What vibrating molecules might reveal about cell biology
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 19-Oct-2025 03:10 ET (19-Oct-2025 07:10 GMT/UTC)
Congratulations to Dr. Ilana Kolodkin-Gal of the Scojen Institute for Synthetic Biology on winning a research grant from the BSF-NSF — a joint program of the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation and the U.S. National Science Foundation that aims to promote research collaborations between Israeli and American academics.
An international study shows how and when entirely new gene mutations, known as de novo mutations, originate in dogs. A key finding is that higher paternal age increases the number of de novo mutations in puppies. Maternal age also has an effect.
The research shows that prenatal exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) is associated with slower brain maturation during the first month of life. Myelination is a key process in brain maturation, in which myelin coats neuronal connections and makes them more efficient for transmitting information. Newborns of mothers exposed to higher levels of fine airborne particles during pregnancy show slower myelination at this very early stage of life. Both a slowdown and an excessive acceleration of brain maturation can be harmful for the child.