Understanding: New Research Suggests Cells Possess Secret Communication System

New study reveals that ion gradients across cell membranes create a network for swift cellular decision-making, separate from DNA.

Cells constantly navigate a dynamic environment, facing ever-changing conditions and challenges. But how do cells swiftly adapt to these environmental fluctuations?

A new Moffitt Cancer Center study, published in iScience, is answering that question by challenging our understanding of how cells function. A team of researchers suggests that cells possess a previously unknown information-processing system that allows them to make rapid decisions independent of their genes.