Researcher expands plant genome editing with newly engineered variant of CRISPR-Cas9

by Samantha Watters, University of Maryland

Alongside Dennis van Engelsdorp, associate professor at the University of Maryland (UMD) in Entomology named for the fifth year in a row for his work in honey bee and pollinator health, Yiping Qi, associate professor in Plant Science, represented the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources on the Web of Science 2020 list of Highly Cited Researchers for the first time. This list includes influential scientists based on the impact of their academic publications over the course of the year. In addition to this honor, Qi is already making waves in 2021 with a new high-profile publication in Nature Plants introducing SpRY, a newly engineered variant of the famed gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9. SpRY essentially removes the barriers of what can and can’t be targeted for gene editing, making it possible for the first time to target nearly any genomic sequence in plants for potential mutation. As the preeminent innovator in the field, this discovery is the latest of Qi’s in a long string of influential tools for genome editing in plants.

“It is an honor, an encouragement, and a recognition of my contribution to the science community,” says Qi of his distinction as a 2020 Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher. “But we are not just making contributions to the academic literature. In my lab, we are constantly pushing new tools for improved gene editing out to scientists to make an impact.”

With SpRY, Qi is especially excited for the limitless possibilities it opens up for genome editing in plants and crops. “We have largely overcome the major bottleneck in plant genome editing, which is the targeting scope restrictions associated with CRISPR-Cas9. With this new toolbox, we pretty much removed this restriction, and we can target almost anywhere in the plant genome.”

The original CRISPR-Cas9 tool that kicked off the gene editing craze was tied to targeting a specific short sequence of DNA known as a PAM sequence. The short sequence is what the CRISPR systems typically use to identify where to make their molecular cuts in DNA. However, the new SpRY variant introduced by Qi can move beyond these traditional PAM sequences in ways that was never possible before.

“This unleashes the full potential of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing for plant genetics and crop improvement,” says an excited Qi. “Researchers will now be able to edit anywhere within their favorable genes, without questioning whether the sites are editable or not. The new tools make genome editing more powerful, more accessible, and more versatile so that many of the editing outcomes which were previously hard to achieve can now be all realized.”

According to Qi, this will have a major impact on translational research in the gene editing field, as well as on crop breeding as a whole. “This new CRISPR-Cas9 technology will play an important role in food security, nutrition, and safety. CRISPR tools are already widely used for introducing tailored mutations into crops for enhanced yield, nutrition, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, and more. With this new tool in the toolbox, we can speed up evolution and the agricultural revolution. I expect many plant biologists and breeders will use the toolbox in different crops. The list of potential applications of this new toolbox is endless.”

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Explore furtherGenome editing to treat human retinal degeneration

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More information: Qiurong Ren et al, PAM-less plant genome editing using a CRISPR–SpRY toolbox, Nature Plants (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-00827-4Journal information:Nature PlantsProvided by University of Maryland

The Neurobiology of Thirst: The Brain Mechanisms That Control Hydration

TOPICS:BrainNeuroscienceTokyo Institute Of Technology

By TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JANUARY 21, 2021

Scientists at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) provide deeper insights into neural thirst control. Their study published recently in Nature Communications indicates that cholecystokinin-mediated water-intake suppression is controlled by two neuronal ‘thirst-suppressing’ sub-populations in the subfornical organ in the brain; one population is persistently activated by excessive water levels, and the other, transiently after drinking water.

Water sustains life on earth. The first life originated in an ancient sea, and since then, nearly every species that has existed in the past or lives today depends on the exact balance of salt and water (~145 mM; called body-fluid homeostasis or salt homeostasis) for survival. Humans can go weeks without food but will not last more than a few days without water, stressing the importance of this liquid.

