News & Commentaries

Atlanta, GA, USA – Cells' metabolic needs are not uniform across the brain, researchers have learned. "Knocking out" an enzyme that regulates mitochondria, cells' miniature power plants, specifically blocks the development of the mouse cerebellum more than the rest of the brain. The results are scheduled for publication in Science Advances.

Kanazawa, Japan – A Japan-based research team led by Kanazawa University has identified the MAPK Erk5 as a novel player controlling skeletogenesis. Their research sheds light on the question of how the complex our skeleton generates.

Cleveland, OH, USA – In two newly published papers, a scientific team at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine reports on the discovery and implementation of a new, more efficient method for generating an important brain stem cell in the laboratory. The findings pave the way for greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms of neurological disorders of myelin and ultimately, possible new treatment and prevention options. The studies were published in the September issues of Nature Communications and Stem Cell Reports.

Copenhagen, Denmark – A new method enables non-invasive monitoring of oxygen metabolism in cells that are 3D bioprinted into complex living structures. This has great implications for studies of cell growth and interactions e.g. under tissue-like conditions, as well as for the design of 3D printed constructs facilitating higher productivity of microalgae in biofilms or better oxygen supply for stem cells used in bone and tissue reconstruction efforts.