branchesofbiology
-
A Woman Barely Feels Pain and Heals Rapidly. Scientists Are Unravelling Her Weird Genetics
Scientists are starting to crack the mystery behind one woman’s pain-free life. In new research, a team in the UK dove deep into the genetic make-up of Jo Cameron, a woman in Scotland with a rare mutation that leaves her practically incapable of experiencing physical and emotional pain. Among other things, the team found that…
-
Sleep Apnea Linked to Brain Damage, Study Finds
Loud snoring may be a harbinger of much bigger problems, research out this week suggests. The study found a link between severe sleep apnea in older adults and greater amounts of a specific biomarker in the brain — one that could increase people’s risk of dementia or stroke. More research will be needed to understand…
-
Scientists Are Finally Capturing the Genetic Diversity of Humanity
Scientists are expanding the genetic map of humanity. This week, a large team published the first wave of research from the Pangenome Project, an effort to better capture the diversity of people around the world. The findings should allow scientists to better understand the influence of genetics on our health and evolutionary journey.
-
Researchers See Through a Mouse’s Eyes by Decoding Brain Signals
What was once the realm of science fiction and grifters who claim to have psychic powers takes another step towards reality as a team of researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) successfully developed a machine-learning algorithm that can decode a mouse’s brain signals and reproduce images of what it’s seeing.