http://www.cnrs.fr Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique fr CNRS Sat, 11 Apr 2026 21:21:15 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3182.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3182.htm Researchers at the CNRS, Université Paris Diderot and Université Paris Descartes have demonstrated how the growth of veins and arteries unfolds in embryonic development. Their findings prove that, contrary to prevailing opinion, blood exits arteries at an upstream point of the vessel, not its end. Additionally, veins develop in an interlaced pattern between arteries, where blood passes through the capillaries. Results appear in the December 21, 2018 edition of Communications Biology. Fri, 21 Dec 2018 11:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3191.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3191.htm Researchers at CNRS, Université Côte d'Azur and Inserm have demonstrated a new mechanism related to the onset of migraine. In fact, they found how a mutation, causes dysfunction in a protein which inhibits neuronal electrical activity, induces migraines. These results, published in Neuron on December 17, 2018, open a new path for the development of anti-migraine medicines. Mon, 17 Dec 2018 11:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3186.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3186.htm Researchers from the CNRS, the University of Orléans, and the company Artimmune, in collaboration with Turkish clinicians from Atatürk University, have identified a key mechanism of lung inflammation induced by silica exposure, which leads to silicosis, an incurable disease. Their study in mice and patients, published in Nature Communications (December 6th, 2018), shows that this inflammation can be prevented by extracellular DNA degradation, suggesting a new therapeutic target. Thu, 06 Dec 2018 11:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3181.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3181.htm About 75% of amputees exhibit mobility of their phantom limb. Using this information, in collaboration with physicians¹, researchers from CNRS, Aix-Marseille University and Sorbonne University have developed a prototype capable of detecting these movements and activating a prosthetic arm. The prosthesis does not require any surgery and patients do not need training. The results are published on November 29, 2018 in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. Thu, 29 Nov 2018 11:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3184.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3184.htm Researchers from the CNRS and université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (UT3) show that fruit flies possess all of the cognitive capacities needed to culturally transmit their sexual preferences across generations. The study, published on November 30, 2018 in Science, provides the first experimental toolbox for studying the existence of animal cultures, thereby opening up an entire field of research. Thu, 29 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3180.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3180.htm Asymmetry plays a major role in biology at every scale: think of DNA spirals, the fact that the human heart is positioned on the left, our preference to use our left or right hand … A team from the Institute of biology Valrose (CNRS/Inserm/Université Côte d'Azur), in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania, has shown how a single protein induces a spiral motion in another molecule. Through a domino effect, this causes cells, organs, and indeed the entire body to twist, triggering lateralized behaviour. This research is published in the journal Science on November 23, 2018. Thu, 22 Nov 2018 20:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3179.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3179.htm To protect neurons and limit the damage after a stroke, researchers from the CNRS, the University of Caen-Normandie, University Paris-Est Créteil, and the company OTR3 have pursued an innovative path: targeting the matrix that surrounds and supports brain cells. Their results, just published in the journal Theranostics, have confirmed this strategy on rats, and will lead to a clinical study between now and late 2019. Thu, 15 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3177.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3177.htm A research team from CNRS, Université PSL, the Collège de France and Inserm has just lifted part of the veil surrounding brain activity during sleep. Though we know that some neurons are reactivated then to consolidate our memories, we did not know how these cells could “remember” which order to turn on in. The researchers have discovered that reactivating neurons during sleep relies on activation that occurs during the day: “nested” theta sequences. These results were published on November 9, 2018 in Science. Wed, 07 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3171.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3171.htm Amid a plan announced by the United Nations to eradicate tuberculosis by 2030, a new study has revealed the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of the disease which go undetected by WHO-endorsed tests. These findings, from an international research team co-directed by CNRS researcher Philip Supply at the Center of Infection and Immunity of Lille (CNRS/Inserm/Institut Pasteur de Lille/Université de Lille), are published in the 18 October 2018 edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases. This follows another article, published in the 26 September edition of The New England Journal of Medicine, proposing a new algorithm to detect resistant strains of tuberculosis. Thu, 18 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3172.