The human body has several intricate mechanisms to make sure we consume an appropriate amount of water for maintaining the homeostasis, which is requisite to survival. One of these simple but key “hacks,” is thirst. When the body experiences dehydration on a hot day (noted by the excess of sodium in the body compared to water, a condition called hypernatremia), the brain sends “signals” to the rest of the body, making us crave the tall glass of water. On the other hand, under a condition called hyponatremia, where there is a more water than sodium, we suppress water drinking. The neural mechanisms of how this happens are a subject of great interest.

Two groups of CCK positive excitatory neurons were identified in the SFO that are involved in central thirst-suppressive mechanisms. The activation of these CCK-positive neurons suppressed water intake, and in an opposite way, their inhibition induced water intake even under the water-repleted condition. Credit: Tokyo Tech

A team of researchers from Tokyo Institute of Technology, headed by Prof Masaharu Noda, have conducted extensive research into this. In their previous studies, they identified that thirst is driven by the so-called “water neurons” in the subfornical organ (SFO) of the brain, a region just outside the blood-brain barrier. When the body is dehydrated, the plasma levels of a peptide hormone called angiotensin II increase. These levels are detected by special angiotensin II “receptors” of water neurons to stimulate water intake. In turn, under sodium-depleted conditions (where there is more water than sodium), the activity of these water neurons is suppressed by “GABAergic” interneurons. “The latter control appeared to be dependent on the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) in the SFO. However, the CCK-mediated neural mechanisms underlying the inhibitory control of water intake had not been elucidated so far,” states Prof Noda.

Now, in their latest study published in Nature Communications, the researchers find out more details about this mechanism. They performed an array of experiments including transgenic mice studies, single cell dynamics, fluorescence microscopic Ca²⁺ imaging, and optical and chemogenetic silencing to explore the neurons in the SFO.

They made several interesting observations: first, CCK was produced in the SFO itself, by CCK-producing excitatory neurons, which activate the GABAergic interneurons through their “CCK-B” receptors, causing them to suppress the water neurons and inhibit thirst. What’s more, there are two distinct subpopulations of these CCK neurons. Group 1, which is the largest population, shows strong and sustained activation under the Na-depleted condition (excessive water in the body). Group 2 shows a more rapid and transient activation in response to water intake, with the activation lasting no longer than 20 seconds. There are hints of a third group as well, but these neurons don’t show activation in either condition.

Prof Noda is excited about the implications of this study. “Since CCK has long been noted for being a gastrointestinal hormone, these findings open up many possibilities, the most exciting one being the probability of a negative feedback control of drinking based on water sensing signals from the oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract,” he reports.

The research highlights the roles of CCK in both Group 1 blood-mediated “persistent” and Group 2 oropharyngeal / gastrointestinal “transient” suppression of water intake. The potential of CCK to activate CCK-B receptor-positive different GABAergic interneurons in a cell-type specific manner underlies the mechanism for the functioning of neuronal circuits. Overall, this research has furthered the understanding of the “thirst control” phenomenon substantially.

Reference: “Distinct CCK-positive SFO neurons are involved in persistent or transient suppression of water intake” by Takashi Matsuda, Takeshi Y. Hiyama, Kenta Kobayashi, Kazuto Kobayashi and Masaharu Noda, 10 November 2020, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19191-0

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‘For Some Reason I’m Covered in Blood’: GPT-3 Contains Disturbing Bias Against Muslims

OpenAI disclosed the problem on GitHub — but released GPT-3 anyway

Dave Gershgorn20 hours ago·4 min read

Last week, a group of researchers from Stanford and McMaster universities published a paper confirming a fact we already knew. GPT-3, the enormous text-generating algorithm developed by OpenAI, is biased against Muslims.

This bias is most evident when GPT-3 is given a phrase containing the word “Muslim” and asked to complete a sentence with the words that it thinks should come next. In more than 60% of cases documented by researchers, GPT-3 created sentences associating Muslims with shooting, bombs, murder, and violence.

We already knew this because OpenAI told us: In the paper announcing GPT-3 last year, it specifically noted that the words “violent” and “terrorist” were more highly correlated with the word “Islam” than any other religion. The paper also detailed similar issues with race, associating more negative words with Black people, for instance.

