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Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research focusing on the fundamental processes of life.
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Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
A protein called CDC7, long thought to play an essential role early in the cell division process, is in fact replaceable by another protein called CDK1, according to a study by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The finding represents a fundamental advance in cell biology and may lead to new cancer therapies, since cancers frequently alter the molecular machinery of cell division to sustain their rapid growth.
The study, published online May 4 in Nature, determined the effects of removing CDC7 in a variety of mammalian cell types, a process that has been difficult to achieve. The results suggest that simultaneously targeting CDC7 and CDK1 could be an effective cancer treatment strategy.
This study provides new insight into one of the most important steps in cell division and suggests a new set of targets for future cancer therapies, said Dr. Tobias Meyer, the Joseph Hinsey Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology and a member of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.
The other co-senior author of the study is Dr. Peter Sicinski, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and a researcher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the first authors are Dr. Jan Suski, a postdoctoral fellow in the Sicinski Lab at Dana-Farber, and Nalin Ratnayeke, a senior graduate student in the Meyer Lab at Weill Cornell Medicine.
The process of cell division, also called the cell cycle, is of central importance in biology. As scientists have learned in recent decades, this process is initiated and controlled by a large set of molecules including the signaling proteins CDK1, CDK4, CDK6 and CDC7. Much is already known about how these proteins orchestrate the start of cell division, and cancer drugs that block cell division by blocking both CDK4 and CDK6 are already in use. But the cell cycle roles of CDK1 and CDC7 have been somewhat murky.
Based on prior experiments primarily in yeast cells, CDC7 was thought to be broadly essential for a key initial step in cell divisionmoving the cell from the preparatory phase of the cell cycle, called G1, into the S phase wherein the cell duplicates its DNA and becomes committed to dividing.
In the new study, the researchers used a variety of new and established protein-removal methods to make a surprising discovery: Selectively deleting the mouse version of CDC7 in different cell types may slow or stop cell division, but only for a day or two before cell division resumes. The researchers found that cells in mice, and presumably in all mammals, can compensate for the loss of CDC7 with increased activity from CDK1even though the latter is structurally very different from CDC7 and had been thought to have a completely separate role in cell division.
The findings illuminate the complex molecular orchestration of the cell cycle, and suggest that simultaneously blocking both CDC7 and CDK1 could be a powerful new strategy against cancer. The researchers are now continuing to tease apart the roles of the different molecular actors in the cell cycle.
This work highlights the surprising fact that cells can sometime achieve redundancy for a given function with two very different classes of proteinnot just with two closely related proteins as were used to seeing, Dr. Meyer said.
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Advance in Understanding Cell Division Could Lead to New Cancer Treatments - Weill Cornell Medicine Newsroom
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Cloud computing provides fundamental support to address the challenges with shared computing resources including computing, storage, networking and analytical software. Progress in biomedical research is increasingly driven by insight gained through the analysis and interpretation of large and complex data sets. Recently, cloud computing has emerged as a powerful, flexible, and scalable approach to disparate computational and dataintensive problems. researcher predicts global cloud computing in cell biology market will grow from USD 1,798 million in 2021 to USD 5,830 million by 2028, achieving a CAGR of 18.3 percent, according to the latest edition of the Global Cloud Computing in Cell Biology Market Report.
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Cloud Computing in Cell Biology Market Overview with Demographic Data and Industry Growth Trends 2022-2028 Queen Anne and Mangolia News - Queen Anne...
image:Disturbed cell division in the moss mutant affects plant growth (right) compared to wildtype moss (left). view more
Credit: Elena Kozgunova / University of Freiburg
For a new plant to grow from a seed, cells need to divide numerous times. Daughter cells can each take on different tasks and sometimes vary in size. How plants determine the plane of cell division in this process, known as mitosis, is being researched by Prof. Dr. Ralf Reski and Dr. Elena Kozgunova from the University of Freiburg in a joint effort with Prof. Dr. Gohta Goshima from Nagoya University. Working with Physcomitrella a moss plant, they have now identified how the mitotic apparatus is localized in the plant cell: Using moss cells we were able to observe an unexpected process that is important for the position of the cell division site in plants. The process could be far more similar to animal cell division than previously thought, Reski from the cluster of excellence CIBSS comments on the results of the study, which has appeared in the journal Nature Communications.
