Watch ideas light up a fish’s brain
Found in Translation
Illustration of brain cell tubes
Uganda to NIH
Mitochondria Take to the Dance Floor
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Watch ideas light up a fish’s brain

A team led by Kevin Briggman is recording the activity of tens of thousands of individual neurons and preparing to create a sort of wiring diagram, a map that shows each cellular connection at the synapse. Such a map is known as a connectome. The goal is to ultimately create a comprehensive atlas of the fish brain — in unprecedented detail. This requires a full reconstruction of every synapse and every vesicle of every individual neuron, along with a recording of the brain’s activity as the fish hunts for food. Learn More » Exit Disclaimer

Found in Translation

When asked about the goals of her research, Bibiana Bielekova, M.D., doesn’t mince words: “We want to understand multiple sclerosis so that we can cure it.” A progressive neurodegenerative disease, multiple sclerosis presents several mysteries for researchers to solve. “We do know that the immune system plays a role in the disease,” explained Bielekova, “but we don’t know the targets in the brain or the mechanisms of attack.” Furthermore, the immune system is not simply the culprit in multiple sclerosis; inflammation also appears to play a role in repair of the nervous system. Learn More » Exit Disclaimer

NIH scientists take totally tubular journey through brain cells

In a new study, scientists at the National Institutes of Health took a molecular-level journey into microtubules, the hollow cylinders inside brain cells that act as skeletons and internal highways. They watched how a protein called tubulin acetyltransferase (TAT) labels the inside of microtubules. The results, published in Cell, answer long-standing questions about how TAT tagging works and offer clues as to why it is important for brain health. Learn More » Exit Disclaimer

From Uganda to NIH, to Solve a Seizure Mystery

In 2012, NIH researcher Avindra Nath traveled to Uganda to investigate a mysterious illness striking children between ages 5 and 15 in Acholi—a remote region in the north of that African nation. More than 3,000 children in Acholi and villages in nearby Southern Sudan were suffering from “nodding syndrome.” Named for the drooping, or nodding, head typically seen in patients, the condition is characterized by seizures, staring, and varying degrees of mental retardation. Learn More » Exit Disclaimer

Mitochondria Take to the Dance Floor

NIH researchers use advanced microscopic techniques to watch mitochondria dance around and tune nerve cell voices. This kymograph describes their dynamic steps. Courtesy of the Sheng lab, NINDS, Bethesda, Md. Learn More » Exit Disclaimer