Development

Recent articles

A drosophila connectome.

One year of FlyWire: How the resource is redefining Drosophila research

We asked nine neuroscientists how they are using FlyWire data in their labs, how the connectome has transformed the field and what new tools they would like to see in the future.

By Francisco J. Rivera Rosario
7 October 2025 | 17 min read
Two panels depict different brain wiring-like networks.

Rethinking how neural activity sculpts critical periods

New findings on the role of neural activity in developing circuits are challenging our prior notions about the rules that govern critical periods.

By Gregg Wildenberg
3 June 2025 | 5 min read
Photograph of a cardinal with male-typical red feathers on one side and more drab, female-typical feathers on the other.

What birds can teach us about the ‘biological truth’ of sex

Part of our job as educators is to give students a deeper understanding of the true diversity of sex and gender in the natural world.

By Nicole M. Baran
22 April 2025 | 7 min read
Illustration of a fly with its life cycle represented on its left and a technological background on its right.

Computational and systems neuroscience needs development

Embracing recent advances in developmental biology can drive a new wave of innovation.

By Ben Scott
2 July 2024 | 6 min read
An illustration of a gold circle and wavy blue plants.

Building a brain: How does it generate its exquisite diversity of cells?

High-throughput technologies have revealed new insights into how the brain develops. But a truly comprehensive map of neurodevelopment requires further advances.

By Tomasz Nowakowski, Karthik Shekhar
18 March 2024 | 6 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Research image of mitochondrial activity in the mouse amygdala and hippocampus.

The fast-expanding repertoire of mitochondria in the brain

More than cellular powerhouses, these organelles also seem to help synapses communicate, support memory formation and even shape behavior.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
3 July 2026 | 7 min read
Two fingers turning a small dial.

When autistic kids grow up, Chapter 5: The war dial

“You have to reshape the whole system.” Tempest McDonald earns a measure of peace.

By Brady Huggett
2 July 2026 | 42 min listen
Red note stuck in a stack of paper.

Scientists decry conference’s use of hidden prompts to snare AI peer reviews

The invisible messages, which instruct large language models to use telltale phrases in a peer-review report, are effective in catching artificial-intelligence misuse but also erode trust, some say.

By Dalmeet Singh Chawla
1 July 2026 | 4 min read