Microglia
Neural pathways
Exploring the diverse routes by which EMBL scientists are driving forward neurobiology…
Captured: microglia nibbling on brain synapses
For the first time, EMBL Rome researchers have captured microglia nibbling on brain synapses on film.…
Making your brain social
In many people with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, different parts of the brain don’t talk to each other very well. Scientists have now identified, for the first time, a way in which this decreased functional connectivity can come about. In a study published online today…
Locating ground zero
Like emergency workers rushing to a disaster scene, cells called microglia speed to places where the brain has been injured, to contain the damage by ‘eating up’ any cellular debris and dead or dying neurons. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany,…
Gardening in the brain
Gardeners know that some trees require regular pruning: some of their branches have to be cut so that others can grow stronger. The same is true of the developing brain: cells called microglia prune the connections between neurons, shaping how the brain is wired, scientists at the European…
