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Entry of Aging-Associated Enzymes into Human Genetic Material

An enzyme that controls aging and other metabolic processes accesses human genetic material to modify gene expression within the cell, according to a new study. Images of a sirtuin enzyme bound to a nucleosome, a tightly packed complex of DNA and proteins called histones, have been created by a team led by Penn State researchers.

17 Apr 2023

Tiny Protein Interacts with Ion Channels to Make Our Eyes Sensitive to Dim Light

Using cryo-electron microscopy and mass spectrometry, researchers from PSI have deciphered the structure of an ion channel found in the eye while it interacts with the protein calmodulin – a structure that has eluded scientists for three decades.

4 Apr 2023

Researchers Explain How a Single Mutation Causes Ataxia

Worldwide, only a handful of patients are known to suffer from episodic ataxia type 6, a neurological disease that causes transient loss of muscle control.

4 Apr 2023

UConn Health scientists explain why Shigella bacteria can infect humans but not mice

Shigella bacteria can infect humans but not mice. In the March 29 issue of Nature, a team from UConn Health explains why. Their findings may explain the multifariousness of a key weapon of our immune system.

31 Mar 2023

First atomic-level structure of 'oil-eating' enzyme paves way for bioengineered catalysts

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have produced the first atomic-level structure of an enzyme that selectively cuts carbon-hydrogen bonds-;the first and most challenging step in turning simple hydrocarbons into more useful chemicals.

31 Mar 2023

Revealing the structural basis underpinning the biophysical properties of pili

According to the World Health Organization, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) bacteria are the most common cause of traveler’s diarrhea and cause the greatest number of known community-acquired cases of childhood diarrhea in the developing world.

31 Mar 2023

Determining the structure of protein pumps using cryo-EM

A rare, genetic disorder known as Hailey-Hailey disease causes patches of blisters to develop mainly in the folds of skin under the breasts, in the groin, and the armpits.

29 Mar 2023

Novel tool analyzes how immune cells respond to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination

A study discovered that the magnitude and quality of a key immune cell’s response to two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were significantly lower in individuals with earlier SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to individuals without previous infection.

21 Mar 2023

The protein synthesis mechanism in the Giardia parasite

Cryo-electron microscopy was employed by Uppsala University researchers to reveal information on the protein synthesis mechanism in the parasite Giardia intestinalis, which causes diarrhea. The new findings could help in the development of specific medicines to combat Giardia and other protozoan parasites.

20 Mar 2023

New antibody "cocktail" may help counter the Lassa virus

The finding, made with the use of the Advanced Photon Source, shows a new way to exploit monoclonal antibodies to subvert the "shield" of the virus, potentially paving the way for new therapies.

20 Mar 2023

Using PET and electron microscopy to generate 3D maps of mitochondrial networks in lung tumors

Scientists have long known that mitochondria, the "powerhouses" of cells, play a crucial role in the metabolism and energy production of cancer cells.

16 Mar 2023

First molecular images of olfaction sets the stage to create novel smells

Breaking a longstanding impasse in our understanding of olfaction, scientists at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have created the first molecular-level, 3D picture of how an odor molecule activates a human odorant receptor, a crucial step in deciphering the sense of smell.

16 Mar 2023

Merging cryo-TEM and tomography methods to reveal 3D morphology of dendrites

Documenting the lithiation process in TEM can provide a deep understanding of the electrode degradation mechanism during battery cycling, which enhances material modification for improved performance. The research was guided by Prof. Dong Su (Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences).

15 Mar 2023

High correlation between the product of a gene in the majority of cancers

The product of a gene expressed in most cancers, including the most prevalent type of head and neck cancer, has been linked to elevated levels of white blood cells that produce antibodies inside tumors, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.

14 Mar 2023

Analyzing microscopic chalk disks coccoliths formed by the marine algae

Under the guidance of Rutgers University, a research group learning about virus-host interactions of worldwide abundant and armor-plated marine algae, Emiliania huxleyi, has discovered that the circular and chalk plates produced by the algae have the potential to serve as catalysts for viral infection.

From Rutgers University 7 Mar 2023

First wiring map of neurons in insect brain complete

Researchers have built the first ever map showing every single neuron and how they’re wired together in the brain of the fruit fly larva.

6 Mar 2023

Uncovering the complete 3D structure of p53 protein

By inducing cell repair or self-destruction, the tumor suppressor protein p53, often known as “the guardian of the genome,” shields the body’s DNA from daily stress or long-term damage.

2 Mar 2023

Nanosatellite paves the way for developing RNA-based medicines

Researchers from Aarhus University and Berkeley Laboratory have designed RNA molecules, that folds into nanoscale rectangles, cylinders, and satellites, and have studied their 3D structure and dynamics with advanced nanotechnological methods.

28 Feb 2023

Study reveals why the FMO5 gene produces an enzyme with a different activity

Our body produces lots of enzymes that break down toxic substances. One class of such enzymes are the flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs), which are present in all tetrapods. Humans have five different FMO genes, of which the first four display the same activity. However, the fifth FMO gene triggers a different breakdown reaction. University of Groningen biochemists have succeeded in resurrecting the ancestral genes of all tetrapod FMOs to show how this divergence has occurred. Their results appear on 24 February in Nature Communications.

28 Feb 2023

New center offers electron microscope services to the scientific community

The Joint Electron Microscopy Center at ALBA (JEMCA) was established through the collaboration of various research agencies to open a new center within the ALBA Synchrotron building that provides electron microscope assistance to the scientific community.

27 Feb 2023