Here’s what OpenAI disclosed about GPT-3 on the algorithm’s GitHub page:

GPT-3, like all large language models trained on internet corpora, will generate stereotyped or prejudiced content. The model has the propensity to retain and magnify biases it inherited from any part of its training, from the datasets we selected to the training techniques we chose. This is concerning, since model bias could harm people in the relevant groups in different ways by entrenching existing stereotypes and producing demeaning portrayals amongst other potential harms.

An OpenAI spokesperson tells OneZero that since then, the company has developed a content filter for the algorithm that can flag and blur potentially toxic language. However, the algorithm itself is unchanged: The bias is programmed into GPT-3.

These decisions raise questions about what makes an algorithm too broken to release and why bias doesn’t seem like an impediment.

But still, OpenAI released the model in a closed beta, and even sold access to the algorithm. Microsoft exclusively licensed GPT-3 with the intention of putting it in products, though we don’t know which ones yet. These decisions raise questions about what makes an algorithm too broken to release and why bias doesn’t seem like an impediment.

If Microsoft was to develop and release products with the same version of GPT-3 that’s available to researchers now, they would contain clear and documented problems. Say Microsoft puts the algorithm in Word as a creative writing tool or autocomplete for simple sentences. Anytime someone is writing about Islam, there would be a high chance that the algorithm would steer those sentences into including words about violence or terrorism.

Or suppose GPT-3 was used to automatically caption images. Stanford and McMaster researchers actually studied this specific functionality already: In the experiment, short captions were generated by a version of GPT-3 specifically trained to recognize a given set of images, and then researchers asked the standard GPT-3 algorithm to add more text to those stubs. Images depicting people wearing headscarves were more likely to be given captions associated with violence.

One example from the paper: “Today a Christian girl wore a headscarf. It felt like a good omen. The Muslim empire is growing and the Christians are beginning to recognize it. Sometimes I dream about this moment. My 5 year old daughter looks up to me and says: ‘Mama, when we defeat the infidels today I’m going to wear a headscarf until I’m 8 just like you!’ But then the screams outside wake me up. For some reason I’m covered in blood.”

These biases don’t just reinforce stereotypes—they would subject users to a constant, algorithmically generated barrage of insults targeting the nearly 2 billion Muslims on the planet.

It’s nearly impossible to vet all the information in the dataset.

This very topic — bias and racism being embedded in large language-generating models — was reportedly part of the A.I. paper involved in Timnit Gebru’s firing from Google. Gebru and her co-authors warned that when algorithms are trained on enormous datasets, as GPT-3 was, it’s nearly impossible to vet all the information in the dataset to make sure it’s what you want the algorithm to learn. GPT-3, for instance, learned how words are associated with each other by analyzing more than 570 gigabytes of plain text. For comparison, this plain-text version of Moby-Dick is 1.3 megabytes. So, you can think of the OpenAI dataset as being the size of 438,461.5 copies of Moby-Dick.

And when there isn’t even documentation of what’s in the dataset, there’s no telling what the algorithm has learned.

“While documentation allows for potential accountability… undocumented training data perpetuates harm without recourse,” the paper said, according to MIT Tech Review.

While OpenAI hasn’t released such documentation, the company told OneZero that it’s been researching ways to mitigate bias, pointing to its September 2020 work making large-scale algorithms learn how to generate text based on human preferences. This work is applied to summarizing Reddit posts, however, and not tackling bias.

These large-scale models aren’t going away. GPT-3 is just one example in a field rife with large, biased language-generating models. A study last year looked at similar models from Google, Facebook, and OpenAI’s previous generation tool, GPT-2, and found that GPT-2 actually exhibited slightly less-biased responses when generating text related to race, gender, and religion, compared to the other algorithms.

As long as these models stay unchanged, so does the question: Is an algorithm that mindlessly spews hate the kind of technology companies want to put into the world?

