Science
A journey into the many fields of science pursued at VIB
Eight novel genes expand the clinical and molecular spectrum of peripheral neuropathy
Last year, scientists across the globe were able to link eight new genes to peripheral neuropathy—three of them by researchers at the Jordanova lab (VIB-UAntwerp). Postdoc Ayşe Candayan explains that more than any single technology, it was close collaboration and creative problem-solving that made these discoveries possible.
New study highlights intestinal macrophages as early drivers of Parkinson’s disease
A new Nature publication by Sebastiaan De Schepper and collaborators strengthens the growing view that Parkinson’s disease is not exclusively a 'brain-first' disorder. By looking at very early events in the body, particularly in the gut, the study adds new clues about how disease processes might begin outside the brain and later progress into the nervous system.
Bacteria as plant fertilizers: How soil microbes can help plants grow under drought
Farmers rely heavily on chemical fertilizers to boost crop yields, but this approach comes at a cost to soil quality, biodiversity, and plant fertility. Soil microbes may provide greener alternatives to help plants grow better under tough conditions like drought by triggering faster growth and earlier flowering. The intended result? Improved crop yields when water is scarce.
Electricity within the brain: Electrophysiology in neuroscience
At the interface where electrical signals meet the structural complexity of the brain lies the field of electrophysiology. By measuring and manipulating electrical properties of cells and neural circuits, electrophysiology reveals how biological systems function in real time and how molecular and cellular changes translate into behavior and disease. Electrophysiology enables us to study these electrical phenomena in great detail and allows us to understand how electrical signals are used in biology.
Where physics meets life: Biophysics and the future of innovation
At the point where principles of physics meet the complexity of biology lies the discipline of biophysics. By applying the methods and approaches of physics to biological processes, biophysics aims to find the physical processes that underlie the mechanisms of life.
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