When cells divide, microtubules a dynamic network of protein filaments form a mitotic spindle that draws the chromosomes apart and arranges them into two daughter cells. Here, plants and animals differ: once the spindle is formed, it remains in the same place in plant cells. In animal cells, the spindle moves during cell division. The cells divide where it comes to rest. The unusual thing about moss cells is that in the process of mitosis they do not form a belt of microtubules and actin filaments, both elements of the cytoskeleton. Until now it was thought that this preprophase band (PPB) determines where the spindles form and where they are localized in plants. But why is the mitotic spindle static in moss cells like in other plants even though there is no preprophase band? wondered Kozgunova, lead author of the study and holder of a Humboldt-Bayer research fellowship in Reskis laboratory.
Mobile spindles previously unknown in plants
To solve this puzzle, the team delved into the molecular biology box of tricks: they modified spreading earthmoss (Physcomitrella) plants, removing five genes. The researchers knew that they resemble the animal gene of a molecule that is significant in mitosis: the protein TPX2 takes part in mitotic spindle assembly in animals.
Under the microscope the researchers observed mitosis in moss plants without the TPX2 genes. They were startled to find that in these cells the spindles now moved during cell division in leafy shoots known as gametophores. Spindle movement had never been documented before in plant cells, explains Kozgunova. Such cells divided irregularly, and as the plant developed, it led to malformations.
Tug-of-war in the cytoskeleton
The researchers now proceeded to influence the actin skeleton of the cells and showed that actin filaments move the mitotic spindle: Its a kind of tug-of-war between microtubules and actin that positions the mitotic spindle in the cell. It appears to be similar to the processes in animal cells, reports Reski. Likewise, actin filaments are important for spindle transport in animal cells. These findings are helping researchers to identify which signals determine the fate of cells as they develop. They hope that this will improve understanding of plant growth and eventually our ability to influence it.
The recordings of the cell division were produced in the Life Imaging Centre, a central facility of the Cluster of Excellence CIBSS Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies at the University of Freiburg.
Factual overview:
Contact:Prof. Dr. Ralf ReskiPlant BiotechnologyFaculty of BiologyUniversity of FreiburgTel.: +49 761 203-6969e-mail: ralf.reski@biologie.uni-freiburg.dewww.plant-biotech.net
Mathilde Bessert-NettelbeckScience CommunicationCluster of Excellence CIBSSUniversity of FreiburgTel.: +49 761 203 97662e-mail: mathilde.bessert-nettelbeck@cibss.uni-freiburg.de
Nature Communications
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Cell division in moss and animals more similar than previously thought - EurekAlert
Key players in 3D Cell Culture Market are Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Corning Incorporated (US), Merck KGaA (Germany), Lonza AG (Switzerland), REPROCELL Incorporated (Japan), TissUse (Germany), InSphero (Switzerland), Synthecon (US), 3D Biotek (US), CN Bio (UK), Hamilton Company (US), MIMETAS (Netherlands), Emulate (US).
3D Cell Culture Market Research Report Gives in Detailed Analysis of Industry Segments, Opportunities, Growth and Size.
The global 3D cell culture market size is projected to reach USD 1,846 million in 2024 from USD 892 million in 2019, at a CAGR of 15.7%. The growth of this market is driven mainly by the increasing focus on developing alternatives to animal testing, growing focus on personalized medicine, increasing incidence of chronic diseases, and the availability of funding for research. On the other hand, the lack of infrastructure for 3D cell-based research and the high cost of cell biology research are expected to restrain the growth of this market during the forecast period.
The study involved four major activities in estimating the current size of the global 3D cell culture market. Exhaustive secondary research was done to collect information on the market, its peer markets, and its parent market. The next step was to validate these findings, assumptions, and sizing values with industry experts across the value chain through primary research. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches were employed to estimate the complete market size. After that, market breakdown and data triangulation procedures were used to estimate the market size of segments and subsegments.
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The scaffold-based 3D cell cultures segment accounted for the largest share of the 3D cell culture market in 2018
Based on product, the market is segmented into scaffold-based 3D cell cultures, scaffold-free 3D cell cultures, microfluidics-based 3D cell cultures, and magnetic & bioprinted 3D cell cultures. Scaffold-based 3D cell cultures accounted for the largest share of the market in 2018. The advantages of scaffolds in 3D cell culture, such as structural rigidity and the availability of attachment points, have greatly driven the preference for scaffold-based 3D cell cultures and ensured the large share of this segment.
The pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies segment accounted for the largest share of the end-user market in 2018
Based on end user, the market is segmented into pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, research institutes, the cosmetics industry, and other end users. Pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies accounted for the largest share of the market in 2018. The presence of a large number of pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, an increase in R&D spending in these companies, and the growing preference for alternative testing models over animal techniques are the key market drivers in this end-user segment.