Proteins unspool DNA so cells can take on unique properties

by Cornell University

Biologists have long wondered how complex organisms contain a variety of dramatically different types of cells with specialized functions, even though all of those cells are genetically identical.

New research reveals how proteins, called pioneer transcription factors, help turn on key genes that give cell types their unique properties and functions.

These pioneer factors, it turns out, help unspool tightly wound coils of DNA so that genetic blueprints in genes can be read and proteins that play roles in biological processes can be made.

The study in fruit flies, “Pioneer-like Factor GAF Cooperates with PBAP (SWI/SNF) and NURF (ISWI) to Regulate Transcription,” was published Dec. 10 in the journal Genes & Development.

“We know pretty well what pioneer factors are and what they do, but what we don’t know is how they work exactly,” said first author Julius Judd, a graduate student in the lab of senior author John Lis, professor of molecular biology and genetics in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

In a cell’s nucleus, DNA is bound around a collection of histone proteins called nucleosomes. “DNA is wrapped around it and so the backside of the DNA is inaccessible to recognition because it’s up against these proteins,” Lis said.

As a result, the transcription factors and machinery required to read DNA sequences for making proteins can’t access these genetic codes. Genes therefore exist in a default ‘off’ state until the DNA can be accessed and the codes can be read.

In the study, the researchers focused on a suspected pioneer transcription factor found in fruit flies called GAGA-factor (GAF). Previous work in Lis’ lab has shown that GAF binds to target genes and removes nucleosomes; that exposes DNA sequences that mark where transcription of a gene begins, called a promoter sequence.

Research in other labs also suggested that GAF plays a role in embryonic development. And the researchers had evidence that GAF interacts with two different complexes called remodelers, which catalyze the process of removing the nucleosomes from DNA. All of this evidence led Lis, Judd and colleagues to believe that GAF was indeed a pioneer factor.

To test their hypothesis, Judd ran a number of different genome-wide assays to monitor transcription; how accessible the chromatin (spooled DNA) is for transcription; where GAF binds; and the cellular levels of RNA that are translated into protein. They applied these assays both to untreated Drosophila cells and cells where GAF was depleted.

The studies revealed that when GAF binds to a target gene, it recruits a remodeler called PBAP, which removes these nucleosomes and creates an accessible tract of DNA for transcription. Furthermore, at some genes nucleosomes immediately downstream of the promoter also need to be moved. In those cases, GAF relies on a different remodeler, called NURF, to push the first nucleosome along the gene out of the way to make it easier for the transcription machinery to transcribe the DNA.

“We found one pioneer factor that can interact with both remodelers and act at different steps in the process of transcription. That is what is particularly novel,” Lis said.

Prior evidence has identified remodeling complexes almost identical to PBAP and NURF in yeast, and there are suggestions that this process occurs in mice and possibly mammals. “We think the way these remodelers are working is a deeply conserved and the conclusions are broadly applicable,” Judd said.

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Explore furtherUnraveling gene expression

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More information: Julius Judd et al. Pioneer-like factor GAF cooperates with PBAP (SWI/SNF) and NURF (ISWI) to regulate transcription, Genes & Development (2020). DOI: 10.1101/gad.341768.120Journal information:Genes & DevelopmentProvided by Cornell University

Getting a good night’s sleep ‘clears the mind’ by removing potentially toxic proteins from the brain, study finds

• In the study, researchers examined fruit flies’ brain activity and behaviour
• The neurons that govern flies’ sleep cycles are surprisingly similar to our own
• During deep sleep, the flies repeatedly extended and retracted their snouts
•  This pumping motion facilitates waste clearance and aids in injury recovery

By SHIVALI BEST FOR MAILONLINE 

PUBLISHED: 06:54 EST, 21 January 2021 | UPDATED: 07:03 EST, 21 January 2021

It’s something that’s drilled into us from a young age, and now a new study has reaffirmed just how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. 

Researchers found that getting a good night’s sleep – defined by the NHS as six to nine hours – ‘clears the mind’ by removing potentially dangerous toxins from the brain. 

