Researchers have developed a biohybrid system that uses rewired nerves to revive paralyzed organs, restoring movement and transmitting sensory feedback to the brain. The technology could revolutionize medicine by using a person's own tissue as hardware.
Scientists have uncovered ancient TIGR systems, which use RNA to guide protein modification of DNA in human cells. These compact and modular systems can target any DNA sequence with high precision, making them a promising tool for therapeutic deployment.
A team of scientists from MIT's McGovern Institute found that a new brain imaging method, DIANA, generates misleading signals instead of detecting neurons' rapid impulses. The study reveals that the trigger for the stimulator is causing artificial signals, which can disappear with slight variations in the imaging process.
A new study has identified a specific forebrain region linked to altered social interactions in an autism model. Restoring activity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) reversed social traits associated with autism. The research provides clues to the neural circuits underlying social deficits in autism spectrum disorder.
RESCUE, a new CRISPR platform, allows for targeted RNA edits previously impossible, offering a critical gap in the toolbox for treating diverse genetic changes. The technology can modulate protein activity by targeting phosphorylation sites, providing a reversible alternative to DNA-level modifications.
Researchers at MIT have identified novel receptors in a tiny worm that can modulate nervous system activity. The discovery could lead to new therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia.
Researchers at MIT found that neurons in the prefrontal cortex fire in unison and send signals to the visual cortex to generate high-frequency waves associated with attention, learning, and consciousness. This neural synchrony enables communication between distant brain regions.
Jeremy Nathans receives the Scolnick Prize for his groundbreaking work on color vision, brain development, and retinal disease. His research has led to significant insights into human blindness and the basis for many forms of color blindness.
Researchers found that visual motion influences tactile motion, and vice versa, using a unique tactile stimulator. This discovery suggests overlapping neural circuits for sensory processing.
The McGovern Institute's MINT program awards up to $100,000 in seed funding for innovative collaborative projects in neuroscience research. Recent awards focus on developing alternative electrode materials, manipulating intracellular signaling pathways with light, and improving computational analysis of brain imaging data.
Michael Davis has made significant advances in understanding the neural basis of fear and its applications to psychiatric research, including a proposal for using NMDA receptor signaling to enhance fear extinction. His work has shown promise in treating disorders such as PTSD, OCD, and social phobia.
The McGovern Institute researchers will investigate the origins of autism and dyslexia using advanced neuroimaging methods. They aim to develop methods for early diagnosis, identify key markers for diagnosing and tracking progression, and explore therapeutic interventions.
Researchers at MIT used fMRI to monitor brain development in rats, correcting for changes that occur during early life. The study found a key player in the changing relationship between neural activity and blood response: carbonic anhydrase.
A new computer model developed at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT has been shown to perform as well as humans on rapid visual categorization tasks, even making similar errors. The model follows the organization of the brain's visual system and can help neuroscientists explore brain mechanisms involved in human visual p...
Researchers developed a biological model of visual processing inspired by the brain to recognize objects in busy street scenes. The model achieved surprising versatility and learned from examples, validating biologically-inspired computer science.