Scientists engineer a tool to “edit” brain circuits and enhance memory
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 13-Jun-2026 22:15 ET (14-Jun-2026 02:15 GMT/UTC)
Every thought, memory, and feeling we experience depends on trillions of tiny connection points in the brain called synapses. These are the junctions where one neuron passes signals to another, forming the vast communication network known as the connectome—the brain’s wiring diagram. Although scientists have developed powerful tools to increase or decrease neural activity, directly redesigning the brain’s physical wiring has remained far more difficult.
A research team led by Dr. LEE Sangkyu and Director C. Justin LEE at the Center for Memory and Glioscience within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), in collaboration with Dr. LEE Kea Joo of the Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), has now developed a molecular tool that makes such structural editing possible. The new platform, called SynTrogo (Synthetic Trogocytosis), enables researchers to induce astrocytes to selectively remodel synaptic connections in a targeted brain circuit.New research has revealed people trying to resist their food cravings use social media content featuring indulgent treats as a substitute for eating the real thing.
Led by computing academics at Lancaster University in collaboration with researchers from University College London, the study examined how frequently adults aged 50 and over use the internet, and why some use it less than others.
The study’s authors examined nationally representative data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), which includes responses from more than 6,000 people, to also discover how ageing itself plays a part in how often people access the online world.
Their analysis reveals that most older people in England are using the internet a lot. ELSA data shows that more than 90% of people aged over 50 are regular (daily or monthly) internet users and internet use is higher than commonly assumed.
Although internet use is high, the analysis shows an age-related ‘digital divide’ among older people and their use of internet still persists, with internet use dropping with age. The data shows that 97.7% of people aged 50-64-years-old are regularly digitally active; 91.1% among those aged 65-79-years-old, and 65.7% of those aged 80 and older.
Learning a second language is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, with millions of people turning to digital tools and mobile applications to pick up a new language at their own pace. But what makes some more popular or effective than others?
Many successful language-learning apps are built around a simple idea of making learners guess a word based on a picture, even before they learn the answer. This design isn’t just for fun, but a strategy that draws on decades of cognitive psychology which suggests that attempting an answer first and then seeing the correct one strengthens memory.
Now, a new study by the National University of Singapore (NUS) provides formal experimental evidence confirming why this works. The research shows that word-picture guessing exercises with immediate feedback can significantly improve adults’ ability to recall new vocabulary in a second language.
Warren Buffett advised that you should never invest in a business you can’t understand. But that hasn’t stopped many investors.
New research from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin might help them better understand the complications of companies they’re investing in. The study offers the most precise and comprehensive tool yet for measuring business complexity.
The tool, devised by Sara Toynbee, associate professor of accounting, simplifies the measurement by using artificial intelligence. It also finds that in areas such as structuring debt, complexity can sometimes be a good thing.
Millions of Americans are living with dementia, and as investments in Alzheimer’s disease research reach record levels, The University of Texas at Arlington is helping ensure those advancements translate into real-world support for families on the front lines.