Diana Kwon

New dopamine sensor powers three-color imaging in live animals The tool leverages a previously unused segment of the color spectrum to track the neurotransmitter and can be used with two additional sensors to monitor other neurochemicals at different wavelengths.

A new dopamine sensor enables neuroscientists to simultaneously monitor the activity of two additional signaling chemicals in the brains of living mice and zebrafish.

By @dianakwon.bsky.social

#neuroskyence

www.thetransmitter.org/methods/new-...

How your brain controls ageing — and why zombie cells could be key Research is revealing the cellular mechanisms that link mental well-being and longevity.

Older cells that have outlived their purpose don’t necessarily die — in fact, these “zombie cells” can use more energy than their younger counterparts. Their revved-up metabolism may drive some of the wear and tear of aging, @dianakwon.bsky.social reports in @nature.com

The brain's master conductor role in our aging process
New feature @nature.com by @dianakwon.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

How Stress Shapes Cancer’s Course Studies show psychological strain can accelerate tumors — could beta blockers slow them down?

Studies show psychological strain can accelerate tumors — could beta blockers slow them down? @knowablemag.bsky.social‬
vist.ly/3n535it

People with #cancer may experience a wide range of stressors, both related and unrelated to the disease. A growing body of evidence suggests that these may influence how a tumor grows and spreads.

Learn more in @dianakwon.bsky.social's recent report, republished by @brainfactsorg.bsky.social 👇

How artificial intelligence is transforming pathology Some researchers say that deep-learning ‘foundation’ models will revolutionize the field — but others are not so sure.

AIs can classify illnesses, predict treatment outcomes & identify markers of disease. Chatbots can assist physicians and researchers seeking to decipher the data hidden in stained slices of tissue. New by @dianakwon.bsky.social @nature.com, the growing use of #AI in #digitalpathology 🧪

Is it OK for AI to write science papers? Nature survey shows researchers are split Poll of 5,000 researchers finds contrasting views on when it’s acceptable to involve AI and what needs to be disclosed.

What do scientists think about using AI to write papers? @richvn.bsky.social & I put together a survey to find out--and more than 5,000 researchers took part.

Our survey reveals a divided landscape: Researchers don't always agree on what they view as appropriate.

My latest for @nature.com

How we’re battling Trump’s science cuts across small-town America Neuroscientist Jessica Cantlon is urging scientists to use the power of local newspapers in the fight against US research-funding cuts.

Brilliant. The "Science Homecoming" project helps scientists place articles in local papers about how Trump & Musk's cuts to science harm their communities. 🧪 on @nature.com

How stress shapes cancer’s course Studies show psychological strain can accelerate tumors — could beta blockers slow them down?

The link between stress and cancer goes back more than 2,000 years--but the research has long been messy and full of contradictions. Recent studies are starting to reveal how, exactly, psychological factors can influence tumor biology.

Learn more in my latest for @knowablemag.bsky.social!

How stress shapes cancer’s course Studies show psychological strain can accelerate tumors — could beta blockers slow them down?

“I don’t think anyone appreciated the magnitude by which even mild stress, if it’s chronic, can have such a negative influence on cancer growth.”

Studies show psychological strain can accelerate tumors — could beta blockers slow them down?

📝 @dianakwon.bsky.social for @knowablemag.bsky.social

The connection between stress and cancer is messy, the research difficult to do. But a clearer picture is emerging, which this @knowablemag.bsky.social story by @dianakwon.bsky.social. conveys with grace and restraint! I learned a lot, editing her story.

RNA function follows form – why is it so hard to predict? AlphaFold’s highly accurate structural models transformed protein biology,but RNA lags behind.

Predicting 3D structures for proteins with A.I. is a lot easier than for RNA
www.nature.com/articles/d41... @nature.com feature by @dianakwon.bsky.social

Schizophrenia Is More Complex Than We Thought, Which Means New Avenues for Treatment As a complex picture of schizophrenia emerges, so do new ways to treat the disorder

“There is no schizophrenia. There are schizophrenias."

Researchers are discovering that schizophrenia, which can involve alterations in both the brain and the body—particularly in the immune system—doesn't look the same in everyone with the condition.

My latest feature for @sciam.bsky.social:

I'm just sending out a survey from Nature's news team asking about ethical ways to use generative AI tools to write or review research papers.
To reassure anyone who received this email and is finding this post: this is a genuine survey! Please message me if you have questions.

Pioneering journal eLife faces major test after loss of impact factor The open-access title’s bold publishing model has bought long-bubbling conflicts to the fore.

