The Neuroscience of Learning

Pop science: Stanford engineers stop soap bubbles from swirling

The spinning rainbow surface of a soap bubble is more than mesmerizing – it’s a lesson in fluid mechanics. Better understanding of these hypnotic flows could bring improvements in many areas, from longer lasting beer foam to life-saving lung treatments. more

Stanford scientists produce cancer drug in a plant

A common cancer drug was discovered in a Himalayan plant, and until now that plant was the only source of the drug. Now, a Stanford chemical engineer has identified the 10 drug-making enzymes and placed them into another plant that is easier to grow in the lab. This is the first step to bei ... more

Allergic immune responses help fight bacterial infections

Researchers from CeMM Research Center of Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Medical University of Vienna and Stanford University School of Medicine, have found that a module of the immune system, which is best known for causing allergic reactions, plays a key role i ... more

How to Put Neurons into Cages

Using microscopically fine 3D printing technologies from TU Wien (Vienna) and sound waves used as tweezers at Stanford University (California), tiny networks of neurons have been created. Microscopically small cages can be produced at TU Wien (Vienna). Their grid openings are only a few mic ... more

New CRISPR-based tool can probe and control several genetic circuits at once

Every cell in our body has a computer-like control system that sends biological signals through thousands of circuits to monitor the cell's needs and regulate its responses. But when diseases such as cancer arise, these regulatory circuits often go awry, resulting in unnatural signals and r ... more