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3D X-ray imaging unlocks the secrets of the narwhal's spiral tusk

3D X-ray imaging unlocks the secrets of the narwhal's spiral tusk

By Will Dunham Aug 20 (Reuters) - In the Middle Ages, narwhal tusks were sold as unicorn horns blessed with magical powers such as neutralizing poisons and curing diseases — prized possessions of monarchs and nobles worth more than their weight in gold.
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New Research Uncovers Secret Behind Narwhal Tusk's Straight Growth

New Research Uncovers Secret Behind Narwhal Tusk's Straight Growth

International researchers have discovered the unique structural secret behind the narwhal's unusually straight tusk. Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study reveals that the tusk, which can grow up to three meters long, maintains its straight form due to two opposing spirals within its structure. Study author Henrik Birkedal from Aarhus University in Denmark explained that while the outer layer of cementum has a left-handed spiral, the inner layer of dentine contains a right-handed spiral. This counter-rotating design, similar to how some molecules are structured, allows the tusk to grow perfectly straight despite its spiraled appearance. The project involved collaboration with biologists from Greenland and physicists from Sweden, utilizing advanced imaging techniques akin to CT scans to analyze the tusk's molecular composition.
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Microglia Found to Consume Living Motor Neurons in ALS Mouse Model via TAM Receptors

Microglia Found to Consume Living Motor Neurons in ALS Mouse Model via TAM Receptors

New research from the Salk Institute has revealed a novel mechanism by which microglia, the immune cells of the brain and spinal cord, contribute to the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Published in Nature Communications, the study demonstrates that microglia utilize TAM receptors—a family of proteins discovered by senior author Greg Lemke, Ph.D.—to identify and eliminate living motor neurons in the spinal cords of mice with ALS. Traditionally, TAM receptors are known for clearing dead or dying cells. However, in the context of ALS, the study found that motor neurons in SOD1 mouse models (a common ALS model) display 'eat me' signals (phosphatidylserine) on their surface even when alive, prompting microglia to engulf them. When the Axl and Mer TAM proteins were disabled in these mice, they initially became sicker but ultimately lived longer, and the accumulation of microglia-eaten neurons was significantly reduced.
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Wild Mice Identified as Reservoirs for Antibiotic Resistance Genes on Farms

Wild Mice Identified as Reservoirs for Antibiotic Resistance Genes on Farms

New research published in 'Nature Communications' reveals that wild mice on farms serve as significant reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). A team led by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) and the Max Delbrück Center analyzed gut microorganisms from 875 wild house mice collected from German farms. They discovered that these wild mice carry approximately 50 percent of the ARGs found in livestock such as cattle, pigs, and poultry. The study correlated the presence of ARGs in mice with various environmental and host factors, including land use, farming practices, livestock density, and the mice's own characteristics. The intensity of livestock farming was found to play a decisive role in the transfer of these resistance genes into the mice's microbiome. This finding indicates that antibiotic resistance is not confined to clinical or agricultural settings but extends into wildlife populations.
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Researchers Identify Submillimeter Brain Nuclei Involved in Risky Decision-Making

Researchers Identify Submillimeter Brain Nuclei Involved in Risky Decision-Making

A collaborative study by researchers at National Taiwan University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has identified submillimeter gray matter nuclei in the human brain that are involved in distinct stages of information processing during rapid, high-stakes decision-making. Published in Nature Communications, the study utilized a 7-Tesla (7T) ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to overcome the spatial resolution limitations of conventional scanners. This allowed for an unprecedented look at the functional activity of mesoscale brain structures, ranging from hundreds of microns to one millimeter in size. The researchers found that when high stakes were involved, the locus coeruleus signaled the frontal cortex to allocate heightened neural resources. They also observed that the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra (VTA/SN) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) differentiated gains from losses, and identified a novel functional role for gray matter bridges (GMBs) in signaling wh...
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Spider Webs Function as External Ears, Inspiring New Microphone Technology

Spider Webs Function as External Ears, Inspiring New Microphone Technology

Researchers have discovered that orb-weaver spiders, despite lacking traditional eardrums, can effectively 'hear' through their webs. The web acts as a large external ear, picking up sound vibrations in the air. Unlike human ears that detect pressure changes, spider webs sense the drag of air molecules on their silk fibers. This mechanism allows spiders to detect sounds across a much wider frequency range than humans, from approximately 1 hertz to 50 kilohertz, compared to the human range of 20 hertz to 20,000 hertz. The web's sound-sensitive surface area can be up to 10,000 times greater than the spider's body, enabling them to detect predators or prey over 10 meters away. The working theory suggests that slit-shaped receptors in the spider's legs, which typically sense vibrations from trapped prey, interpret the web's response to sound. This finding challenges the conventional understanding of hearing and highlights nature's diverse solutions to sensory perception.
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UT Health San Antonio Researchers Discover Liver's Circadian Clock Controls Metabolic Protein Release

UT Health San Antonio Researchers Discover Liver's Circadian Clock Controls Metabolic Protein Release

