monicascicom

Calling all white blood cells

Within a short time after a wound is sustained, white blood cells, or leukocytes, flood the wound area, sometimes traveling from relatively long distances. But the signal that calls them to the wound site has, until recently, been a mystery. Now, Phillip Neithammer (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA), Clemmens Grabber (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston MA)ContinueContinue reading “Calling all white blood cells”

Captive rooks master tool use

Subverting some popular thoughts on tool use and physical intelligence, a group of captive rooks has shown a remarkable capacity to modify and use various tools. Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) are not known to use tools in the wild, although they are closely related to New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides), which are habitual tool users. LabContinueContinue reading “Captive rooks master tool use”

More funding for large animal research

Scientists are calling attention to the lack of funding for large animal studies in the US and warning that it may compromise both biomedical and agricultural research. The group, led by James Ireland at Michigan State University (East Lansing), pointed out the disparity in total funding for research grants focused on animal agriculture versus humanContinueContinue reading “More funding for large animal research”

Parrots get in the groove

Despite an extensive collection of videos online claiming to show animals dancing, the ability to perceive and synchronize with a musical beat has largely been considered a uniquely human trait. That is, until now: two groups of researchers recently showed that parrots can boogie down with the best of us. Lab Anim. (NY) 38, 180ContinueContinue reading “Parrots get in the groove”

Restoring myelin, restoring nerve function

Loss of myelin underlies several disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) in humans, the most well known of which may be multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis affects roughly 2.5 million people worldwide and can cause a range of symptoms including fatigue, loss of coordination and balance, numbness, blurred vision or blindness and even paralysis. ItContinueContinue reading “Restoring myelin, restoring nerve function”

Showing teeth where to grow

Tooth growth in mammals is restricted to a single row, whereas non-mammalian vertebrates, such as sharks, grow multiple rows of teeth. Until recently, the mechanisms that enabled or restricted iterative tooth development were not well understood. Understanding these regulatory mechanisms may hold benefits for humans—we don’t need multiple rows of teeth, but being able toContinueContinue reading “Showing teeth where to grow”

How mosquitoes fight malaria

Malaria infects as many half a billion people every year and kills between 1 and 3 million people annually, many of them children living in sub-Saharan Africa. It is caused by Plasmodium spp. protozoans transmitted between humans and mosquitoes via the blood. When a mosquito consumes infected human blood, its immune system attacks Plasmodium andContinueContinue reading “How mosquitoes fight malaria”

Capuchin monkeys choose the right tool

Selecting an appropriate tool is key to the success of many tasks, and the development of this ability is typically thought to be restricted to humans and apes. But a new study shows that wild bearded capuchin monkeys can appreciate the properties of different stones and select the best one to use as a tool.ContinueContinue reading “Capuchin monkeys choose the right tool”

Serotonin triggers swarming in locusts

Desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) are normally solitary insects, but in crowded conditions, they undergo physical and behavioral changes and become ‘gregarious’, clustering in swarms that can include billions of individuals. These swarms devastate crops over large areas of land, causing economic hardship and affecting the livelihood of as many as one in ten people worldwide.ContinueContinue reading “Serotonin triggers swarming in locusts”

Step away from the mouse

There is no denying that mice have furthered our understanding of immunology. As subjects in basic immune studies, their utility is difficult to overstate. But by and large, the advances in knowledge that they have provided have not translated into clinically successful applications: many therapies that seem to cure mice of autoimmunity, cancer and infectiousContinueContinue reading “Step away from the mouse”