Market Size Estimation:Both top-down and bottom-up approaches were used to estimate and validate the total size of the global 3D cell culture market. These methods were also used extensively to estimate the size of various subsegments in the market. The research methodology used to estimate the market size includes the following:
North America commanded the largest share of the market due to the increasing incidence of cancer and the presence of a well-established pharmaceutical & biotechnology industry. However, the market in Europe is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of the market in Europe is attributed to the growth of its pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, recent commercialization ofmicrofluidics-based products, the increasing presence of major market players, and a large number of research activities conducted in the region.
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Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Corning Incorporated (US), Merck KGaA (Germany), Lonza AG (Switzerland), REPROCELL Incorporated (Japan), TissUse (Germany), InSphero (Switzerland), Synthecon (US), 3D Biotek (US), CN Bio (UK), Hamilton Company (US), MIMETAS (Netherlands), Emulate (US), Hrel Corporation (US), QGel SA (Switzerland), SynVivo (US), Advanced BioMatrix (US), Greiner Bio-One International (Austria), and PromoCell (Germany).
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3D Cell Culture Market to Reach USD 1846 million in 2024 Size, Share, Growth, Emerging Trends, Top 10 Players and Industry Outlook - Digital Journal
David Sabatini/Courtesy Whitehead Institute (MIT)
David Sabatini has withdrawn his name from consideration for a faculty post at New York University Langone Health.
In a brief statement sent to BioSpace this morning, Sabatini announced his decision. He said false, distorted, and preposterous allegations about him have intensified across news outlets and social media following reports that he was up for a faculty position.
I understand the enormous pressure this has placed on NYU Langone Health and do not want to distract from its important mission. I have therefore decided to withdraw my name from consideration for a faculty position there, Sabatini said in his statement. I deeply respect NYU Langone Healths mission and appreciate the support from individuals who took the time to learn the facts. I remain steadfast in believing that the truth will ultimately emerge and that I will eventually be vindicated and able to return to my research.
Last week, reports surfaced that Sabatini, who was ousted last year by the Whitehead Institute over allegations of sexual harassment, was up for the faculty position at the New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine. The hiring of Sabatini reportedly had the support of Robert Grossman, the medical school dean, as well as Executive Vice President and Vice Dean for Science Dafna Bar-Sagi, Science reported at the time.
When reports of his possible hiring surfaced, concerns over his appointment were raised by current faculty and staff, according to the reports.
A noted cell biology researcher, Sabatini has filed a counter lawsuit against Whitehead alleging he is a victim of false claims. As BioSpace has previously reported, Sabatini claimed in his lawsuit that a sexual relationship between him and his accuser was consensual. Sabatini, who maintained an HHMI-supported lab at the Whitehead Institute, said he ended the relationship in 2019 but that the accuser, a co-worker, did not want things to end. Sabatini claims that he stressed, on multiple occasions that he did not want a long-term relationship. Once he ended the relationship though, she sought revenge, he claimed.
In addition to holding a post at the Whitehead Institute, Sabatini was also a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a position he resigned earlier this year ahead of what was likely to be a dismissal following an investigation into his situation. It was likely that he would have been terminated by MIT for violating the schools policy on consensual sexual relationships.
Two years ago, Sabatini, along with Michael Hall from Biozentrum, Universitt Basel in Switzerland, won the Sjberg Prize for their research into cell metabolism and cell growth. The prize was awarded based on discoveries made by researchers that showed proteins that regulate cell growth.Sabatinis discovery was in mammals, which showed the protein, dubbed mTOR, senses nutrients and controls how they are used in vital processes in human cells. In some types of cancer, mTOR has been shown to be overactive and stimulate the growth of cancer cells.
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Embattled Researcher Sabatini Withdraws from Consideration for NYU Position - BioSpace
Daniel E. Goldberg, MD, PhD, a renowned researcher in molecular parasitology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Election to the academy, which was announced May 3, is considered one of the highest honors that can be awarded to a U.S. scientist or engineer.
Goldberg, the David M. and Paula L. Kipnis Distinguished Professor, is a professor in theDivision of Infectious Diseaseswithin theDepartment of Medicine, and a professor of molecular microbiology.
Goldbergs work centers on the biochemistry of the parasite that causes malaria. More specifically, his research focuses on the proteins that are synthesized by the parasite, the enzymes that break down the host red blood cell hemoglobin, and different genes that can be targeted for drug therapy. His research seeks to improve the efficiency of treatment and to prevent initial infection.
