Two species of worms have retained remarkably similar patterns in the way they switch their genes on and off despite having split from a common ancestor 20 million years ago, according to a new study reported in Science. When gene expression did diverge between the two worms, the changes were more likely to occur in specialized cell types. For example, expression patterns in cells involved in basic functions like muscle or gut tended to be conserved, while expression patterns in more specialized cells involved in sensing and responding to the worm’s environment were more likely to diverge. Researchers were able to compare development in every single cell of these two different organisms.

A novel study aimed at disentangling the neurological underpinnings of depression shows that multiple brain profiles may manifest as the same clinical symptoms, providing evidence to support the presence of both one-to-one and many-to-one heterogeneity in depression. The findings of the study in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, highlight the layered and complex interactions between clinical symptoms and neurobiological sources of variation.

Using adult human cells to produce novel multicellular organisms, researchers find that the cells express both ancient genes, which are shared with our predecessors as far back as single celled organisms, and embryonic genes. They also reverse age-related modifications to DNA. The studies may lead to insights into regenerative medicine

For many, fitness trackers have become indispensable tools for monitoring how many calories they’ve burned in a day. But for those living with obesity, who are known to exhibit differences in walking gait, speed, energy burned and more, these devices often inaccurately measure activity — until now. 

Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a new algorithm that enables smartwatches to more accurately monitor the calories burned by people with obesity during various physical activities.