Jackson Lab lands more than $100M in grants
ELLSWORTH The Jackson Laboratory received over $100 million in 2020 from new federal grants awarded for research and education programs across a range of fields: Alzheimer’s, cancer, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases and COVID-19. The research institute pivoted last year to help with the COVID-19 effort, including processing tests for 60,000 Mainers at its Farmington, Conn., campus. It also offered cryopreservation services for mouse models to universities, freezing mouse sperm and eggs in tanks of liquid nitrogen.
But the 70-plus researchers and faculty of the lab, which has facilities in Bar Harbor, Farmington, Conn., Sacramento, Calif., and Ellsworth, still carried on their work, said Ken Fasman, Ph.D., senior vice president for research. “The things we are trying to study at the labs, these haven’t gone away, and we need this work to continue.”
Jae Lee, professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Scientists have known for years that mutations in the MLL4 gene can cause Kabuki syndrome, a rare developmental disorder.
But a study published on Jan. 11 in Nature Communications illuminates new details regarding how this occurs.
The research suggests that MLL4 controls the production of neurons that secrete growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. Mice without working copies of the MLL4 gene in this area had stunted growth and markedly fewer GHRH neurons. Mice with only one functioning copy of the gene had similar problems.
These are important insights, as GHRH stimulates production of the growth hormone in the pituitary gland in both mice and people. While the effects of Kabuki syndrome vary, delayed growth and short stature are common among patients.
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IMAGE: Testing showed most patients retained the benefits for at least two months after the therapy sessions ended, suggesting the potential for long-lasting gains. view more
Credit: University of Houston
Stroke survivors who had ceased to benefit from conventional rehabilitation gained clinically significant arm movement and control by using an external robotic device powered by the patients own brains.
The results of the clinical trial were described in the journal
Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal, director of the Non-Invasive Brain Machine Interface Systems Laboratory at the University of Houston, said testing showed most patients retained the benefits for at least two months after the therapy sessions ended, suggesting the potential for long-lasting gains. He is also Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering.
At a Glance
Researchers deciphered how the human brain navigates physical spaces and keeps track of other people in real-world scenarios.
Brain patterns were similar whether people navigated a room or watched others, suggesting that such patterns play a role in awareness of others as well as ourselves.
Scientists used a special backpack to study how a person s brain navigates space and tracks the location of others. Suthana lab, UCLA
People navigate many challenges while moving through the world every day, sometimes without even being conscious of the effort. Research in mice and other animals has found that part of the brain called the medial temporal lobe (MTL) controls navigation in space. But research to date hasn’t been able to measure activity in the MTL during motion in people to see if the same processes are in play.
Research finds COVID may worsen symptoms of those with Tourette syndrome People with Tourette syndrome have struggled during the pandemic in a number of ways, including difficulty wearing masks because of facial tics and stigma related to coughing tics. (Source: Pixabay) By Endia Fontanez | January 12, 2021 at 11:27 AM MST - Updated January 12 at 11:27 AM
PHOENIX – Stress, isolation and face mask requirements related to COVID-19 may be worsening symptoms for the estimated 1% of the world’s population who suffer from Tourette syndrome, research shows.
The neurological disorder, named for a French doctor who first described the condition in 1885, is characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements or sounds. Common motor tics include repeated blinking, shrugging, twitching and nodding, while vocal tics may include grunting, throat clearing, humming or repeating words or phrases.