Category Science Savvy
Kinds of Maps
By Nathan Eisenberg Mapping is the phenomenon where the spatial arrangement or molecular distribution of neuronal networks reflects the functional interactions of said network. One type of mapping is that of topographic mapping, in which the spatial or otherwise systematic character of the neurons’ up- and down-stream targets is borne out in the physical proximities […]
Urban Planning in the Eye
The retina may seem like a unified, homogenous structure, but really it’s more like a city, with different building types and an organized layout. We would scoff at a city with two libraries next to each other, or a tiny cottage sandwiched between skyscrapers. The retina avoids its own versions of these problems by creating […]
Rod vs. Cone Regeneration in the Teleost Retina
By Ingrid Tower It’s 4am and you’ve gotta pee. You sit up on your bed and and search for the outlet to insert your lamp plug, because you still haven’t fixed the on/off switch. Can’t find it. Great. You must now fumble through the dark to find your way to your oh-so-far-off door. Relax. Take […]
A Tale of Two Mutants
By Emily Crotteau What if your eyes could regenerate over time, saving you from the declining vision many people face as they age? Scientists are hoping to find answers to this question by studying fish, whose eyes possess regenerative capacity throughout their lives. Fish and humans are distantly related, but if fish evolved their eye-regenerating abilities […]
Eat to grow…
By Karen Dewey Everyone must eat to live; we all know this from day one. We get all our energy from food, but what else does a good diet do for us? Our bodies store energy in fat deposits that have effects on a cellular level, effects so small that we never really notice them. […]
Awakenings: Stem Cell Style
Jack Craig In the semitropical South-East of the United States there’s a plant called the miracle fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides). In adverse conditions, it’s capable of curling up, drying out and remaining dormant for years on end, only to spring back to life when the weather improves. It can do this any number of times, entering […]
Decisions, Decisions
Blimp1 Controlled Cell Fate Decisions in Mouse Retinal Development By Miranda Lyons-Cohen Photoreceptors are the cells in the retina that detect light. Photoreceptors are in the outer most layer of the 3-layered retina. Bipolar cells (BCs) are “interneurons” that are located between the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer and the photoreceptors, relaying information between the […]
Eye’ve Made A Change
Blimp1 Tells Retinal Cells What They’ll Become By Anna Fimmel Every little kid knows what they want to be when they grow up. Fireman, ballerina, Batman, truck-driver,…. Unlike little kids, immature retinal cells need someone to tell them what they’re going to be. For example, different homeodomain transcription factors —proteins that bind to specific bits […]
Feature Length Science Savvys
To start the new year, we have a series of feature-length Science Savvys lined up. As a final assignment, students in Developmental Neurobiology wrote feature-length articles about recent developmental neuroscience papers. Over the next few weeks, you’ll be able to read some of the best ones here. Some pieces continue our focus on the developing […]
Science Savvy Double Whammy
This week we have not one, but two, Science Savvys for your enjoyment! Curious about how a common candy can help explain nervous system organization? Our recent Skype conversation with Rachel Wong taught us a lot, including how M&Ms are a great teaching tool. Instead of the usual student standing in front of the class […]
cervenylab 