A small cluster of cells deep within our brains, called the locus coeruleus, affects how awake and attentive we are, how we respond to stress, how we cope with anxiety and fear, and how we create memories and learn.This blue spot is also involved in a range of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and Alzheimer’s diseases. A new study in mice shows that a small group of cells next to the locus coeruleus, called peri-LC neurons, appear to play a key role in regulating and fine-tuning its information-processing.The findings help explain how we respond appropriately to different challenges, Besides advancing understanding of how our brains regulate arousal, attention and our reactions to distress, the findings open the possibility of new ways to treat neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, including opioid drug withdrawal symptoms. 

New York University scientists are using artificial intelligence to determine which genes collectively govern nitrogen use efficiency in plants such as corn, with the goal of helping farmers improve their crop yields and minimize the cost of nitrogen fertilizers.