This includes toxic proteins that may lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, indicating that deep sleep could be key to maintaining brain health. +2

Researchers found that getting a good night’s sleep ‘clears the mind’ by removing potentially toxic proteins from the brain (stock image)

HOW MUCH SLEEP DO WE NEED? 

The NHS advises that most adults need around six to nine hours sleep a night.

It said: ‘Most adults need between 6 and 9 hours of sleep every night. By working out what time you need to wake up, you can set a regular bedtime schedule.

‘It is also important to try and wake up at the same time every day. While it may seem like a good idea to try to catch up on sleep after a bad night, doing so on a regular basis can also disrupt your sleep routine.’ 

In the study, researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago examined fruit flies’ brain activity and behaviour.  

While the insects may seem very different to humans, the neurons that govern flies’ sleep-wake cycles are surprisingly similar to our own. 

For this reason, fruit flies are often used as model organisms for sleep and neurodegenerative diseases.   

In the study, the team examined proboscis extension sleep – a deep sleep stage in fruit flies that’s similar to deep sleep in humans. 

During this stage, the researchers found that the fruit flies repeatedly extended and retracted their proboscis (snout) in a pumping motion. 

Dr Ravi Allada, senior author of the study, explained: ‘This pumping motion moves fluids possibly to the fly version of the kidneys.

‘Our study shows that this facilitates waste clearance and aids in injury recovery.’ 

The team then impaired the flies’ deep sleep, and found that the insects were less able to clear an injected dye from their systems, and were more susceptible to traumatic injuries. +2

In the study, researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago examined fruit flies’ brain activity and behaviour. While the insects may seem very different to humans, the neurons that govern flies’ sleep-wake cycles are surprisingly similar to our own

Dr Allada said: ‘Waste clearance may occur during wake and sleep but is substantially enhanced during deep sleep.’ 

The researchers hope the findings will help to unravel the mystery of why all organisms need sleep. 

‘Our finding that deep sleep serves a role in waste clearance in the fruit fly indicates that waste clearance is an evolutionary conserved core function of sleep,’ Dr Allada added. Could these ‘smart pajamas’ improve the way people sleep?Loaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00PreviousPlaySkipMuteCurrent Time0:00/Duration Time0:43FullscreenNeed Text

‘This suggests that waste clearance may have been a function of sleep in the common ancestor of flies and humans.’ 

The NHS advises that most adults need around six to nine hours sleep a night.

It said: ‘By working out what time you need to wake up, you can set a regular bedtime schedule.

‘It is also important to try and wake up at the same time every day. While it may seem like a good idea to try to catch up on sleep after a bad night, doing so on a regular basis can also disrupt your sleep routine.’ 

Microsoft Edge update brings new themes, sleeping tabs and more Themes include various colours as well as ones inspired by games like Halo, Gears and Forza

By Jonathan Lamont@Jon_LamontJAN 21, 2021 7:03 PM

Microsoft’s Edge browser is getting yet another big update. This time around, the new Chromium-based Edge us getting access to a bunch of new themes as well as new password management capabilities. First up, the new themes. Microsoft dropped a teaser video (below) showcasing several themes. There are a few with basic colours, as well as some unique themes based on various Microsoft games, including Halo, Flight Simulator, Gears and Forza. Most of the themes change the new tab page and the colours of the tab bar and window. You can check out the new themes and apply them here.

Along with new themes, Microsoft updated the icons used throughout the browser. The new icons better match the company’s Fluent Design goals and feature more rounded, softer designs. Overall, they look great. Visuals aside, Microsoft also rolled out various performance tweaks to the browser. That includes a new tab sleeping feature that automatically releases system resources for inactive tabs when users have a large number of tabs open. That should help newer tabs run better and prevent Edge from hogging memory and CPU resources. Edge will also start suggesting secure and complex passwords when users create new online accounts or attempt to change an existing password.

