About eLIFE:

"eLife is a non-profit organisation created by funders and led by researchers. Our mission is to accelerate discovery by operating a platform for research communication that encourages and recognises the most responsible behaviours.

We work across three major areas:

1. Publishing – eLife reviews selected preprints in all areas of biology and medicine, while exploring new ways to improve how research is assessed and published.

2. Technology – eLife invests in open-source technology innovation to modernise the infrastructure for science publishing and improve online tools for sharing, using and interacting with new results.

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Researchers investigate neuron differentiation in fruit fly brains

Alokananda Ray, a postdoctoral researcher in the Li lab (left) with Xin Li, an assistant professor of cell and developmental biology.
The brains of all higher order animals are filled with a diverse array of neuron types, with specific shapes and functions. Yet, when these brains form during embryonic development, there is initially only a small pool of cell types to work with. So how do neurons diversify over the embryo’s...

Stadtmueller Lab determines the structure of our predominant mucosal antibody

Headshot of Beth Stadtmueller
It has been over 60 years since scientists first identified the molecule that we know today as immunoglobulin (Ig) A. IgA is the predominant class of antibody found in human mucus where it is known as secretory (S) IgA. SIgA functions to bind microbes in extracellular regions such as the gut and...

Researchers uncover the role of a noncoding RNA in cell proliferation

Headshot of KV Prasanth
Kannanganattu V. Prasanth, professor of cell and developmental biology, and members of his lab investigate the regulation of gene expression and RNA biology with a focus on cancer. In a new article published in eLife, “The S-phase-induced lncRNA promotes cell proliferation by controlling YAP1/Hippo...

New optogenetics study shows promising results for neuronal regeneration

Huaxun Fan, co-author of study, sits in lab.
New research by biochemistry professor Kai Zhang and his team at the University of Illinois uses the groundbreaking field of optogenetics to show a potential new route for controlling specific neuron growth with incredible accuracy. Their recent paper “Optical control of ERK and AKT signaling...