Reactions to eLife losing its impact factor, and then announcing it'll send Web of Science a partial feed of its papers — only those deemed ‘solid’ or above — so they'll be indexed. | by @dianakwon.bsky.social in Nature
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Pioneering journal eLife faces major test after loss of impact factor The open-access title’s bold publishing model has bought long-bubbling conflicts to the fore.

eLife lost its impact factor last month, raising questions about whether authors are willing to dump conventional measures of quality & prestige for what many say is a long-needed change in research publishing.

My piece about the latest developments at eLife in @natureportfolio.bsky.social

A ‘Second Tree of Life’ Could Wreak Havoc, Scientists Warn (Gift Article) Research on so-called mirror cells, which defy fundamental properties of living organisms, should be prohibited as too dangerous, biologists said.

Over 30 prominent scientists call for a ban on the creation of a "mirror cell"--a microbe made of molecules that are mirror images of their natural forms. It could cause a mind-boggling global disaster. Here's my story [gift link] 🧪https://nyti.ms/3OUCXp6

What’s next for Syria’s science: a view from Nature’s reporter who was a refugee Syria might now have an opportunity to rebuild its scientific community, says Miryam Naddaf who fled her country a decade ago.

A powerful read from my colleague, Miryam Naddaf, who recounts her own experience and explains what the fall of the Assad regime may mean for science in Syria:

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Publishers are selling papers to train AIs — and making millions of dollars Generative-AI models require massive amounts of data — scholarly publishers are licensing their content to train them.

Scholarly publishers are licensing their content to train LLMs.

For @natureportfolio.bsky.social, I wrote about a tracker that @rschon.bsky.social and team made to catalogue these deals—and some of the early trends they're observing.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

This fearless science sleuth risked her career to expose publication fraud Anna Abalkina is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2024.

This fearless science sleuth risked her career to expose publication fraud
Anna Abalkina @abalkina.bsky.social is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2024.
Holly Else reports at Nature.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Support The Open Notebook - Support Science Journalism Please help support The Open Notebook, a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to foster a supportive, diverse, and inclusive global community that enables journalists who cover science to learn and...

“I support The Open Notebook because it is my go-to resource as a science journalist. As someone without formal journalism training, TON served as a crucial resource during my years as a novice reporter, and I continue to find helpful tips on TON today." — @dianakwon.bsky.social

‘Systematic reviews’ that aim to extract broad conclusions from many studies are in peril Fake papers are “poisoning the well” for these gold-standard syntheses, researchers say

A growing problem --- fake papers polluting systematic reviews. And interesting point that the gold-standard protocols that Cochrane is developing to weed out untrustworthy studies, are too much of an effort for systematic-review authors looking at 100s of papers. www.science.org/content/arti...

As you can probably see, I love writing about the brain. I'm especially interested in the brain-body connection (and psychoneuroimmunology)--and am always on the lookout for new stories to cover! 🧠

Could mitochondria be the key to a healthy brain? Some researchers suspect these bacterial ancestors living within our cells may contribute to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders

Last but not least, this @knowablemag.bsky.social article looked at the potential role that the powerhouses of our cells play in a wide range of brain disorders and diseases.

knowablemagazine.org/content/arti...

Decoding a Disorder at the Interface of Mind and Brain A mysterious condition once dismissed as hysteria is challenging the divide between neurology and psychiatry

This @sciam.bsky.social feature looked at FND--another highly stigmatized & misunderstood condition--exploring the research into the biological underpinnings of the disorder and how this work is challenging the divide between neurology and psychiatry.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/deco...

Borderline Personality Disorder May Be Rooted in Trauma A focus on the traumatic origins of an often stigmatized psychiatric diagnosis is inspiring new treatments

In this @sciam.bsky.social feature, I wrote about the link between trauma and borderline personality disorder--a harshly stigmatized condition--and why some people say we need to reassess the "personality disorder" label.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/bord...

Acting Out Dreams Predicts Parkinson's and Other Brain Diseases Enacted dreams could be an early sign of Parkinson’s disease

For @sciam.bsky.social, I explored REM sleep behavior disorder (a condition that causes people to act out their dreams) and why it may be one of the earliest--and strongest--signs of Parkinson's disease.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/acti...

Guardians of the brain: how a special immune system protects our grey matter The nervous and immune systems are tightly intertwined. Deciphering their chatter might help address many brain disorders and diseases.

In a related @natureportfolio.bsky.social feature, I wrote about the bidirectional cross-talk between the brain and immune system--looking, for example, at how the immune system might contribute to both neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Your brain could be controlling how sick you get — and how you recover Scientists are deciphering how the brain choreographs immune responses, hoping to find treatments for a range of diseases.

For @natureportfolio.bsky.social I reported this feature about how the brain can control the body’s immune responses, and what this might mean for a wide range of diseases, from autoimmunity to cancer.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...