Protein clumps like a prion, but proves crucial for long-term memory

Study in slugs hints that some molecular 'misbehavior' is for the good

Sea slugs make memories with a twist. Screwing a normal nerve cell protein into a distorted shape helps slugs, and possibly people, lock in memories, new research shows.

Notably, the shape change also brings a shift in the protein’s behavior, leading it to form clumps.