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3172.htm The goal of the PRIME-DE¹ data exchange is to make primate brain imaging datasets acquired in laboratories available to the entire scientific community. PRIME-DE was created by an international consortium of 22 teams—including six from the CNRS, INSERM, and the CEA—all working with macaques. Because the brains of macaques are organized so similarly to our own, these animals are crucial to the study of human brain function and pathology. The PRIME-DE initiative, presented in an article published in Neuron on September 27, 2018, should enhance the statistical relevance of acquired data and limit the number of animals used in research. Wed, 17 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3162.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3162.htm Researchers from the Sleep Team at the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CNRS / INSERM / Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University / Université Jean Monnet), together with a colleague from the MECADEV research laboratory (CNRS / Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle)¹ have confirmed that lizards exhibit two sleep states, just like humans, other mammals, and birds. They corroborated the conclusions of a 2016 study on the bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) and conducted the same sleep investigation on another lizard, the Argentine tegu (Salvator merianae). Their findings, published in PLOS Biology (October 11, 2018), nevertheless point out differences between species, which raises new questions about the origin of sleep states. Thu, 11 Oct 2018 20:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3167.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3167.htm Researchers from the CNRS and Université de Rennes 1¹, in collaboration with Airbus, have designed a visual pattern that elicits long-term avoidance of high-risk areas by raptors. The scientists' work clears the way for further investigation into the visual cognition of these birds, and it has applications for conservation, because raptors are among the most common victims of collisions with planes and wind turbines. Their findings are published in PLOS ONE (October 11, 2018). Thu, 11 Oct 2018 20:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3170.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3170.htm Valérie Castellani, Thierry Chartier, and Daniel Le Berre are the recipients of the 2018 CNRS Innovation Medals. All three will be handed their medals during a ceremony held on October 10 in Paris. Since 2011, CNRS Innovation Medals have recognized scientists whose outstanding research has led to innovations having notable technological, economic, therapeutic, or social impacts. Wed, 10 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3166.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3166.htm To understand why some cancer cells resist radiotherapy, an international team of researchers has used crystallography to “photograph” the first moments of the molecular ballet that allows these cells to repair their DNA. The study involved teams from the CEA, CNRS, SOLEIL (French synchrotron facility), University of Paris-Sud, Gustave Roussy, Aix-Marseille University and University Paul Sabatier - Toulouse III¹. It was published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology on October, the 5th. Fri, 05 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3163.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3163.htm Why is it so difficult to stop smoking? Why do some people relapse months after giving up? Scientists from the Institut Pasteur and the CNRS, in collaboration with Sorbonne University and Inserm, have demonstrated that a genetic mutation already known to be involved in sensitivity to nicotine also plays a role in relapse behavior after cessation in rats. The findings were published in the journal Current Biology on October 4, 2018. Wed, 03 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3155.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3155.htm Over the last few years, scientists have discovered connections between gut microbiota imbalances and various diseases. Now, in a study using mice, biologists from the CNRS, INSERM, and Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University—together with colleagues from the Institut Pasteur de Lille and the NIH (USA)—have revealed a surprising relationship between a viral detection system, the composition of the gut microbiota, and the development of skin allergies. ¹ Their findings, published in PNAS (September 24, 2018) suggest potential new therapies. Mon, 24 Sep 2018 21:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3150.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3150.htm Scientists from the Banyuls-sur-Mer Oceanographic Observatory (CNRS / Sorbonne University) along with colleagues from the University of Liege and the CRIOBE¹ research unit (CNRS / EPHE-PSL / University of Perpignan Via Domitia) have been training their attention on the developmental and evolutionary determinants of white stripes in clown fish. In an article published in BMC Biology (September 5, 2018), they detail why, when, and how these bands arose and help elucidate their role in clown fish social organization. Wed, 05 Sep 2018 02:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3149.