Tag: Developmental Biology
-
£3.5M Wellcome Grant to Decode How Cells Coordinate Tissue Formation
Groundbreaking £3.5 Million Wellcome Discovery Award A pioneering seven-year research project at the Living Systems Institute (LSI), University of Exeter, has secured a £3.5 million Wellcome Discovery Award. The grant will support researchers as they explore how cells exchange information to coordinate the development of tissues and organs. The study aims to illuminate the fundamental…
-
UK £3.5 Million Grant to Unravel How Cells Talk in Development
A Major Grant to Decode Cellular Conversation A landmark seven-year study has been funded with a £3.5 million Wellcome Discovery Award to investigate how cells exchange information to coordinate the formation of tissues and organs. Researchers at the Living Systems Institute (LSI) at the University of Exeter will lead this ambitious project, aiming to delineate…
-
First Brain Cell Atlas: Mapping Neurodevelopment and Psychiatric Disorder Susceptibilities
Introduction: A New Map for the Brain The first comprehensive brain cell atlas offers a detailed map of how brain cells develop and organize themselves across humans and other mammals. By charting the emergence and transformation of diverse cell types during development, scientists are uncovering where and when vulnerabilities to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders arise.…
-
By reusing old genes, bats became the only mammals able to fly
How bats became the only flying mammals Bats stand apart as the only mammals capable of true powered flight. Their secret isn’t a radical new genome, but a smart reapplication of old genetic tools. Scientists have long wondered how a five-fingered limb could morph into a wing with a delicate skin sheet. A recent study…
-
How Bats Reused Old Genes to Grow Wings: The Regulatory Evolution Behind Flight
The Mystery of the Flying Mammals Bats have long fascinated scientists as the only mammals capable of true powered flight. Their wings are not a new limb but a remarkable modification of the familiar five-digit limb layout shared by all mammals. The question has always been: how do bats become flyers when the genetic blueprint…
-
How Bats Reused Old Genes to Take Flight: The Evolution of the Wing
Introduction: The Mystery Behind a Flying Mammal Bats are the only mammals capable of true powered flight. Their wings differ dramatically from the typical mammalian limb, yet they sprouted from the same five-digit limb pattern found in mice, humans, and dolphins. How did evolution turn a familiar blueprint into a remarkable flying apparatus? Early expectations…
-
Ancient Viral DNA as a Key to Our First Moments of Life
Uncovering a Hidden Architect of Early Life Fragments of ancient viral DNA may have played an outsized role in the earliest stages of human life. In a study that blends evolution, virology and developmental biology, researchers have shown that remnants of endogenous retroviruses in our genome—specifically a group called LTR5Hs—can act as regulatory switches essential…
-
MaGNet: Automated Mammary Gland Branch Analysis Tool
What MaGNet Is Branching is a fundamental biological pattern, shaping how organs grow and function. In the female mammary gland, ducts branch extensively during puberty and again in pregnancy to prepare for lactation. Disturbances in this architecture can be linked to cancer risk, but studying the intricate branching has long been a slow, manual endeavor.…
-
How Fish Buttholes Influenced Human Finger Evolution
The Surprising Connection Between Fish and Human Fingers Recent research reveals a fascinating link between the evolutionary traits of fish and the development of human fingers. It turns out that the genetic mechanisms guiding the formation of our digits have roots in the anatomy of fish, specifically their cloacas. This study not only sheds light…