Biological Sciences
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Electric eel: most remarkable predator in animal kingdom
Recent research by Vanderbilt University biologist Ken Catania of the electric eel has revealed that it is not primitive creature that it has been portrayed as. Instead, it has a sophisticated control of the electrical fields it generates that makes it one of the most remarkable predators in the animal kingdom. Read MoreOctober 28, 2015
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The pronoun ‘I’ is becoming obsolete
Recent microbiological research has shown that plants and animals, including humans, are not autonomous individuals but are holobionts: biomolecular networks that consist of visible hosts plus millions of invisible microbes. Read MoreAugust 19, 2015
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Study reveals how protein helps cells tolerate DNA damage
Vanderbilt and Stanford investigators have discovered how a protein that's part of the DNA replication "machinery" helps cells tolerate DNA damage. Read MoreJuly 16, 2015
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Locating the brain’s SAD center
Vanderbilt biologists have localized the seasonal light cycle effects that drive seasonal affective disorder to a small region of the brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus. Read MoreMay 7, 2015
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New player in neuronal communication
Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a novel mechanism for the development of dendritic spines – sites of nerve cell communication. Read MoreMay 1, 2015
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New insight into how brain makes memories
Vanderbilt researchers have identified the role that a key protein associated with autism and the co-occurrence of alcohol dependency and depression plays in forming the spines that create new connections in the brain. Read MoreApril 23, 2015
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‘Stretched’ cells promote cancer
Mechanical stress appears to be a critical factor in activating normal tissue-associated fibroblasts to generate cancer-associated fibroblasts. Read MoreFebruary 19, 2015
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Circadian clock – Angelman syndrome link established
Vanderbilt biologists have found a direct link between the biological clock and Angelman syndrome, a neurogenetic disorder that occurs in more than one in every 15,000 live births. The link may provide a valuable way to judge the effectiveness of the first experimental drugs under development for treating the syndrome. Read MoreFebruary 5, 2015
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Life’s extremists may be an untapped source of antibacterial drugs
A family of single-celled organisms that thrive in environments too extreme for most other species to survive may be an untapped source of new antibacterial drugs. Read MoreNovember 21, 2014
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Vanderbilt’s neurovascular chip project moves into new phase
Vanderbilt researchers will play a key role in the second phase of the federal "tissue chip for drug screening" program. Read MoreNovember 18, 2014