news from the lab 2010

Scientists could explain how the eye creates circuits to analyze motion. The detection of motion in the retina is based on circuit asymmetry, a fundamental computational principle in the brain.

Great tit males that are fed start singing later in the morning. This changes their territorial behavior - which could have implications for their reproductive success.

Children of mothers who live with farm animals and cats are better protected against neurodermatitis.

Neurobiologists have identified, for the first time, clearly defined neural circuits responsible for the processing of fear states. These findings could ultimately help people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety disorders. Fear arises in the almond-shaped brain structure known as the amygdala.

Dangerous electricity pylons, the main threat to eagle owls: scientists sound the alarm and call for a national clean-up campaign . We've known for a long time that power lines represent a serious handicap for large birds: for example, a third of our Storks die as a result of a collision with a cable or electrocution.

Taking one type of cell and transforming it into another type is now possible. Cells taken from the thymus have been transformed into skin cells - a discovery that may have important ramifications for the field of organ regeneration.

A fossil found more than 100 years ago in a cave in Switzerland may belong to the oldest domestic dog in the world.

Scientists restore vision in retinitis pigmentosa using an archaebacterial protein.

The decline of biodiversity represents a loss of natural capital for future generations. Freshwater ecosystems are particularly affected, as they harbour disproportionately high levels of biodiversity.

There has been little progress in the way we treat depression and anxiety for over thirty years, but a recent study may open the door to new strategies.

Alzheimer's disease currently affects more than 26 million people worldwide and estimates of up to four times as many sufferers by 2050 has made studying its causes a top priority for neuroscientists.