Perfecting pitch perception
Computational modeling shows that both our ears and our environment influence how we hear.
Research finds potential mechanism linking autism, intestinal inflammation
Infection during pregnancy with elevated levels of the cytokine IL-17a may yield microbiome alterations that prime offspring for aberrant immune responses, mouse study suggests.
Study reveals a protein’s key contribution to heterogeneity of neurons
Tomosyn’s tight regulation of neurotransmitter release distinguishes functions of two neuron classes at the fly neuromuscular junction.
Feast or forage? Study finds circuit that helps a brain decide
By integrating multiple sensory inputs, a loop of mutual inhibition among a small set of neurons allows worms to switch between long-lasting behavioral states.
Study finds a striking difference between neurons of humans and other mammals
Human neurons have fewer ion channels, which might have allowed the human brain to divert energy to other neural processes.
Study links gene to cognitive resilience in the elderly
The findings may help explain why some people who lead enriching lives are less prone to Alzheimer’s and age-related dementia.
3 Questions: Maaya Prasad and Kathleen Esfahany on vision, perception, and the poetry of science
Students featured in public art exhibits in prominent locations throughout Boston.
Taming the data deluge
A National Science Foundation-funded team will use artificial intelligence to speed up discoveries in physics, astronomy, and neuroscience.
Artificial networks learn to smell like the brain
When asked to classify odors, artificial neural networks adopt a structure that closely resembles that of the brain’s olfactory circuitry.
Study shows fragile X treatment can incur resistance, suggests ways around it
While the brain acquires resistance to continuous treatment with mGluR5 inhibitor drugs, lasting effects may still arise if dosing occurs intermittently and during a developmental-critical period.
How the brain deals with uncertainty
Dedicated circuits evaluate uncertainty in the brain, preventing it from using unreliable information to make decisions.
New integrative computational neuroscience center established at MIT’s McGovern Institute
The K. Lisa Yang Integrative Computational Neuroscience (ICoN) Center will use mathematical tools to transform data into a deep understanding of the brain.
David Julius ’77 shares the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
MIT alumnus and one other honored for their discoveries of how the nervous system senses temperature and touch.
Behind the scenes, brain circuit ensures vision remains reliable
A study of mice watching movies shows our brain cells rely on a circuit of inhibitory neurons to help ensure that the same images are represented consistently.
New bionics center established at MIT with $24 million gift
Interdisciplinary research center funded by philanthropist Lisa Yang aims to mitigate disability through technologies that marry human physiology with electromechanics.