RNA barcodes enable high-speed mapping of connections in the brain

Comingling RNA barcodes, each correlating to a neuron, indicate where neurons connect in the brain
By tagging neurons with molecular “barcodes,” researchers mapped connections among thousands of neurons in the mouse brain with unprecedented speed and resolution.The approach could expand understanding not only of the layout of elaborate networks in the brain, but also how the brain functions,...

Alzheimer’s gene boosts seizures, but pathway can be targeted, study finds

Members of the Hee Jung Chung research group gather around the lab benches
The gene most strongly correlated with Alzheimer’s disease also boosts seizure activity by decreasing levels of ions pumps and energy-producing enzymes in neurons, a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found. Furthermore, the energy-making pathway was stimulated...