Scientists take trip down memory lane

Neuroscientists at Edinburgh University believe they have discovered the molecular machine that is central to learning.

Evidence suggests that when we learn, the connections between two nerve cells are altered so that the information is encoded in the brain. This forms a memory that can be retrieved.

Seth Grant and his team at Edinburgh's centre for genome research have identified a set of proteins that are important for learning in humans. "This molecular machine shows an exciting structure that we believe is at the basis of learning," he said.

Research, pages 32-33 Opinion, page 16