Noradrenergic circuits support and balance aggressive behavioural states in predatory nematodes, distinguish predatory from non-predatory nematode species and are associated with the evolution of comp...

While substantial knowledge exists about the way the retina processes simple stimuli, our understanding of how the retina processes natural stimuli re…

Reliable and reproducible measurement of spatial resolution is essential for validating and comparing the performance of two-photon microscopy systems. We present fluorescent nanodiamonds as robust, photostable, reusable, and biocompatible probes for benchmarking spatial resolution. Owing to their nanoscale dimensions and stable fluorescence, nanodiamonds act as near-ideal point-like emitters, enabling accurate characterisation of the point spread function across varying imaging conditions. We demonstrate that nanodiamond-based phantoms serve as a reliable alternative to conventional fluorescent beads embedded in agarose, while at the same time offering advantages in stability and optical properties. Our results position nanodiamond phantoms as a next-generation calibration material that bridges ease of use and reproducibility, advancing quantitative imaging and cross-platform comparability in modern fluorescence microscopy. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Wellcome Trust, https://ror.org/029chgv08, Investigator Award in Science 220277/Z20/Z European Research Council, https://ror.org/0472cxd90, ERC-StG “NeuroVisEco” 677687, ERC AdG “Cones4Action” covered under the UK’s EPSRC guarantee scheme EP/Z533981/1 UK Research and Innovation, https://ror.org/001aqnf71, BBSRC, BB/R014817/1, BBSRC, BB/W013509/1 International Human Frontier Science Program Organization, https://ror.org/02ebx7v45, RGP001/2025 Leverhulme Trust, https://ror.org/012mzw131, PLP-2017-005, RPG-2021-026, RPG-2-23-042 Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine Gdańsk University of Technology, https://ror.org/006x4sc24, Nobelium DEC-4/1/2024/IDUB/I.1a/No, Platinum 1/1/2025/IDUB/I.1B/Pt

In the vertebrate retina, short wavelength-sensitive S-cones and their downstream interneurons play unique roles in both image forming and non-imag...

Jaxley is a versatile platform for biophysical modeling in neuroscience. It allows efficiently simulating large-scale biophysical models on CPUs, GPUs and TPUs. Model parameters can be optimized with ...

A sea urchin is a head with a brain-like organization and a vertebrate-type retinal signature.

Vertebrate eyes first evolved in water, where spectral content rapidly fades with distance. Zebrafish exploit this loss by antagonizing cone signals to suppress the background, pointing to distance es...

Nature Reviews Neuroscience - Recent studies have shed further light on the evolutionary origins of chemical synapses, In this Review, Colgren and Burkhardt explore how ancient proteins were...

Puthussery’s discoveries about the retina are paving the way for new treatments for eye disease and vision loss

Biological age is a major risk factor in the development of common degenerative retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. To systematically characterize molecular mechani...