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Emerging tools and techniques that may advance autism research.

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August 2017
A family holding hands and walking down the sidewalk.

Whole genomes may power search for autism risk factors

by  /  23 August 2017

Scientists this week announced the release of nearly 7,000 whole-genome sequences from a collection of families that each have one child with autism.

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Spheres that mimic the blood-brain barrier are wrapped in endothelial cells (green), which line blood vessels in the brain.

Spheres of cells reveal which drugs can enter brains

by  /  18 August 2017

Microscopic balls of brain and blood vessel cells mimic the barrier that protects the brain from foreign invaders.

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luorescent probes mark the expression patterns of three genes in a transparent fruit fly brain.

Method lights up active genes in fruit fly brains

by  /  11 August 2017

A new technique illustrates how mutations associated with autism affect gene expression at different stages of development in the fly brain.

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Innovative tool allows for virtual experiments on mouse brain

by  /  4 August 2017

New software transforms mouse brain scans into a virtual brain that scientists can manipulate.

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July 2017

New method rates strength of ties between genes, conditions

by  /  28 July 2017

A new method can help researchers and clinicians gauge the likelihood that a gene is associated with a particular condition.

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Like children, marmosets learn to ‘talk’ by listening

by  /  21 July 2017

Baby marmosets learn to vocalize by mimicking their parents, which helps to establish their utility for studying autism.

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Standard scale identifies anxiety in children with autism

by  /  14 July 2017

A widely used questionnaire designed to measure anxiety flags the condition in children with autism.

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Scale tests mental flexibility in children with autism

by  /  7 July 2017

A new assessment offers a broad measure of ‘flexible thinking’ in children and teenagers with autism.

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June 2017

Tube test tracks social behavior in mice

by  /  30 June 2017

Measuring how long a mouse cozies up with a cagemate in a tiny tube can help to detect social impairments in mice.

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Mini-brains bare tortuous trek of cells in Timothy syndrome

by  /  23 June 2017

A new technique for building a ‘brain in a dish’ reveals how neurons move to their proper places during fetal development.

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