Simple cell migration mechanism may explain how hair follicles organize before birth

Posted on in science

Hair patterns are organized before birth
Expansion-induction model (based on positional information) vs. the self-organizational chemotaxis model of placode patterning in two rodent species. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2530407123

In mammals, hair follicles emerge during embryonic development, forming geometric patterns that vary from one species to another. But how is the position of each hair determined? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has shown that a simple mechanism based on the movement of cells in response to chemical signals can reproduce the formation of hair follicles in two mammalian species.

Continue Reading »

From mother to offspring: Young birds show how 'forever chemicals' accumulate

Posted on in science

From mother to offspring: Young birds show how 'forever chemicals' accumulate in Melbourne's industrial west
Credit: Dr Max M Gillings

New research has found young birds living near contaminated industrial and military sites in suburban Melbourne carry especially high concentrations of PFAS, so-called "forever chemicals."

Continue Reading »