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Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory


Calculating the path of cancer

Biologists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory are using a mathematical tool to understand the complexities of gene expression and chromosomal mutations associated with cancer. The approach, developed by David McCandlish's lab, predicts how likely different variations on a biological theme are to arise.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 4, 2021

Let's talk about the elephant in the data

Computer scientists study the role of prior knowledge in machine learning tasks, considering philosophical frameworks that combine elements of rationalism and empiricism. This approach aims to improve the accuracy of complex systems by incorporating human-like reasoning and flexibility.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalNature Machine Intelligence·DateJun 3, 2021

Cataloging breast cells to find cancer origins

The study created a comprehensive catalog of healthy breast tissue cells, enabling scientists to pinpoint the origin of abnormal changes. By tracking gene activity in over 15,000 cells, the team redefined healthy breast tissue and identified subpopulations with different responses to therapies.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalJournal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia·DateMay 14, 2021

Making AI algorithms show their work

Researchers developed a new method to test AI algorithms' decision-making processes by presenting them with carefully designed synthetic data. The technique, called Global Importance Analysis, revealed that AI models consider more factors beyond just sequence length, such as RNA folding and motif proximity.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalPLOS Computational Biology·DateMay 13, 2021

Diagramming the brain with colorful connections

Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have created a new tool called BARseq2 that uses genetic tags to label brain cells and trace thousands of brain circuits simultaneously. This allows researchers to examine the complex interactions between neurons, enabling a better understanding of brain function and behavior.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalNature Neuroscience·DateMay 10, 2021

How to tame a restless genome

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory found that a protein called Asterix/Gtf1 suppresses small specific regions of mobile genetic elements by binding to tRNA molecules. This discovery could lead to understanding how cells protect themselves against these elements and potentially tame an overly restless genome.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalCell Reports·DateApr 8, 2021

WOX9: A jack of all trades

Researchers discovered that the WOX9 gene can induce more flowers to form in various plant species by changing its regulation, suggesting potential for improving crop yields. Genome editing allowed them to reveal the gene's additional functions without altering its protein product.

Tweaking corn kernels with CRISPR

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have successfully applied CRISPR to increase corn kernel numbers by targeting promoter regions that regulate gene activity. This technique holds promise for increasing crop yields per acre and making agriculture more sustainable.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalNature Plants·DateFeb 22, 2021

Birds of a feather do flock together

Researchers used genetic evidence to explain how different species of capuchino seedeaters acquired distinct patterns of coloration. Soft selective sweeps were found to be the primary cause of these differences, driven by changes in environment and sexual selection.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 17, 2020

How does the brain process fear?

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory are studying the brain circuits that underlie fear, using sophisticated neuroscience tools to map their connections. They found that the amygdala is not only involved in fear processing but also plays a crucial role in reward-based learning and regulating fearful memory.

Giving the immune system a double boost against cancer

Researchers have developed a new treatment that induces an integrated immune response in tumors of patients with pancreatic and colorectal cancers, which are resistant to immunotherapy. The treatment, plerixafor, works by interrupting an immunosuppressive pathway, allowing critical immune cells to infiltrate the tumors.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 30, 2020

How to figure out what you don't know

New research from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory highlights the importance of model evaluation in neuroscience. By building and comparing several models of neural signaling, researchers found that good predictive power does not necessarily indicate a model's representation of real neural networks.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalNature Machine Intelligence·DateOct 26, 2020

AI learns to trace neuronal pathways

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have developed an AI tool that can efficiently recognize neurons in microscope images, significantly improving the accuracy of automated tracing and analysis. This breakthrough aims to untangle the mysteries of brain connectivity and enable humans to think about how brains work.

SourceCold Spring Harbor Laboratory·JournalNature Machine Intelligence·DateSep 28, 2020