California Institute of Technology

Caltech Researchers Develop Gene Therapy to Boost Brain Repair for Demyelinating Diseases
02/08/12 02/08/12 Our bodies are full of tiny superheroes—antibodies that fight foreign invaders, cells that regenerate, and structures that ensure our systems run smoothly. One such structure is myelin, a material that forms a protective cape around the axons of our nerve cells so that they can send signals quickly and efficiently. But myelin becomes damaged in demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis, leaving neurons without their sheaths. Researchers from Caltech now believe they have found a way to help the brain replace damaged myelin. [more]
Making Sense of Sensory Connections
01/26/12 01/25/12 A key feature of human and animal brains is that they are adaptive; they are able to change their structure and function based on input from the environment and on the potential associations, or consequences, of that input. To learn more about such neural adaptability, researchers at Caltech have explored the brains of insects and identified a mechanism by which the connections in their brain change to form new and specific memories of smells.   [more]
Neuroscientists Find That Status within Groups Can Affect IQ
02/01/12 01/23/12 Our cognitive abilities and decision-making skills can be dramatically hindered in social settings where we feel that we are being ranked or assigned a status level, such as classrooms and work environments, according to new findings from a team of researchers from Caltech and four other institutions. The finding flies in the face of long-held ideas about intelligence and cognition that regard IQ as a stable, predictive measure of mental horsepower.  [more]
S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation Gives $25 Million to Enrich Campus Life, Outreach Programs
02/01/12 01/19/12 With an interest in enhancing the living and learning environment at Caltech, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation has pledged $25 million to support campus life and outreach programs. [more]
Caltech Chemists Devise Chemical Reaction that Holds Promise for New Drug Development
02/01/12 01/13/12 A team of researchers at  Caltech has devised a new method for making complex molecules. The reaction they have come up with should enable chemists to synthesize new varieties of a whole subclass of organic compounds called nitrogen-containing heterocycles, thus opening up new avenues for the development of novel pharmaceuticals and natural products ranging from chemotherapeutic compounds to bioactive plant materials such as morphine. [more]
Elon Musk to Deliver Caltech Commencement Address
01/13/12 01/13/12 Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk will be the speaker for the 118th annual commencement ceremony at Caltech. The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on June 15, 2012. [more]
Astronomers Release Unprecedented Data Set on Celestial Objects that Brighten and Dim
01/12/12 01/12/12 Astronomers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Arizona have released the largest data set ever collected that documents the brightening and dimming of stars and other celestial objects—two hundred million in total. [more]
Worm Seeks Worm: Caltech Researchers Find Chemical Cues Driving Aggregation in Nematodes
01/12/12 01/12/12 Scientists have long seen evidence of social behavior among many species of animals. Dolphins frolic together, lions live in packs, and hornets construct nests that can house a large number of the insects. And, right under our feet, it appears that roundworms are having their own little gatherings in the soil. Until recently, it was unknown how the worms communicate to one another when it's time to come together. Now, however, researchers from Caltech have identified, for the first time, the chemical signals that promote aggregation. [more]
Astronomers Find Three Smallest Planets Outside Solar System
01/11/12 01/11/12 A team of astronomers led by scientists at Caltech has discovered the three smallest confirmed planets ever detected outside our solar system. The three planets, which all orbit a single star, are smaller than Earth and appear to be rocky with a solid surface. Their existence suggests that the galaxy could be teeming with similarly rocky planets—and that there's a good chance that many are in the so-called habitable zone, where liquid water and possibly life could exist. [more]
Caltech Elects Two New Members to Board of Trustees
01/11/12 01/09/12 Two business leaders, Joshua S. Friedman and Richmond A. Wolf, have been elected to the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Friedman will serve on the board as a trustee and Wolf (MS '94, PhD '97) as a young alumni trustee. [more]

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