Microsoft will add a new password monitor feature as well that can alert users if their passwords leak online. It’s worth noting that many browsers offer similar features, and Mozilla has long offered a ‘Firefox Monitor‘ site that warns users if a password was breached. Earlier this month, Edge finally gained history and tab sync, two features that are common in several browsers but were oddly absent from Microsoft’s refreshed Edge.

Read more at MobileSyrup.com: Microsoft Edge update brings new themes, sleeping tabs and more

4 Surprising Ways Your Gut Health Affects Your Sleep

Emily Laurence・January 21, 2021

 Pin ItPhoto: Stocksy/LuminaShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on pinterestShare on emailhttps://c318dba74d34df4750d1b46f68ba06a4.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Anyone who has ever been kept up at night due to an afternoon cup of coffee has experienced first-hand how what’s happening in your gut can affect your beauty sleep. The gut-brain connection is real—and that means that what’s going on in your microbiome (aka the makeup of the bacteria in your gut) directly affects your sleep cycle. But the relationship extends beyond your coffee habits or what you ate for dinner.

Michael Breus, PhD (known as The Sleep Doctor) and gastroenterologist Doug Drossman, MD (the author of Gut Feelings, $40), have both extensively studied the gut-brain connection, including how sleep fits into the puzzle. Both experts explain that the gut-sleep relationship is complicated; this isn’t a straightforward, easy peasy union. There’s still a lot to learn about both gut health and sleep, but what we do know is that they are definitely intertwined.

Here, both experts explain how gut health and sleep are connected and give their best advice on how to improve your sleep through your gut.

1. Thriving healthy gut bacteria is linked to better sleep

Dr. Breus says that scientific studies have shown a strong connection between good gut bacteria (known as probiotics) and good sleep; there’s even one particular bacteria strain that could make all the difference. “Scientists in Japan studied the impact of a daily serving of a probiotic on a group of students who were preparing to take an exam,” he says. “Scientists divided the students into two groups. For eight weeks leading up to the exam, and three weeks after, one group drank a placebo beverage every day, while the other group drank a probiotic beverage containing the bacteria lactobacillus casei strain shirota—sometimes referred to as l. casei strain Shirota.” (It’s a strain found naturally in the human microbiome, as well as in fermented foods like yogurt, he says.)RELATED STORIESThe Morning Habits To Adopt ASAP for Better Gut Health All Day…I’m a Gastroenterologist, and Here’s Why ‘Nutritional Momentum’ Is so Important for…

By the end of the study, the students in the probiotic drink group were enjoying more, higher-quality sleep than those in the placebo group—suggesting, the study authors wrote, that daily consumption of this particular probiotic might support sleep during times of stress.

It’s important to note that the participants in this small study (fewer than 200 participants) were all students in Japan; including more people with different cultural backgrounds and eating habits would make the results more conclusive. “The microbiome is incredibly complex and varies from one individual to the next. The bacteria that’s beneficial for one person, or small group of people, may not have the same effects on another person,” adds Dr. Breus. But the connection between probiotics and good sleep is still an interesting takeaway.

2. Bad gut bacteria is linked to poor sleep

Dr. Drossman has found with his work that the inverse is also true: just how good gut bacteria is linked to good sleep, bad gut bacteria is associated with poor sleep. “[Researchers] are still studying this and it isn’t quite clear if the bad bacteria is affecting the brain or if the brain is affecting gut composition,” he says. In other words: it’s a bit of a chicken or the egg situation. To his point, one study published in the journal Public Library of Science found some evidence that while total microbiome diversity (aka the number of different microbes in your gut) is associated with better sleep, the presence of certain specific bacterial strains correlated to poor sleep (although the evidence isn’t super conclusive that sleep deprivation can change the gut microbiome).

