Navigation Links
Mollusks taste memories to build shells
Date:4/2/2009

Berkeley -- University of California, Berkeley, graduate student Alistair Boettiger has amassed a beautiful collection of seashells, but not by combing the beach. He created them in his computer.

He and George Oster, a UC Berkeley biophysicist, along with University of Pittsburgh mathematical neuroscientist Bard Ermentrout, have written a computer program that generates the complex patterns of seashells using simple principles developed to explain how the brain works and how memories are stored.

The "neural net" model explains how mollusks build their seashells based on the finding that the mollusk's tongue-like mantle, which overlaps the edge of the growing shell, senses or "tastes" the calcium carbonate layer laid down the day before in order to generate a new layer.

"The pattern on a seashell is the mollusk's memories," said Oster, a professor of environmental science, policy and management and of molecular and cell biology. "The shell is laid down in layers, so the mantle is sensing the history of the mollusk's 'thoughts' and extrapolating to the next layer, just like our brains project into the future."

The studies may help neuroscientists understand how neural networks work in the brain and throughout the body, where neural nets cover our skin and all internal organs.

The researchers' computer model, published this week in the early online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reproduces nearly all known shell shapes, ranging from scallops to whelks, and nearly all the shell patterns that make beachcombing so popular.

"The model gives us a remarkable ability to explain much of the dramatic diversity of both shape and pattern that we see in the natural world," Boettiger said.

To build their model, the UC Berkeley scientists first studied electron microscope images of mollusk mantles in order to understand the network of neurons connecting the sensi
'/>"/>

Contact: Robert Sanders
rsanders@berkeley.edu
510-643-6998
University of California - Berkeley
Source:Eurekalert  

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3 4

Related biology news :

