New York University

By eliminating the essential amino acid cysteine from the diets of mice, and disabling their ability to produce it, scientists have induced rapid and dramatic weight loss. The technique opens a new pathway to explore in weight-loss science.

Memories can form outside of the brain, according to new research. Non-brain cells exposed to chemical pulses similar to the ones that brain cells are exposed to when presented with new information caused the non-brain cells to switch on a gene critical for memory formation.

Studying a species of microscopic worms exposed to high radiation from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, researchers couldn’t find signs of genetic damage caused by the exposure. The findings are set to forge a path towards a better understanding of cancer.

Neanderthals were gluing handles onto their tools over 100,000 years ago, possibly making the species even smarter than previously thought. So says a new study that discovered the use of adhesives on ancient stone tools that were previously overlooked.

Researchers have demonstrated a programmable nano-scale robot, made from a few strands of DNA, that's capable of grabbing other snippets of DNA, and positioning them together to manufacture new UV-welded nano-machines – including copies of itself.

After screening 27 million compounds, researchers have found a small-molecule drug that performed as well as a common painkiller with no side effects in rodent tests. The hope is that the finding could lead to better pain management for humans.

While insecticide-treated bed nets do help protect against malaria-carrying mosquitos, the chemicals are becoming less effective as the insects develop a resistance to them. It now appears that microwaving one such insecticide makes it "good" again.

In the neverending human-vs-virus battle, scientists often focus on disrupting the protein coating on the bugs. New research shows an alternative: using certain compounds to act as molecular "pins" that pop the membranes holding viruses together.

A third of the US population lives with chronic pain. While the economic burden is well known, it also has a huge impact on mental health, opioid misuse and quality of life. Scientists now say they know the genetic hack to cut off the pain entirely.

A new long-term study by researchers at NYU has found that regular internet usage by older adults is linked with a decreased risk of dementia. But it’s about striking a balance, with evidence excessive use can be harmful to cognitive health.

Even though some conditions cause people to lose their appetite, those folks have to keep eating in order to recover. A new "electroceutical" ingestible capsule could help, by making them feel hungry … and it was inspired by a lizard's skin.

Scientists have enlisted a new kind of helper to monitor the microbiomes of cities: the honeybee. Analyzing the debris from their hives has revealed much about what's happening at the microorganism level in cities around the world.