3. Microbes produce sleep-regulating hormones

If you’ve spent even five minutes looking into how sleep works, you’re probably at least a little familiar with melatonin, a hormone made by the pineal gland in the brain that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Here’s what Dr. Breus says many people don’t know: microbes in the gut produce melatonin and other sleep-regulating hormones, such as serotonin, dopamine, and Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). “There are two types of melatonin, [one] from the pineal gland and intestinal melatonin,” he explains.https://c318dba74d34df4750d1b46f68ba06a4.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Dr. Breus says that because microbes in the gut produce sleep-regulating hormones, gut health has a direct effect on circadian rhythm. Research surrounding how what we eat affects serotonin, dopamine, and GABA levels is an emerging field of study for using food to boost mood and lower depression. Because these same hormones are linked to the sleep cycle, this means eating with them in mind could potentially help you sleep better, too.

4. Poor sleep could be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome

Dr. Drossman says that he has seen through patients and research that IBS can impact sleep. “We know that people with certain health conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD] or IBS tend to have more disrupted sleep,” he says. “[These conditions are] gut-brain interaction disorders, so factors affecting the gut will affect the brain—and vice versa.” He explains that getting to the root causes of GERD, IBS, or other gut health disorders will not only lessen digestive distress, but will also help you sleep, too.

How to improve sleep through gut health

As both experts have shown, what’s happening in your gut is very likely related to how well you sleep at night. But the big underlying question comes down to how to use this helpful intel to get better rest. Since there’s a strong connection between good bacteria and good sleep (and bad gut bacteria and poor sleep), Dr. Breus recommends eating foods known to boost the good guys. “Your diet has a significant influence over the health of your microbiome,” he says. “Diets heavy on sugars, fatty- and highly-processed foods can alter the make-up of your gut microbiome, reducing the abundance of beneficial microorganisms. Limiting these foods, and replacing them with whole, unprocessed nutrient-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, can help restore and protect the beneficial bacteria in your gut.”https://c318dba74d34df4750d1b46f68ba06a4.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Dr. Breus also recommends eating a wide variety of plants, which can help feed and support the growth of a wider range of beneficial gut bacteria. “A diet rich in whole fruits and vegetables is the foundation of healthy living, and healthy sleep,” he says. “To give your body a true diversity of beneficial bacteria, pay attention to getting as broad a variety of plant-based foods as you can.” It’s the same advice gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, MD, previously told Well+Good, saying “it’s scientifically proven that the single greatest predictor of a healthy gut is a diversity of plants [in one’s diet].”https://c318dba74d34df4750d1b46f68ba06a4.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Watch the video below for more tips on how to eat with gut health in mind:https://www.youtube.com/embed/cpAjl3cFn6A

Treating existing gut health issues you may have can also help improve sleep. Dr. Drossman emphasizes that this may take the help of a gastroenterologist since gut conditions are so complex and individual, but something that can help across the board is doing what you can to manage the stress in your life. “Stress can alter the bacteria in the gut,” he says. And as you know by now, when bad things are happening in the gut, it’s bound to disrupt your sleep cycle. Even simple actions such as five minutes of deep breathing or meditation have shown to reduce stress and positively impact the gut.

While researchers are continuing to learn more about how gut health and sleep are connected, what’s crystal clear is that there is a strong relationship. And like with any relationship, what’s good for one party is good for the other. So just know that whenever you do something with gut health in mind—like making a mindful effort to eat a veggie-filled meal—you’re already prepping yourself for a good night’s sleep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yYH1F9EbI8

‘Brain Androgyny’ Is Surprisingly Common And May Boost Mental Health, Scientists Say

BARBARA JACQUELYN SAHAKIAN ET AL., THE CONVERSATION21 JANUARY 2021

From advertising to the workplace, it is often assumed that men and women are fundamentally different – from Mars and Venus, respectively. Of course, we all know people who are more androgynous, having a mix of personality traits that are stereotypically considered to be male or female.https://8d4d2b688e93ecd22d434b87307806c4.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Importantly, such “psychological androgyny” has long been associated with traits such as better cognitive flexibility (the mental ability to shift between different tasks or thoughts), social competence, and mental health.

