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A zoo of features: Thalamic interneurons have different views – new insights into how the brain integrates visual information
All sensory stimuli—with the exception of smell—pass through the thalamus before reaching the cerebral cortex, which is the part of the brain that governs cognition. A small part of the thalamus, the dorsolateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), mediates image perception. The dLGN contains two different neuron types, one of them being…
IOB researchers discover new gene linked to inherited blindness
In a groundbreaking study published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, the research team led by Carlo Rivolta has identified a new gene associated with retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary form of blindness. The scientists discovered that mutations in the COQ8B gene can lead to non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa. This finding is…
Hidden order in the brain’s GPS
For decades, neuroscientists believed that hippocampal place cells – neurons that help create mental maps of our environment – functioned in a simple, uniform way. Recent experiments, however, revealed these cells exhibit far more complex and irregular patterns than previously thought, particularly in large environments. This study, just published in Neuron,…
Three novel disease genes identified as drivers of a new form of hereditary retinal blindness
IOB researchers, working with a broad international team, have identified mutations in three genes encoding subunits of the vesicular AP-5 complex as a new cause of hereditary macular dystrophy, a form of inherited retinal disease (IRD) that leads to progressive vision loss. In this study published in the American Journal…
Uncovering the genetic roots of blindness: A landmark study in Pakistan
A team of researchers from IOB and partner institutions in Pakistan and Switzerland has published the most comprehensive genetic study of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) in the Pakistani population to date. The study, published in npj Genomic Medicine, analyzed over 700 individuals from 213 families and identified a uniquely distinct mutational…
Brain’s efficiency emerges from randomness
Scientists have wondered for a long time how neurons in our brain process information so efficiently. Traditional theories suggested that this required precisely tuned neural patterns. However, new research at IOB shows that highly efficient information processing can emerge from irregular, random patterns of neural activity. In this groundbreaking theoretical study,…
Key discoveries in myopia research: A 50-year journey
How has our understanding of myopia evolved and what questions remain? A newly published feature article by Frank Schaeffel et al. in Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics brings together insights from leading researchers to trace ten landmark discoveries that have shaped the field of myopia research. The article offers a concise and accessible…
Infrared light for blind retina: Engineered human channels open a new path
Restoring vision in retinal degeneration is a major biomedical challenge. In this study, IOB scientists engineered an ultrasensitive variant of the human TRPV1 channel, delivered by an AAV vector, that responds to near-infrared microheating. When expressed in blind human retinal tissue, this single-component system triggers robust ganglion cell responses, restoring…
IOB researchers discover a new embryonic brain circuit
Layer 5 pyramidal neurons in normal mice (left) compared with mice with autism gene knocked-out (right), showing a patch of disorganized cortex. Congratulations to both of you! Could you tell us a bit more about what your newly published study is about? Arjun Bharioke: Thanks! This study provides the first…