Waking up is hard to do: Prefrontal cortex implicated in consciousness

Researchers discover that stimulating the prefrontal cortex can induce wake-like behavior in anesthetized rats.

Not junk: ‘Jumping gene’ is critical for early embryo

A so-called 'jumping gene' that researchers long considered either genetic junk or a pernicious parasite is…

A mechanism behind choosing alcohol over healthy rewards is found

Changes in a brain signalling system contribute to the development of alcohol addiction-like behaviors in rats,…

Fundamental rule of brain plasticity

A series of complex experiments in the visual cortex of mice has yielded a simple rule…

California Aedes mosquitoes capable of spreading Zika

Over the last five years, Zika virus has emerged as a significant global human health threat…

Cross-species prion adaptation depends on prion replication environment

A hamster prion that replicated under conditions of low RNA levels in mouse brain material resulted…

How competition and cooperation between bacteria shape antibiotic resistance

New computational simulations suggest that the effects of antibiotics on a bacterial community depend on whether…

Six new species of goblin spiders named after famous goblins and brownies

A remarkably high diversity of goblin spiders is reported from the Sri Lankan forests. Nine new…

Caffeine from four cups of coffee protects the heart with the help of mitochondria

A new study shows that a caffeine concentration equivalent to four cups of coffee promotes the…

Bogong moths first insect known to use magnetic sense in long-distance nocturnal migration

Researchers reporting in Current Biology on June 21 have found that nocturnal Bogong moths, like migratory…