Axolotls, the funky little baby-like salamanders, have another quirky trait up their sleeve: they can regrow their brains. When their brains are injured, axolotls undergo neurogenesis (brain growth), but we didn’t know how they did it until now. Ependymoglial cells—a type of brain cell—release a unique molecular signature that kickstarts wound healing. This signature also commands the genes responsible for neurogenesis to start moving to the injured site, enabling brain repair. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
