The acrobatic hydra shows off: How environmental cues can affect behavior

WOODS HOLE, Mass. — Although it may seem counterintuitive, researchers are turning to an animal without a brain to crack the neural code underlying behavior. Hydra vulgaris, a tiny, tentacled, freshwater organism, uses “nets” of neurons dispersed throughout its tube-like body to coordinate stretching, contracting, somersaulting, and feeding movements. This simple nervous system is one…

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Morris Animal Foundation awards nearly $1M in grants for new studies for equine health

Morris Animal Foundation, a leader in advancing animal health, has awarded nearly $1 million in large animal health research grants, supporting 14 projects. The studies will help veterinary scientists improve the well-being of horses through improved prevention and treatment of numerous health challenges, including eye cancer, heart arrhythmias and risks for injury from air transport.…

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Imaging probe to visualize Alzheimer’s disease-related gamma-secretase in the brain

BOSTON – Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have developed a molecular imaging probe to reveal Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related γ-secretase in rodents and macaques with translational potentials in humans. γ-Secretase is a key player in the etiology of AD and a prime drug target for AD, whose brain regional expression and distribution have yet…

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C-Path launches consortium to support medical product development in sickle cell disease

TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 17, 2020 — The Critical Path Institute (C-Path) today announced the launch of the Critical Path for Sickle Cell Disease (CP-SCD) Consortium to support collaboration and regulatory endorsement of new medical product development tools for sickle cell disease. These tools will help to optimize and de-risk clinical trials to increase efficiency in…

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