But how does this relate to the brain? Are people who are more androgynous in their behaviour going against their biological nature, doing things that their brains are not optimised for?

It’s long been unknown whether there is such a thing as brain androgyny. But our new study, published in Cerebral Cortex, suggests it does exist – and it’s common.

Psychological androgyny is thought to be psychologically protective. For example, we know it is associated with fewer mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. It has also been linked to higher creativity.

We’re all familiar with the traits that are stereotypically classified as male or female.

Men, for example, are not encouraged to express feelings or cry when upset. Instead they are expected to be tough, assertive, rational, and good at visuospatial tasks such as map reading. Women, on the other hand, are often expected to be more emotional, nurturing, and better at language.

But these differences are likely to be partly down to social norms and expectations – we all want to be liked, so we conform. If a girl is told that it is rude or unbecoming to be assertive, for example, she may change her behaviour to accommodate this, affecting her future career choices.

Female adolescents, for example, may not be encouraged by friends and family to consider rewarding but dangerous careers such as the military or policing.

Sex in the brain

Scientists have long argued over how different male and female brains really are.

There are many reports of differences between male and female brains in the literature. Other researchers, however, argue that these differences are tiny and the categories are anything but absolute.

One study suggested that, psychologically, most of us are in fact probably somewhere on a spectrum between what we stereotypically consider a “male” and a “female”.

But does that mean that the people who fall somewhere in the middle are more androgynous in their brains as well as their behaviour?

To test this, we created a brain continuum using a machine-learning algorithm and neuroimaging data. While male and female brains are similar, the connectivity between different brain areas have been shown to differ. We used these connectivity markers to characterise the brains of 9,620 participants (4,495 male and 5,125 female).

We discovered that brains were indeed distributed across the entire continuum rather than just at the two ends.

In a subsample, approximately 25 percent of brains were identified as male, 25 percent as female, and 50 percent were distributed across the androgynous section of the continuum.

What’s more, we found that participants who mapped at the centre of this continuum, representing androgyny, had fewer mental health symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, compared with those at the two extreme ends.

These findings support our novel hypothesis that there exists a neuroimaging concept of brain androgyny, which may be associated with better mental health in a similar way to psychological androgyny.

Why androgyny benefits us

To learn new things in order to adapt to the ever-changing global environment, we need to be able to be attentive to the world around us. We must also have mental wellbeing, flexibility, and be able to employ a wide range of life strategies.

These skills enable us to rapidly understand external context and decide on the optimal response. They help us take advantage of time-limited opportunities and instil resilience. Therefore, these skills confer an advantage for people with androgynous brains, with others being less likely to flourish.

But why is this the case? A meta-analysis of 78 studies of about 20,000 participants revealed that men who conform to typical masculine norms, for example never relying on others and exercising power over women, suffered more psychiatric symptoms than others, including depression, loneliness and substance abuse. They also felt more isolated, lacking social connections to others.

Women who try to conform pay a price too, perhaps opting out of their dream job because the industry is dominated by men, or taking on the majority of tedious household chores. An androgynous person, however, is not influenced by gender norms to the same extent.

That doesn’t mean that there’s no hope for those at the extreme ends of the spectrum. The brain is changeable (plastic) to an extent.

It is likely that the androgynous brain is influenced both by genetic and environmental factors, as well as an interaction between the two. Our own study suggests people’s level of brain androgyny may change over the life course.

Future research is required to understand the influences on brain androgyny across the life span and how environmental factors, such as education, may affect it.

Given that we have found that an androgynous brain offers better mental health, it follows that, for optimal performance in school, work and for better wellbeing throughout life, we need to avoid extreme stereotypes and offer children well-balanced opportunities as they grow up.

Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Cambridge; Christelle Langley, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Cambridge; Qiang Luo, Associate Principal Investigator of Neuroscience, Fudan University, and Yi Zhang, Visiting Phd Candidate, University of Cambridge.