Experiments using fruit flies have helped a team at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research to identify genes that control how large the developing brain becomes. Within the growing brain, stem cells divide to produce more and more neurons until an upper limit is reached. Dr Cédric Maurange, Dr Louise Cheng and Dr Alex Gould have found that 'timer' genes tell stem cells when and how to stop dividing, thus preventing the brain from growing too large.

Read more...