intestine before getting to the liver.Year in Review
Worries grow that climate change will quietly steal nutrients from major food crops
Studies show that rice, wheat and other staples could lose proteins and minerals, putting more people at risk of hunger worldwide. -
Mental Health
News
Most football players who donated their brains to science had traumatic injury
A self-selected sample of 202 deceased football players, the largest to date, finds that the majority suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy.News
Autism, ADHD risk not linked to prenatal exposure to antidepressants
Taking antidepressants during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, two new large studies suggest. -
Cancer
News
The science behind cancer warnings on coffee is murky at best
The risks of acrylamide in coffee are not as clear as a California court ruling may suggest.Year in Review
Approval of gene therapies for two blood cancers led to an ‘explosion of interest’ in 2017
The first gene therapies approved in the United States are treating patients with certain types of leukemia and lymphoma. -
Human Development
Feature
How to build a human brain
Organoids, made from human stem cells, are growing into brains and other miniorgans to help researchers study development50 Years Ago
50 years ago, folate deficiency was linked to birth defects
50 years ago, scientists found that a lack of folic acid in pregnant women could cause birth defects. But now, how much is too much? -
Health
News
This is how norovirus invades the body
Norovirus targets a rare type of gut cell, a study in mice finds.50 Years Ago
50 years on, vaccines have eliminated measles from the Americas
Thanks to high vaccination rates, measles has mostly disappeared from the Americas. -
Brain
News
Brain chemical lost in Parkinson’s may contribute to its own demise
A dangerous form of the chemical messenger dopamine causes cellular mayhem in the very nerve cells that make it.
