Touch

Recent articles

Illustration of a star-nosed mole.

Why star-nosed moles are such fast foragers

“MacArthur genius” Kenneth Catania outlined the physiology behind the moles’ stellar foraging skills two decades ago. Next, he wants to better characterize their food-seeking behavior.

By Lauren Schneider
4 February 2026 | 7 min read
A human silhouette with lines connecting the brain to various organs.

PIEZO channels are opening the study of mechanosensation in unexpected places

The force-activated ion channels underlie the senses of touch and proprioception. Now scientists are using them as a tool to explore molecular mechanisms at work in internal organs, including the heart, bladder, uterus and kidney.

By Calli McMurray
30 January 2026 | 6 min read
Two hands hold a mouse.

Noisy brain may underlie some of autism’s sensory features

Random fluctuations in neuronal activity are more variable in a fragile X mouse model than in wildtype mice.

By Holly Barker
18 January 2024 | 6 min read
Single astrocyte on black background.

Mouse studies cast astrocytes as stars of sensory perception

Data from two separate research teams suggest the cells are key to sensory hypersensitivity in fragile X syndrome.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
13 November 2022 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Susumu Tonegawa.

In memoriam: Susumu Tonegawa, ‘intellectual giant’

He won the Nobel Prize for his work on immunology and then went on to define the field of learning and memory.

By Claudia López Lloreda
17 July 2026 | 6 min read
Research image of mouse and human Purkinje cells.

Purkinje cells evolved to have increasingly complex architecture

An increasing proportion of the cerebellar neurons acquired multiple primary dendrites in humans and other apes, according to a comparison of 11 primate species.

By Siddhant Pusdekar
16 July 2026 | 5 min read