New fluorescent dye can light up the brain

Chemists have developed a tool for noninvasive brain imaging that can help illuminate hard-to-access structures and processes. Their small-molecule dye is the first of its kind that can cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing researchers to differentia…

Fruit flies grow brainy on a poor diet

Regulatory mechanisms of nutrient-dependent neuronal development can be explored at the molecular level with the Drosophila C4da neuron located in the fruit flies’ larvae. The hyperarborization phenotype was not caused by low concentrations of amino ac…

Preventing vehicle crashes by learning from insects

Despite only about 25% of car travel happening after dark, almost half of fatal accidents occur at night. As our vehicles become more advanced and even autonomous, the ways of detecting and avoiding these collisions must evolve too. Current systems are…