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Uncovering the “hidden” synaptic microarchitecture of the retinal direction selective circuit

DeRosenroll et al. show that direction selectivity relies on finely patterned ACh and GABA inputs that are “hidden” in somatic measurements. Expanding ACh spread disrupts this micro-scale E/I organization, revealing that subcellular—not global—balance determines DSGC spike output.

Technical advance ✨

Laszlo Nagy & team define unique regulatory programs of placental Hofbauer cells, advancing understanding of their role in pregnancy health and potential disease:

The image shows enrichment of Hofbauer cells by CD163-based cell sorting Placenta Fetal Development.


1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, and.

2Doctoral School of Molecular Cell and Immune Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.

3Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.

Scientists Grew Mini Human Spinal Cords, Then Made Them Repair After Injury

Scientists have taken a major step toward treating spinal cord injuries that cause paralysis.

In lab dishes, researchers at Northwestern University grew tiny organoids of the human spinal cord. Then, they injured the samples and administered a treatment that helped the tissue repair and regenerate.

“We decided to develop two different injury models in a human spinal cord organoid and test our therapy to see if the results resembled what we previously saw in the animal model,” biomedical engineer Samuel Stupp says.

Regrow Joints? Future of Cartilage Regeneration Revealed

What if worn-out parts of your body didn’t need to be replaced just regenerated?

Stanford researchers recently published work showing cartilage lost to aging or arthritis can be regrown, using either an oral drug or a local injection.

If this translates to humans, it could make knee and hip replacements unnecessary.

Millions of people undergo major joint replacement surgery every year.
Regenerating cartilage instead of replacing joints would mean less pain, lower cost, and far better outcomes.

That future may be closer than we think.

Early vertebrate biomineralization and eye structure determined by synchrotron X-ray analyses of Silurian jawless fish

Complex eyes in vertebrates may have evolved as early as 500 million years ago. Reconstructing the early evolutionary history of vertebrates requires understanding organisms that existed before bone evolved. However, these ‘soft-bodied’ fossils are inherently difficult to study, resulting in conflicting anatomical and evolutionary interpretations. For the first time, researchers used synchrotron-based imaging techniques to examine two Silurian taxa, Jamoytius and Lasanius, that may bridge the gap between the bone-less and boned vertebrates. They recover the first direct evidence of biomineralised apatitic bone in both taxa and of camera-eyes in Jamoytius. The discoveries indicate vertebrate bones and complex eyes evolved earlier than previously thought, and demonstrate the power of these techniques for problematic fossils.

Read the article in Proceedings B.


Abstract. Understanding the origin and early diversification of vertebrates has always been a challenge because of the ambiguous and conflicting interpretations of the soft-bodied, pre-biomineralization fossil record. Here, we apply synchrotron radiation techniques to Jamoytius and Lasanius, two soft-bodied Silurian vertebrates, key taxa for discerning vertebrate bone evolution owing to highly localized, but debated, biomineralization. We map soft-tissue structures and quantify details of biochemical residue impossible to resolve with traditional methods. We present the first unequivocal evidence for biomineralized apatitic scales in Jamoytius by combining synchrotron rapid scanning X-ray fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (elevated Ca 37% and P 21%). This approach also recovers robust evidence for apatitic biomineralization in Lasanius. Chemical mapping of the optical anatomy of Jamoytius recovers a close correlation with Zn and Cu distribution, providing evidence for a retinal pigmented epithelium and complex eyes. In both taxa, chemical maps reveal original anatomical details not apparent in visible light, including potential evidence of other sensory anatomy in Jamoytius. Our work resolves long-standing fundamental anatomical debates, indicating stem-group origins for bone and complex eyes in vertebrates. We highlight the potential of using a powerful combination of analytical techniques to unlock otherwise inaccessible data in problematic fossils.

Physicist Publishes Method For Communicating With Parallel Universes

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In the many worlds theory of quantum physics, all possible outcomes of a quantum event occur, creating branching parallel worlds in which a different outcome is reality. According to a recently published paper, communication between those worlds should be possible under our current understanding of quantum physics. Sounds crazy? Let’s take a look.

Paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.

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