The SynGAP Research Fund (SRF) dba Cure SYNGAP1, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has awarded a $65,000 grant to Dr. Julia Dallman, Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences, to investigate gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in SYNGAP1-related disorders (SRD) patients. Leveraging her extensive experience with zebrafish models, Dr. Dallman's research aims to identify therapies that alleviate severe GI issues, such as chronic constipation and feeding difficulties, which significantly impact the quality of life for individuals with SRD. This project underscores Dr. Dallman's longstanding commitment to SYNGAP1 research and offers hope for effective treatments for the SRD community.

Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) demonstrate that the way sardines eat, altered due to the reduction in size of plankton, undermines the efficiency of their feeding and increases the likelihood of consuming more plastic fibres. Although no direct negative effects of this ingestion were identified, environmental changes may have a greater impact than previously thought on how pelagic fish interact with plastic pollutants.

New active ingredients such as antibodies are usually tested individually in laboratory animals. Researchers at UZH have now developed a technology that can be used to test around 25 antibodies simultaneously in a single mouse. This should not only speed up the research and development pipeline for new drugs, but also hugely reduce the number of laboratory animals required.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide have discovered that the earliest days of embryo development have a measurable impact on a person’s future health and ageing.

A new study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences  has uncovered a key mechanism involving Intermolecular Coulombic Decay in aqueous environments initiated by heavy-ion irradiation, providing insights about the effectiveness of such irradiation.

Although fungi of the genus Piloderma are common, scientists have now discovered five previously unknown species. One of these is one of the most widely distributed species in Northern Europe, while another is found only in old-growth forests. The discoveries, published in Fungal Biology, show that diversity in this genus is much greater than previously thought and that some of its species are at risk of disappearing as old-growth forest is logged. 

The Open Brain Institute (OBI) launches as a global non-profit advancing neuroscience, AI, and brain research through digital brain simulation. Expanding on EPFL’s Blue Brain Project, OBI provides AI-powered Virtual Labs where researchers can build and simulate digital brains—from molecular pathways to entire brains—across species, ages, and disease states. By integrating open neuroscience data, advanced brain modeling tools, and AI-driven analysis, OBI enables breakthroughs in neurological disease research, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), neurotechnology, and artificial intelligence (AI). The first Virtual Labs open on March 28, 2025, marking a new era in simulation neuroscience, digital brain models, and brain-inspired AI.