Events for “cells”

Mechanical memory helps explain how cells adapt their movement to changing environments

Cells in our bodies squeeze through dense tissue channels, thread past neighboring cells and navigate every nook and cranny within the extracellular matrix—the mesh-like network that surrounds and supports cells. How well they do this can shape a wide range of physiological proce

Infection kills gut cells, while diet reshapes existing ones, fruit fly study finds

The intestines rely on different strategies to rebuild themselves in response to diet changes versus infections, according to a new Cornell study—a finding that can shed light on how gut health adapts to harsh conditions, flourishing ecosystems of microbes and variable diets.

Nano-antennas make living cells light up brighter and faster

Researchers at Delft University of Technology have demonstrated for the first time that nano-antennas can enhance the fluorescence of proteins in living human and other mammalian cells.

How methylation sets a parasite in motion to invade host cells

Parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii and the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum depend on rapid, precisely controlled movement to complete their life cycles.

Supercharged “natural killer” cells could be a powerful new cancer weapon

Researchers have found a way to supercharge natural killer cells, powerful immune cells that can attack cancer, so they can penetrate solid tumors and keep fighting once inside.

Exercise may create new neurons by making other brain cells contract

Physical activity causes a type of brain cell called astrocytes to contract, which then leads to the formation of new neurons, according to a study in mice

Researchers develop hydrogels to create a programmable niche for blood stem cells

A research team from Tel Aviv University and the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF), led by Ayala Lampel and Carsten Werner, has developed a peptide-glycosaminoglycan hydrogel system that creates a programmable niche for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (H

Nanoparticles ease Alzheimer’s by making neurons from other cells

A drug made up of a cage of nanoparticles and antibodies created neurons from another type of brain cell, which relieved symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in mice

People who live past 110 have an unusual abundance of killer immune cells

People who reach 110 and beyond appear to have unusually large numbers of rare immune cells capable of killing abnormal cells. These CD4 cytotoxic T cells became more common with age and often expanded into large groups of nearly identical cells, suggesting the immune system was

Daily briefing: People older than 100 have more cancer-killing cells

Nature, Published online: 20 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02617-y Killer T cells might help people to live to extraordinarily old ages. Plus, the longest-lived brain organoids so far and how mass genome-screening programmes for newborns might work.

Temperature-tunable micropillars enable programmable sorting of particles and cells

A programmable microfluidic device developed at the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, combines deterministic lateral displacement, a microfluidic technique used to separate particles according to size, with temperature-responsive polymer micropillars to dynamically change separa

Oldest human brain cells grown in lab 'recorded passage of time'

Peppercorn-sized clumps of human brain cells grown in a lab for a record seven years aged similarly to those inside our heads, suggesting they "recorded the passage of time," scientists said Wednesday.

A major Alzheimer’s risk gene may shrink brain cells years before symptoms

Researchers have uncovered a possible reason why the Alzheimer’s risk gene APOE4 can disrupt the brain long before memory problems begin. In mice, APOE4 increased a protein called Nell2, shrinking neurons and making memory circuits unusually active. That early hyperactivity predi

Candida fungi can burst immune cells and shape-shift to evade immunity

Candida auris and Candida albicans are microscopic fungi that cause life-threatening human infections, killing almost a million people globally every year.

Granule cells reorient cortical trajectories to separate contexts

Nature, Published online: 26 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10946-1 Simultaneous imaging of premotor cortex and cerebellar granule cells in mice learning two skills in parallel shows that trajectories generalize in cortex but coherently reorient apart in granule cells, suppo

Childhood trauma may leave a lasting “scar” inside brain cells

Early-life stress may physically alter how DNA is packaged in the brain, leaving stress-related genes primed to activate more easily years later.

Cellular 'glue' helps epithelial tissues engulf dead cells while staying sealed

A protein that sticks cells and tissues together has been found to have a surprising second job: helping cells that are packed into a continuous sealed layer, also known as epithelial cells, engulf nearby dead cells.

Research aims to make radiation better at killing cancer cells

Amping up T cells to target cancer

Vaccines that turn the body’s immune system against tumors have shown promise in clinical trials, and a handful have been FDA approved for certain cancers. In many patients, however, these vaccines don’t stimulate enough of a response, and the approach some researchers have taken

Vaporization trick enables ‘tandem’ solar cells to be made at lower temperatures

Nature, Published online: 26 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02469-6 A clever approach for evaporating a compound used to make perovskite semiconductors tackles a vexing challenge in scaling up next-generation solar cells.

Union Budget: Customs duty cuts to facilitate domestic battery, solar cells manufacturing

Customs exemptions for lithium-ion batteries, solar glass; renewable energy outlay rises

Scientists find why the liver may not heal even after you stop drinking

Alcohol-related liver disease may trap damaged liver cells in a regenerative limbo, preventing the organ from rebuilding itself even after drinking stops.

