Touch

Recent articles

Illustration of a star-nosed mole.

Neuro’s ark: Understanding fast foraging with star-nosed moles

“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

Dendrites help neuroscientists see the forest for the trees

Dendritic arbors provide just the right scale to study how individual neurons reciprocally interact with their broader circuitry—and are our best bet to bridge cellular and systems neuroscience.

By Justin O’Hare
27 February 2026 | 7 min read

Two primate centers drop ‘primate’ from their name

The Washington and Tulane National Biomedical Research Centers—formerly called National Primate Research Centers—say they made the change to better reflect the breadth of research performed at the centers.

By Calli McMurray
26 February 2026 | 5 min read

Post-infection immune conflict alters fetal development in some male mice

The immune conflict between dam and fetus could help explain sex differences in neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Viviane Callier
26 February 2026 | 5 min read

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