Research on C. elegans shows that the mRNA balance in cells influences lifespan

Composite image of fluorescently labeled nuclei in each cell of five different C. elegans, captured in the Advanced Light Microscopy Unit at the CRG. Credit: Jeremy Vicencio, Nadia Halidi/Centro de Regulación Genómica Why do some people live longer than others? The genes in our DNA sequence are important and help prevent disease or maintain general … Read more

Investigating the effects of visual distraction during natural behavior using VR technology

Trade-off between dependence on WM and gathering information from the external world. a Our implicit measure of working memory (WM) use: Copying each object requires its identity and location information (attribute) to be held in memory. Counting successful pick-ups (i.e., identity feature used) and placements (i.e., location feature used) between model fixations provided a measure … Read more

Age is just a number: the ‘epigenetic clock’ of immune cells ticks independently of the lifespan of the organism

Cartoon summary of experiential age-related DNA methylation programs delineating longevity versus malignancy among T cells. Credit: Nature aging (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-024-00649-5 While most cell types experience functional decline after years of proliferation and replication, T cells can proliferate seemingly indefinitely and without damage. Scientists from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the University of Minnesota … Read more

An anti-inflammatory substance inhibits the spread of fungi that cause serious blood infections

Credit: Cell host and microbe (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.05.008 A team of UC Davis Health researchers has discovered that a commonly used anti-inflammatory drug, mesalamine, can replace the work of good bacteria in fighting the nasty fungus Candida albicans in the intestines. C. albicans, or candida, is known to cause fungal infections. In some cases it … Read more