Malaria, a life-threatening disease, is caused by a parasite that commonly infects a type of mosquito that then transfers the parasite to people. The World Health Organization estimated that in 2020, 241 million people were infected with malaria; of them, some 627,000 died, most of them children in Africa.
The Goldberg labs work involves a combination of biochemical, genetic, genomic, cell biological and physiological approaches aimed at understanding the biology of this nefarious organism.
Goldberg has served in many roles at the university, including as a past co-director of the Division of Infectious Diseases, director of the Medical Scientist Training Program, and as a member of the executive council of the Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences.
He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and the American Association of Physicians. His many honors include the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biologys prestigious C.C. and Alice Wang Award in Molecular Parasitology. He also was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator for 20 years.
Goldberg earned a bachelors degree from Harvard University before receiving his medical degree and doctorate at Washington University. He completed his residency at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, a fellowship in infectious diseases at Washington University and a postdoctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University. He then returned to Washington University, where he was named professor in 1998.
The National Academy of Sciences announced 120 newly elected members in the U.S and 30 international members in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. The total number of active members is now 2,512, and the total number of international members is 517. International associates are nonvoting members of the academy, with citizenship outside the United States.
Washington University School of Medicines 1,700 faculty physicians also are the medical staff ofBarnes-JewishandSt. Louis Childrenshospitals. The School of Medicine is a leader in medical research, teaching and patient care, and currently is No. 4 in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Childrens hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked toBJC HealthCare.
Originally published by the School of Medicine
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Goldberg elected to National Academy of Sciences - The Source - Washington University in St. Louis - Washington University in St. Louis
Eindhoven, The Netherlands Life Science Newswire CytoSMART Technologies, an Axion Bio company, today announced the launch of the CytoSMART Omni FL, a next-generation live-cell imaging analysis system incorporating red and green fluorescence channels into its signature CytoSMART Omni product line for the first time. The advance reflects the companys ongoing commitment to provide high-quality, accessible live-cell imaging to every cell biology lab and offers an innovative platform for researchers in stem cell biology, immuno-oncology, virology, toxicology, neurology, and other fields.
Joffry Maltha, CEO at CytoSMART Technologies stated, We are very excited to launch a fluorescence version of the popular brightfield live-cell imager CytoSMART Omni. The new CytoSMART Omni FL brings research to another level and allows scientists to gain greater insight into their experiments while reducing the amount of time spent on manual labor. This advancement represents the next big step in our continued product line innovation strategy designed to accelerate scientific discovery and drug development.
Live-cell fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool with broad applications in biological research. Using fluorescent tags, dyes, and other methods to label and examine molecules of interest, imaging provides a critical window into the physiology and function of cells over time and enables the creation of high-quality time-lapse videos to track complex cellular processes. Featuring an innovative design that operates efficiently in a cell culture incubator, universal compatibility with any transparent culture vessel, and AI-driven analysis with user-friendly data storage solutions, the low-maintenance CytoSMART Omni FL overcomes the limitations of other imaging platforms and allows for plug-and-play experimentation right out of the box. Applications of live-cell fluorescence imaging include evaluating cell health and viability, assessing wound healing and colony formation, studying transfection efficiency, and investigating complex culture models such as co-cultures and 3D organoids.
According to Axion President and CEO Tom OBrien, CytoSMART has reimagined the microscope, engineering powerful imaging systems that fit comfortably in a standard incubator. While other imaging systems may miss small changes or rare cells or interest, the CytoSMART Omni continuously captures the whole culture surface for a more complete picture. The launch of the Omni FL is another step forward in our mission to provide customers with high-quality instruments and powerful software that rapidly advance live-cell research, as well as cell and gene therapy development.
For more information on CytoSMART Omni FL, visit the official CytoSMART website.
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CytoSMART Technologies launches the Omni FLan advanced fluorescence live-cell imaging analysis system - Microbioz India
Work type: Full-timeDepartment: Department of Chemistry (25200)Categories: Academic-related Staff
Applications are invited for appointment as Post-doctoral Fellow in the Department of Chemistry (Ref.: 512690), to commence as soon as possible for two years, with the possibility of renewal subject to satisfactory performance.
Applicants should possess a Ph.D. degree in Biology or relevant fields, with a strong background in cell biology and molecular biology. They should have fluency in written and spoken English and Chinese, a strong sense of responsibility, good organizational skills, leadership skills, the ability to work independently and be self-motivated. The appointee will work on the research area of cell biology under the supervision of Dr. Haibo Jiang. Enquiries about the duties of the post should be sent to Dr. Haibo Jiang at hbjiang@hku.hk.