1. Taste, odor intervention improves cancer therapy, according to Virginia Tech, Wake Forest study
2. Girls have superior sense of taste to boys
3. Meeting to highlight health impacts of smell and taste
4. International conference to release new findings on smell and taste
5. Taking a cue from breath fresheners, researcher develops new method for taste testing
6. From delicious to death: Understanding taste
7. Researchers find new taste in fruit flies: carbonated water
8. Your gut has taste receptors
9. SUNY Downstate researchers find that memory storage molecule preserves complex memories
10. Emotion and scent create lasting memories -- even in a sleeping brain
11. Erasing drug-associated memories may stop drug addiction relapses
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
Related Image:
Mollusks taste memories to build shells
(Date:5/19/2013)... Researchers have engineered a strain of electricity-producing bacteria that ... donor and carbon dioxide as its sole source of ... report their findings at the 113th General Meeting of ... first result of current production solely on hydrogen," says ... with his co-authors are part of the Lovley Lab ...
(Date:5/18/2013)... today at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) explores new discoveries ... of coffee on autoimmune disease and palliative care for ... been associated with reduced risk of fibrosis, a new ... java each month also correlate with lower risk for ... Clinic, Rochester, MN, linked coffee consumption with reduced risk ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... Bethesda, MD (May 18, 2013) The AGA Research ... research into the relationship between the gut microbiota, one ... health and disease. , The AGA Research Awards ... colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, ... Award recipient. Dr. Chan will receive $25,000 of funding, ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Coffee consumption associated with reduced risk of autoimmune liver disease 2New gut microbiome research to explore red meat -- colorectal cancer pathway 2
... Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is ... Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip http://www.reportlinker.com/p0170497/Global-Biochip-Markets-Microarrays-and-Lab-on-a-Chip.html ... STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES BCC,s ... of current and emerging biochip technologies and products, and ...
... of Escherichia coli causing a severe illness called hemolytic-uremic syndrome ... killed more than 20 people and sickened more than 2,000. ... strain of E. coli O104:H4 that produces a ... E. coli O157:H7. Two isolates from this outbreak ...
... Ore. June 6, 2011. Sustainability is the theme for ... Society, scheduled to meet in Portland June 19 to ... others from academia, government, non-profit groups, and private industry ... products industry and share information about innovations in the ...
Cached Biology News:Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 2Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 3Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 4Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 5Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 6Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 7Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 8Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 9Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 10Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 11Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 12Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 13Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 14Reportlinker Adds Global Biochip Markets: Microarrays and Lab-on-a-Chip 15Two isolates from E. coli outbreak available 2
(Date:5/21/2013)... , May 21, 2013  MacroGenics, Inc. ... study of margetuximab (MGAH22), an Fc-modified chimeric monoclonal ... expressing the HER2 oncoprotein," will be presented at ... of Clinical Oncology during the Developmental Therapeutics - ... at 4:15 – 4:30 PM.  The presentation will ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... 2013 Bed bugs have become so widespread ... Products, many turn to chemical-based pesticides for help to completely ... environmental risks those solutions present, the company advised the public ... instead. , According to My Cleaning Products, chemical-based pesticides ... to be. It shared that the pests have already developed ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... 2013 Inflamax scientists worked closely ... to design the study, which will provide critical ... models used in the study of allergy treatments, ... Challenge (NAC) models. Although both the models are ... date no direct comparison between the allergic responses ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... Boston, MA (PRWEB) May 21, 2013 ... unified communications platform, Microsoft Lync, for customers in Canada. ... communications software and will allow businesses and organizations ... Last month, SoundConnect released Lync in the United ... US, paired with the product release in Canada, SoundConnect ...
Breaking Biology Technology:MacroGenics Announces Margetuximab (MGAH22) Phase 1 Data Presentation at ASCO; Initiates Phase 2 Clinical Study to Evaluate Activity of Margetuximab in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer 2MacroGenics Announces Margetuximab (MGAH22) Phase 1 Data Presentation at ASCO; Initiates Phase 2 Clinical Study to Evaluate Activity of Margetuximab in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer 3New Guide to Kill Bed Bugs Published by My Cleaning Products, Company Enumerates Non-Toxic Means to Clear the Pests 2New Guide to Kill Bed Bugs Published by My Cleaning Products, Company Enumerates Non-Toxic Means to Clear the Pests 3Inflamax Research selected by the Immune Tolerance Network and the National Institutes of Health to conduct a landmark clinical study on the underlying mechanisms of allergic inflammation. 2SoundConnect Announces Microsoft Lync Release in Canada 2SoundConnect Announces Microsoft Lync Release in Canada 3
... strain of virus broadens government readiness program -, ... the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, announced,today that the ... H5N1 bulk vaccine antigen to produce approximately 38.5 million,doses ... avian influenza. Sanofi,Pasteur has a multi- year contract with ...
... CHINA, April 28 Simcere,Pharmaceutical Group (NYSE: ... generic pharmaceuticals and manufacturer of the patented,anti-cancer biotech ... has been,informed that one of its existing shareholders, ... beneficially owned by 15,individuals, including certain senior management ...
... 28 MBF Healthcare,Acquisition Corp. (Amex: MBH ... today that it and Critical Homecare,Solutions Holdings, Inc. ... therapy and specialty infusion services, are,scheduled to present ... Annual Deutsche,Bank Healthcare Conference in Boston, MA. On ...
Cached Biology Technology:U.S. Government Accepts $192 Million of sanofi pasteur H5N1 Bulk Vaccine Antigen for Pandemic Stockpile 2U.S. Government Accepts $192 Million of sanofi pasteur H5N1 Bulk Vaccine Antigen for Pandemic Stockpile 3U.S. Government Accepts $192 Million of sanofi pasteur H5N1 Bulk Vaccine Antigen for Pandemic Stockpile 4Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Reports Proposed Private Sale of Ordinary Shares by Existing Shareholder 2Simcere Pharmaceutical Group Reports Proposed Private Sale of Ordinary Shares by Existing Shareholder 3MBF Healthcare Acquisition Corp. and Critical Homecare Solutions Holdings, Inc. to Present at the 33rd Annual Deutsche Bank Healthcare Conference 2MBF Healthcare Acquisition Corp. and Critical Homecare Solutions Holdings, Inc. to Present at the 33rd Annual Deutsche Bank Healthcare Conference 3
The novel and unique HCTplus delivers unmatched information-rich data-dependent LC/MSn data for todays challenge in proteomics and metabonomics work....
... new chapter to a 40-year ... 7890A GC gives you everything ... lab to the next level ... including advanced separation capabilities, powerful ...
... short years since publication of the best-selling ... acclaimed Protein Protocols Handbook, there have been ... In recognition of the level of attention ... of new methodologies directed to study them, ...
... silencing experiments often call for critical, ... Transfection Agent refines siRNA transfection protocols ... lipid-based formulation can be used to ... are subcultured without increased cytotoxicity. ...
Biology Products: