An international team of researchers, led in part by scientists at the University of Florida and Trinity College Dublin, has solved a long-standing puzzle in human biology: how our cells absorb a crucial micronutrient linked to brain health and cancer defense.

In a study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists identified the gene responsible for transporting queuosine into human cells. This breakthrough could eventually support the development of new treatments that take advantage of the nutrient’s roles in memory, learning, and cancer suppression.