Issue #14 — Formations

This issue of Basically, Science is all about Formations.

Have we finally discovered how tiny dust particles form into planets? Learn the crucial role Keratin plays in embryonic development. And find out if memories form on a mental 'blank slate'.

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Levitating matter with sound © Thomas Zauner/ISTA

Electrical Charge May Answer How Planets Form

Planets begin as dust, but how that dust survives long enough to grow has remained unclear. New work published in Nature Physics now suggests that electrical charging during collisions may help tiny particles stick together rather than break apart.

Zebrafish in ISTA’s Aquatics Facility. © ISTA

Without Keratin Nothing Moves, Zebrafish Study Finds

Keratin is best known for giving strength to hair and nails, but new research published in Nature Communications shows it also plays a crucial role in embryonic development. Using zebrafish, researchers found that tissues lacking keratin became softer and struggled to move together during gastrulation.

Network of interconnected CA3 pyramidal neurons in the mouse hippocampus: In young mice, the CA3 network is very dense, and the connections appear random (yellow). © Jake Watson/ISTA

Do Memories Form on a Blank Slate?

Researchers investigating memory formation found that existing neural activity shapes how new memories are stored, suggesting the brain continuously builds on patterns already in place. Rather than starting from scratch, memory appears to emerge from an ongoing internal landscape of activity.

Walner is one of several organizers of an annual combinatorics conference in Brazil. © Walner Mendonça

Walner Mendonça: Community Builder in Combinatorics

Mathematician and alum Walner Mendonça has spent years working on some of combinatorics’ most challenging problems, while also helping shape the field itself. From mentoring young researchers to creating international networks of collaboration, his influence extends far beyond individual results.

Martin Hetzer, President of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), will be reappointed for a second term. © Peter Rigaud/ISTA

Second Term for President Martin Hetzer

The Board of Trustees of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) has announced the reappointment of Martin Hetzer as President of ISTA for a second term. This new term will run from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2030. Hetzer has been President since January 2023, when he took over from the Institute’s founding President Thomas A. Henzinger.