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3149.htm What if social behavior affected the progression of even noncontagious diseases? This is precisely what has been demonstrated by French CNRS teams,¹ with support from the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Paris-Sud University, the University of Montpellier, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), and colleagues from Spain and Australia. Using a fly model of intestinal cancer, the researchers have shown that disease progression is impacted both by social isolation—which has a negative effect—and the composition of the social group with which individuals associate. Their findings are published in Nature Communications (September 3, 2018). Mon, 03 Sep 2018 11:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3145.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3145.htm Individuality exists in all animals, and a number of factors shape it over time. For mice, one of those factors is the social environment, as researchers at CNRS, INSERM and Sorbonne Université have just shown. In this species, some stable character traits may even be inscribed in an individual's neuron activity and change when the group's composition changes. These results are published on August 6, 2018 in Nature Communications. Mon, 06 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3138.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3138.htm Toulouse is to host the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF), Europe's largest interdisciplinary gathering on science and innovation, from 9 to 14 July 2018. In parallel with this event for researchers, the city is organising the 'Science in the City' festival from 7 to 15 July, with over 120 events aimed at sharing science with the public. For around ten days, the pulse of Toulouse, European City of Science 2018, will beat to the rhythm of science. CNRS and its laboratories will be playing a major role in both the forum and the festival, two unprecedented events for Toulouse and France. Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3134.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3134.htm Researchers from CNRS, INSERM and the Université Grenoble Alpes have decoded the mechanisms used by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii to enter the cells of a host. Using high-resolution, high-speed imaging, they identified a unique process by which the parasite closes the 'entry door' it creates in order to enter and inhabit a host cell. The results of the study, at the crossroads between cell biology, parasitology and biophysics, appear in the 28 June 2018 edition of Cell Host & Microbe. Thu, 28 Jun 2018 17:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3135.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3135.htm A team of researchers from the CNRS and Université Nice Sophia Antipolis¹ has just shown that a small molecule called methiothepin can inhibit the chemotherapy resistance of certain tumors. These results will be on the cover of the July 1, 2018 issue of International Journal of Cancer. Thu, 28 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3130.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3130.htm To meet their objective of offering connected devices for the physiological monitoring of laboratory animals without recourse to anesthesia or surgery, researchers from the TIMC-IMAG laboratory (CNRS / Université Grenoble Alpes / Grenoble INP / VetAgro Sup) have developed a jacket that measures rodent cardiac and respiratory activity. This patented tool soon to be released by Etisense, a TIMC-IMAG spin-off company, paves the way for enhancing the quality of research data and advancing animal welfare. Thu, 14 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3128.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3128.htm The accumulation of amyloid peptides in the form of plaques in the brain is one of the primary indicators of Alzheimer's disease. While the harmful effects of amyloid peptide aggregates are well established, the mechanism through which they act on brain cells remains ill-defined. Researchers from CNRS and université de Bordeaux have just revealed that they alter the usual functioning of connections between neurons by interacting with a key enzyme of synaptic plasticity. The results will be published on June 12, 2018 in the journal Cell Reports. Tue, 12 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100 http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3129.htm http://www2.cnrs.fr/en/3129.htm Three new members have been isolated and added to the Pandoravirus family by researchers at the Structural and Genomic Information Laboratory (CNRS/Aix‐Marseille Université), working with partners at the Large Scale Biology Laboratory (CEA/Inserm/Université Grenoble‐Alpes) and at CEA-Genoscope. This strange family of viruses, with their giant genomes and many genes with no known equivalents, surprised the scientists when they were discovered a few years ago. In the 11 June 2018 edition of Nature Communications, researchers offer an explanation: pandoviruses appear to be factories for new genes – and therefore new functions. From freaks of nature to evolutionary innovators, giant viruses continue to shake branches on the tree of life! Mon, 11 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100