At the threshold between electricity and chemistry in the human brain, a small protein interaction has long governed whether signals live or die — yet its precise mechanics remained unknown. Researchers at DGIST in South Korea have now identified a molecular lever, a pivot point called R370, that physically reshapes calcium channels based on which proteins bind to them, controlling how long calcium can flow and how faithfully neurons communicate. The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in July 2026, answers a question neuroscience has carried for decades