A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical benefits. At current rates, salaries tax does not exceed 15% of gross income.
The University only accepts online application for the above posts. Applicants should apply online and upload an up-to-date C.V. Review of applications will commence as soon as possible and continue until May 13, 2022, or until the posts are filled, whichever is earlier.
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Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry job with THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG | 292308 - Times Higher Education
image:Activation of the sleep neuron causes a stress gene expression response in the entire body of the worm, visualized here in red by staining for HSP-12.6, a Heat Shock Protein required for survival. view more
Credit: Anastasios Koutsoumparis
Sleep is an essential process that influences all tissues and systems in our bodies. On a molecular level, sleep induces the expression of genes that help maintain the brain and body. Missing a night of sleep is a tremendous challenge to the body. It activates genes that carry out stress response and protect the body from the consequences of sleep deprivation. Part of this stress response is activation of protective genes from the so-called FOXO pathway. This pathway is involved in a multitude of cellular processes that overall contribute to recovery, survival, and longevity. How sleep and lack of sleep trigger these changes in gene expression was not understood. To address this long-standing question, scientists at the Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC) of TU Dresden led by Prof. Henrik Bringmann studied sleep in C. elegans worms.
To trigger sleep, our body has to turn off wakefulness. There is a special set of sleep neurons for this task. These sleep neurons send signals that shut down other neurons responsible for arousal, and in this way promote sleep. Humans have thousands of these sleep neurons located in various centers in the brain, says Prof. Henrik Bringmann. What makes C. elegans a wonderful minimal model to study sleep is that it has only one key sleep-active neuron that induces sleep.
Its All About the Sleep Neuron
The Bringmann team wanted to test how this sleep neuron affects changes in gene expression during sleep. Sleep neurons are active during sleep, and they are activated even further during sleep deprivation. This might be counterintuitive at first but it is because our body acts as a homeostat. If something throws it off balance, our body tries to compensate to restore equilibrium. In this case, disturbing sleep causes the body to activate sleep neurons more and more, in an attempt to force sleep, explains Prof. Bringmann.
The team has genetically engineered two versions of the C. elegans worms. One type had its sleep neuron permanently inactive and the other permanently active. Both of these extreme situations resulted in the loss of sleep. This was an experimental advantage for us, as we were able to test whether the sleep neuron controls gene expression independently of sleep, says Prof. Bringmann.
As a result, scientists observed that the expression of stress response and protective genes decreased when sleep neuron was off. On the other hand, the expression of these genes increased when the sleep neuron was permanently active. These results show that the protective gene expression is a function of sleep neuron activity, explains Prof. Bringmann.
The results provide a new interpretation of the consequences of disturbing sleep in C. elegans. Our experiments suggest that the protective gene expression response that is observed when sleep is disturbed is rather not caused by the actual loss of sleep, but by the overactivation of the sleep neuron, says Prof. Bringmann.
Lessons From The Worm
The results provide an unexpected link between sleep neuron activity and gene expression. While the results originate from the C. elegans worm, they present a potential paradigm shift for understanding the consequences of sleep deprivation and insomnia also in other animals.
Disturbing sleep is known to cause overactivation of sleep-active neurons in many animals, adds Prof. Bringmann. It could be that the activity of sleep neurons controls stress response and the protective, longevity-related gene expression also in other animals and perhaps even in humans. These questions make for an interesting topic of further studies.
Original PublicationAnastasios Koutsoumparis, Luisa M.Welp, Alexander Wulf, Henning Urlaub, David Meierhofer, Stefan Brno, Bernd Timmermann, InkaBusac, Henrik Bringmann: Sleep neuron depolarization promotes protective gene expression changes and FOXO activation. Current Biology (May 2022)Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.012
About the Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC)The Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC) was founded in 2000 as a central scientific unit of the TU Dresden with the goal of combining modern approaches in molecular and cell biology with the traditionally strong engineering in Dresden. Since 2016, the BIOTEC is part of the central scientific unit Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB) of the TU Dresden. The BIOTEC is fostering developments in research and teaching within the Molecular Bioengineering research field and combines approaches in cell biology, biophysics and bioinformatics. It plays a central role within the research priority area Health Sciences, Biomedicine and Bioengineering of the TU Dresden.www.tu-dresden.de/cmcb/biotecwww.tu-dresden.de/cmcb
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
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With or without sleep: Sleep neuron activity boosts protective gene expression and safeguards survival - EurekAlert