Mice turning tiny steering wheels to move shapes on a screen have helped scientists produce the first brain-wide map of decision-making at single-cell resolution in a mammal. In two Nature papers published Sept. 3, an international team of 22 groups, co-led by three Princeton University neuroscience labs, charted the activity of more than 600,000 neurons as mice performed a decision-making task. The resulting dataset offers an unprecedented view of how distributed neural networks work together across the brain to guide behavior.

A powerful new particle detector, sPHENIX, just passed a critical test in its goal to decipher the ingredients of the early universe. The detector made a key measurement that proves it has the precision to help piece together the primordial properties of quark-gluon plasma.

New research from Michigan State University reveals that photorespiration – long considered a wasteful process – is essential for producing a crucial nutrient for preventing birth defects.

For the first time, scientists have measured how much carbon flows through photorespiration to make folates, a class of compounds that includes vitamin B9 – known for its importance as a prenatal vitamin. According to the study, led by MSU researcher Berkley Walker, about 6 percent of the carbon absorbed by plants is used to make folates. That number plummets by fivefold when photorespiration is suppressed.  

These findings, published in Nature Plants, could help scientists engineer plants to boost production of the nutrient important for human health. They also shed light on how a high-carbon dioxide world caused by climate change could make plants less nutritious.