Synaptic vesicles

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Multi-omics study captures CNTNAP2’s far-ranging effects

The in-depth approach shows mutations in the autism-linked gene disrupt neuronal growth and communication, as well as mitochondrial gene expression.

By Charles Q. Choi
8 December 2022 | 4 min read
Oil and water with colors behind: blue, green, yellow and red.

How microscopic ‘condensates’ in cells might contribute to autism

A controversial idea about how cells compartmentalize their contents into droplets — like beads of oil in water — could be key to understanding autism, says Julie Forman-Kay.

By Angie Voyles Askham
23 February 2021 | 7 min read
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New method exposes structures inside ‘rainbow’ of brain cells

Molecules from alpacas may enable scientists to identify cell types in the brain while also revealing their interior structures.

By Chloe Williams
4 January 2019 | 3 min read

Dividing autism; novel messengers; million-dollar mark and more

A researcher proposes splitting autism into subtypes, mitochondria make neurotransmitters, and highly successful grantees may face a funding cap.

By Emily Willingham
11 May 2018 | 3 min read

New tool spotlights neuron junctions in living human brains

A new imaging technique allows researchers to illuminate the junctions between neurons in a living person’s brain.

By Rachel Zamzow
19 August 2016 | 2 min read

Rainbow of dyes maps neurons’ tangled paths in brain

A new method that lets researchers trace the paths of many neurons at once may reveal how neurons go astray in autism.

By Kate Yandell
13 May 2015 | 3 min read

Suite of methods yields complex model of neuronal junctions

Researchers debuted a three-dimensional model of an average synapse, the point of connection between neurons, in the 30 May issue of Science.

By Kate Yandell
2 July 2014 | 2 min read

Molecular mechanisms: Autism gene establishes brain links

The autism-linked protein MET is expressed at the junctions between neurons during early brain development in mice, suggesting that it helps establish the connections, according to a study published 21 June in The Journal of Comparative Neurology.

By Jessica Wright
27 August 2013 | 2 min read

Researchers watch as proteins travel to neuronal junctions

Using high-resolution microscopy, researchers can watch as signaling complexes assemble at neuronal junctions in zebrafish embryos, according to a study published 17 April in Cell Reports.

By Jessica Wright
8 May 2013 | 2 min read

Scientists home in on autism candidate gene’s role in brain

Four new studies of neuroligin-1 (NLGN1), a gene linked to autism, unravel its complex role in regulating the connections between neurons.

By Emily Singer
26 November 2012 | 6 min read

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Kim Stachenfeld on the dance between neuroscience and artificial intelligence

As a researcher at both Google DeepMind and Columbia University, Stachenfeld offers cross-disciplinary insight into how to understand the brain.

By Paul Middlebrooks
11 September 2024 | 92 min listen
World map displaying an analysis of years of life lost to suicide among autistic people in 2021.

PPP2R5D gene; social-communication intervention in infants; autism and suicide

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 9 September.

By Jill Adams
10 September 2024 | 2 min read
Illustration with panels depicting two people working together at a computer and a high-five, and a lone researcher in the foreground, looking up.

Should I work with these people? A guide to collaboration

Kevin Bender offers advice for early-career neuroscientists on how to choose the right collaborations and avoid the bad ones.

By Kevin Bender
10 September 2024 | 7 min read