Ultrafast and reference-free sequence discovery in single-cell data

Nature, Published online: 26 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10975-w Malva enables ultrafast, reference-free searching of raw single-cell sequences across millions of cells, transforming static transcriptomic atlases into dynamic resources for understanding the functions of s

Smart nanoparticles light up brain cancer and destroy what surgery misses

Scientists created smart nanoparticles that can both illuminate hidden glioblastoma cells during surgery and destroy microscopic cancer left behind afterward.

A common vape flavoring may disrupt early embryo development

A popular vanilla flavoring in e-cigarettes may interfere with some of the earliest steps of human development. In lab experiments, vanillin caused embryonic stem cells to lose their ability to develop normally and pushed them toward forming only certain types of tissue.

A Google-like search engine for single-cell RNA data could answer previously impossible questions

Imagine doctors could understand exactly which cells caused a patient's cancer or whether pathogens contributed to the disease.

Self-blinking 'fairy lights' allow DNA to be imaged at almost double-helix-width resolution

Researchers have developed fluorescent molecules that permit imaging of how DNA is packaged inside living cells at unprecedented resolution and, in preserved cells, at a resolution close to the width of the double helix itself.

Reworked tRNAs enable protein design with up to 34 amino acids

Scientists have been hard at work for more than 20 years to instruct biological systems, such as E. coli cells, to produce proteins they don't naturally produce. Success could mean faster, cheaper, more innovative solutions for medicine, agriculture, materials science, environmen

Dry seeds preserve fully formed mitochondria, unlocking rapid energy at germination

The majority of plant seeds have the special ability to almost completely dry out and yet remain viable. While most living cells die with a 90% loss of water, cells in seeds enter a biological state of dormancy. With a moisture content of less than 10%—similar to a raisin compare

For Legionella bacteria, taking over a cell means playing by its rules

When it comes to invading healthy cells, Legionella bacteria rely on blending in rather than breaking in. New research from Van Andel Institute scientists demonstrates how a protein produced by Legionella mimics the behavior of the host cell's own proteins. This mechanism allows

Blood-clotting protein may be SARS-CoV-2's hidden accomplice, helping it hide from antibodies and reach blood vessels

Fibrinogen, the abundant plasma protein best known for forming blood clots, may play a second and far less benign role during SARS-CoV-2 infection: acting as a molecular bridge that simultaneously hides the virus from neutralizing antibodies and delivers it to the cells lining bl

Recycling meat waste may help bring cultivated meat to market

Researchers found microalgae can be grown using waste from cultivated meat production, then processed and fed back into the system, replacing some of the expensive ingredients needed to grow new meat cells.

Why Aging May Be a Program, Not a Breakdown

By deciphering the molecular signatures of millions of mouse cells, Junyue Cao has found that aging is not haphazard wear and tear but rather a “remodeling of the cell society.” The post Why Aging May Be a Program, Not a Breakdown first appeared on Quanta Magazine

This yeast supplement may boost cancer-fighting immunity

A simple yeast-based food supplement may help restore the immune system’s ability to fight cancer, according to new research in mice. Scientists found that yeast beta-glucan reprogrammed early immune cells in the bone marrow, leading to stronger, longer-lasting cancer-fighting re

Animal genomes follow irreversible 'evolutionary highways' across thousands of species

A human, an octopus, and a coral could hardly look more different—yet deep inside their cells, their chromosomes still carry recognizable pieces of a genome inherited from an animal ancestor that lived more than 600 million years ago. Since then, their chromosomes have fused, spl

Fleeting sugar pairs may help curb abnormal cell-growth signals

Acting as armor, a scaffold and a communication platform in one, our cells' plasma membrane lies at the heart of many crucial cellular processes.

Workout patch delivers some of the benefits of exercise with no exertion

Injecting muscle cells beneath the skin of mice led to a patch of self-contracting cells that boosted their muscle mass, bone density and even markers of good brain, immune and liver function

Mad scientist makes LEDs in his backyard — semiconductor wizard who made his own RAM turns his attention to using bathroom eBay laser to etch sapphire wafers

The Dr. Semiconductor YouTube channel only has a few videos, but the man is quickly making a name for himself. He's built a semiconductor cleanroom in his backyard and made his own RAM cells there . Matthew Hartensveld (his real name) needs to figure out a way to package (cut and

This 15-Foot Python Is the First Known Snake to Receive Electrochemotherapy for Cancer. Now, She's Officially Free of the Disease

The pioneering treatment makes it easier for traditional chemotherapy drugs to penetrate cancer cells. After the procedure, the reptile, named Jodie Foster, made a speedy recovery

Scientists discover new 'immune hubs' in skull bone marrow

"Immune hubs" that actively defend the brain have been discovered in mouse skull marrow. Similar cells exist in human skulls, but their role remains unclear.