Researchers at UT Health San Antonio, part of The University of Texas at San Antonio, have made a significant discovery regarding the liver's role in coordinating metabolism. Their study, published in Nature Communications, reveals that the liver's internal circadian clock precisely controls the timing of when metabolism-regulating proteins are released. This means that the liver sends signals to other organs, such as fat tissue, on a specific daily schedule, rather than randomly. The research found that many of these proteins adhere to a precise daily release schedule. Kevin Koronowski, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, explained that nearly every cell with a nucleus has its own molecular clock, and the study aims to understand how these cellular clocks coordinate their activities. Christopher Litwin, a PhD student in Koronowski’s lab, noted that while it was known the liver secretes some proteins, the detailed timing and mechanism of their release were ...
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Scientists Develop Cyborg Insect Swarms for Search and Rescue Operations

Scientists Develop Cyborg Insect Swarms for Search and Rescue Operations

Scientists are developing cyborg insect swarms for search and rescue missions, building on earlier research into controlling individual insects. This new system employs a 'leader-follower' dynamic, where one cyborg insect guides 19 others. These insects are equipped with lightweight electronic devices, including optical and infrared cameras, a tiny battery, and an antenna for remote control. These devices interact directly with the insect's nervous system, allowing researchers to precisely guide their movements. The primary goal is to deploy these swarms in areas difficult for humans or robots to access, such as disaster sites with debris. Professor Hirotaka Sato of Nanyang Technological University, a pioneer in remote-controlled cyborg insects since 2008, is a co-author of the study published in Nature Communications. His latest research introduces a new swarming algorithm that coordinates the group's movements more effectively than previous methods, which focused on single-insect control or complex group...
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Research Advances Metalens Technology for AR/VR Glasses, Addressing Manufacturing and Performance Challenges

Research Advances Metalens Technology for AR/VR Glasses, Addressing Manufacturing and Performance Challenges

A research team at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) has made significant strides in metalens technology, crucial for the development of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) glasses. The team published their findings in Nature Communications, addressing two primary challenges for commercializing metalenses: achieving high optical performance and enabling scalable manufacturing. Metalenses are ultrathin lenses composed of densely arranged nanoscale structures that control light paths, offering a compact alternative to traditional multi-lens systems. The research focused on overcoming the limitation of low-refractive-index materials, which are inexpensive and suitable for mass production, by controlling the height of nanoscale pillars (meta-atoms) to precisely focus red, green, and blue light without color blur. This approach allows for achromatic performance, a key requirement for sharp, full-color imaging in AR/VR displays.
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Princeton University Research Reveals Music Activates Brain Networks for Imagination and Meaning Similar to Spoken Narratives

Princeton University Research Reveals Music Activates Brain Networks for Imagination and Meaning Similar to Spoken Narratives

Researchers at Princeton University have published a study in Nature Communications demonstrating that music activates brain networks associated with imagination and meaning in a manner similar to spoken narratives. The study utilized fMRI scans on participants who listened to unfamiliar instrumental music and spoken stories. After each excerpt, participants described their imagined narratives. The fMRI results indicated that imaginative and meaning-making networks were similarly engaged by both music and speech. Furthermore, varied listeners reported shared associations to the same unfamiliar musical excerpts, with an average of 71% matching a 'consensus' story for each piece of music. Matched excerpts of speech and music that triggered similar imagined stories also evoked similar patterns in the same brain regions, including auditory areas and the higher-level default mode network, which is crucial for imagination, memory, and meaning.
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TikTok Video Leads to Discovery of New Translucent Eel Species in India

TikTok Video Leads to Discovery of New Translucent Eel Species in India

A new species of subterranean eel, named Gangaichthys indonepalicus, has been discovered in northern India, thanks to a TikTok video. In 2024, a team of scientists observed a short video on the social media platform showing an unusual small fish emerging from a narrow hole drilled into the ground near the India-Nepal border. This prompted researchers from India and China to investigate, as no known stygobitic fish (fish living in caves, sinkholes, or aquifers) were previously recorded in the region. Procuring specimens proved challenging, requiring scientists to manually pump thousands of gallons of water from borewells. The first specimen died during collection, but a second was successfully retrieved from the same borewell after further pumping. The eel is only 1.5 inches long, adapted to total darkness with small, skin-covered eyes, a colorless and translucent body, and no apparent ribs. Advanced micro-CT scanning and genetic analysis confirmed it as a distinct genus within the earthworm eel family Chau...
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University of Rochester Researchers Develop Advanced Time-Gating Imaging System for Deep Tissue and Dense Fog

University of Rochester Researchers Develop Advanced Time-Gating Imaging System for Deep Tissue and Dense Fog

Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a new, lower-cost imaging system capable of seeing through challenging environments such as deep tissue and dense fog. This system addresses limitations of existing near-infrared imaging technologies, which often struggle with scattering effects in such conditions and rely on expensive specialized detectors. The new technology utilizes inexpensive silicon-based detectors and quickly converts near-infrared light to visible light, producing clearer images. The core of this innovation is a time-gating technique, refined over a decade by the laboratory of Robert Boyd, the William F. Krupke Distinguished Professor in Optics. This technique functions like a camera shutter, using ultrafast bursts of light to allow infrared photons through a gate for only about a picosecond. The gate itself is a thin film made of indium tin oxide, which converts the near-infrared photons into visible light in real-time. The research, led by Yang Xu, was published in Nature ...