Amazing Science

University of Bristol researchers have discovered a new group of molecules called called mirror-microRNAs that control some of the fundamental processes behind memory function and may hold the key to developing new therapies for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

MicroRNAs are non-coding genes that often reside within “junk DNA” and regulate the levels and functions of multiple target proteins that are responsible for controlling cellular processes in the brain. Two microRNA genes with different functions can be produced from the same piece (sequence) of DNA, the research found — one from the top strand and another from the bottom complementary “mirror” strand.

Videos about micro RNA: http://tinyurl.com/7ylynd4

Researchers have spotted a group of 53 cells within pigeons' brains that respond to the direction and strength of the Earth's magnetic field. The question of how birds navigate using - among other signals - magnetic fields is the subject of much debate. These new "GPS neurons" seem to show how magnetic information is represented in birds' brains.

Patient TN was, by his own account, completely blind. Two consecutive strokes had destroyed the visual cortex of his brain, and consequently, his ability to see. Researchers began examining him and discovered that despite his blindness, he had maintained the ability to detect emotion on a person’s face. He responded appropriately — with emotions such as joy, fear, and anger — to a variety of facial expressions. Observed activity in his amygdala — the part of the brain responsible for processing emotions — confirmed the curious results.

TN’s rare condition is known as blindsight. Because his stroke damaged only his visual cortex, his eyes remain functional and as a result can still gather information from his environment. He simply lacks the visual cortex to process and interpret it. Sight has changed for TN from a conscious to a largely subconscious experience. He no longer has a definitive picture of his surroundings, but he has retained an innate awareness of his position in the world. He is, to some degree, able to see without being aware that he is seeing.

Scientists funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) have shown for the first time that transplanting light-sensitive photoreceptors into the eyes of visually impaired mice can restore their vision.

A study of peripheral vision has given clues on how our brain stitches together high quality 'video' from the limited input we get from our eyes. Our vision is really quite poor yet the representation that we actually see in our mind's eye, that lovely 'video' that we get, is much better than the input that we actually receive.

Unlike scanning techniques such as electroencephalography (EEG), which detects electrical activity at the skull's surface, fMRI produces measurements from deep inside the brain. It is also non-invasive, which makes it safer and more comfortable than positron emission tomography (PET), in which radioactive compounds are injected and traced as they flow around the body. fMRI has been applied to almost every aspect of brain science ever since. It has shown that the brain is highly compartmentalized, with specific regions responsible for tasks such as perceiving faces and weighing up moral responsibility; that the resting brain is in fact humming with activity; and that it may be possible to communicate with patients in a vegetative state by monitoring their brain activity. In 2010, neuroscientists used fMRI in more than 1,500 published articles.

Humans and animals with large, complex brains benefit from the need and ability to cooperate. In fact, researchers believe that "intelligence" is correlated with the size of a brain’s neural network, in our species and others may have been an adaption for tool use, for social learning, and for the accumulation of culture. Intelligence might also be the result of sexual selection. Digital organisms that evolved "brains" reveal that cooperation can drive the evolution of intelligence. These findings could explain why humans and certain other animals have such large, complex brains. Global networking could result in the evolution of ever more brainy humans in future.

A new memory game has revived the tantalizing notion that people can work their way to a higher I.Q. Psychologists have long regarded intelligence as coming in two flavors: crystallized intelligence, the treasure trove of stored-up information and how-to knowledge (the sort of thing tested on “Jeopardy!” or put to use when you ride a bicycle); and fluid intelligence. Crystallized intelligence grows as you age; fluid intelligence has long been known to peak in early adulthood, around college age, and then to decline gradually. And unlike physical conditioning, which can transform 98-pound weaklings into hunks, fluid intelligence has always been considered impervious to training.

That, after all, is the premise of I.Q. tests, or at least the portion that measures fluid intelligence: we can test you now and predict all sorts of things in the future, because fluid intelligence supposedly sets in early and is fairly immutable. While parents, teachers and others play an essential role in establishing an environment in which a child’s intellect can grow, even Tiger Mothers generally expect only higher grades will come from their children’s diligence — not better brains.

When a listener tunes in to one voice and ignores another, his or her brain discards the information coming from the superfluous speaker, researchers have found. The findings, from a study using electrodes implanted into human brains, could help scientists to design better hearing aids and cochlear implants, and to understand how the process breaks down in ageing or degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

By analyzing the expression of approximately 1,000 genes in the brain, scientists at the Allen Institute for Brain Science have identified similarities and differences among regions of the human brain among the brains of human individuals and between humans and mice. The study sheds light on the human brain in general and also serves as an introduction to what the associated publicly available dataset can offer the scientific community.

By using ‘genetic programming’ to crossbreed algorithms, researchers help flavor companies figure out what their customers like. The design of aromas — the flavors of packaged food and drink and the scents of cleaning products, toiletries and other household items — is a multibillion-dollar business. The big flavor companies spend tens of millions of dollars every year on research and development, including a lot of consumer testing.

Scientists turn off the need to cough but then you can't feel heat anymore. The resone for this unexpected phenomenon is due to the fact that the same cellular receptors that sense temperature and pain also control coughing. The cool relief of a cough drop is no coincidence, as the menthol receptor both suppresses coughs and produces the cool feeling in your throat. There’s a molecular on-switch for coughing, too: a receptor called TRPV1. Unfortunately for researchers looking for a cough cure, inactivating TRPV1 also makes it dangerously difficult to feel heat. Mundane tasks like eating a hot meal or running a bath become hazardous if you don’t reflexively shrink away from scalding heat.