Rebecca Boyle is an award-winning science writer covering astronomy, zoonoses and everything in between. She writes for Popular Science, Wired and New Scientist, among other publications for adults and children.
Rebecca Boyle
From this contributor
The brain’s secret gardeners
Once thought merely to be specialized immune system cells, microglia now appear to be master landscapers of the developing brain.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Hasty stem cells highlight potential limitation with cortical organoids
The models recapitulate many key developmental processes, but some radial glial cells in mouse organoids make neurons earlier than they should.
Hasty stem cells highlight potential limitation with cortical organoids
The models recapitulate many key developmental processes, but some radial glial cells in mouse organoids make neurons earlier than they should.
By
Giorgia Guglielmi
22 September 2026 | 4 min read
Two populations of neurons, two effects on sociability; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 21 September.
Two populations of neurons, two effects on sociability; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 21 September.
By
Jill Adams
22 September 2026 | 2 min read
Finding the Rett syndrome gene and ways to fix it
Kevin Mitchell talks with Huda Zoghbi about her work identifying the MECP2 gene, its role in the brain and therapies to address its dysfunction.
Finding the Rett syndrome gene and ways to fix it
Kevin Mitchell talks with Huda Zoghbi about her work identifying the MECP2 gene, its role in the brain and therapies to address its dysfunction.
By
Kevin Mitchell
21 September 2026 | 4 min read