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How Mitochondrial Damage Accelerates Stem Cell Aging

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the cells that produce all blood cell types, start to lose their efficacy as one ages, which eventually reduces the ability to maintain healthy blood and a robust immune system.

17 Apr 2026

Single-Molecule Imaging Reveals How Anabaena Maintains Its Rectangular Shape

Photosynthetic bacteria helped shape Planet Earth. Among them are cyanobacteria that produced the oxygen in our atmosphere and made complex life possible, captivating scientists for decades. Now, researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) report a surprising new discovery-a system thought to separate DNA has developed to sculpt the shape of the cell in cyanobacteria instead. The results, published in Science, shed light on how protein systems evolve and how multicellularity emerged in this type of ecologically essential bacteria.

17 Apr 2026

Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals Structure of Borna Virus RNA Protein Complex

Cases of Borna disease virus 1, or BoDV-1, are extremely rare in humans, but in those who develop disease the outcome is severe, almost always resulting in fatal encephalitis or inflammation in the brain.

13 Apr 2026

Pearling Mechanism Regulates Precise Spacing of Mitochondrial DNA

Mitochondria are often described as the cell's power plants, because they generate energy. To help them achieve this, mitochondria carry their own small genome called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).

3 Apr 2026

Regenerative Vascular Grafts Solve Key Shortage In Surgery

Engineered biotubes demonstrate strong mechanical performance and rapid tissue regeneration, offering a scalable solution to the vascular graft shortage.

2 Apr 2026

Microtubules Act as Active Regulators of Key Cellular Enzymatic Reactions

Microtubules, the dynamic filaments that form the cell's internal scaffolding, have long been viewed as mere passive structural supports. But a new study reveals they play a far more active signaling role.

27 Mar 2026

Newly Discovered CRISPR System Activates Genes Without Cutting DNA

In back-to-back studies published in Nature, researchers from Purdue University and Columbia University report a naturally evolved gene-editing system that can activate genes, offering an advantage over existing CRISPR gene-editing systems that merely find and cut DNA.

26 Mar 2026

NAC Complex Triggers Protein Folding at Earliest Stage of Synthesis

In the earliest phase of creating human proteins, the protein complex NAC performs an essential task by starting the first steps towards folding proteins into their correct three-dimensional structures.

24 Mar 2026

New Ring Structure Guides Precise Cell Death and Immunity

Researchers at the University of Michigan have revealed that cells use a previously unknown feat of molecular craftsmanship to help protect their larger host organisms.

16 Mar 2026

Scientists Map Protein Landscape Driving Photosynthesis in Plant Cells

Research led by scientists at Washington State University has revealed insights on how plants form a microscopic landscape of proteins crucial to photosynthesis, the basis of Earth's food and energy chain.

11 Mar 2026

Plant Protein Structure Provides New Insights Into Human Cancer and Better Crops

Can the bend of a banana give us insight into cancer? What does the shape of a rice grain have to do with infertility? The proteins that give plants their shape and structure are also involved in human disease.

6 Mar 2026

Transplanted Mitochondria Enhance Cell Metabolism and Survival Under Stress

Mitochondria, also known as the powerhouses of the cell, are essential for cell survival, repair, and adaptation.

5 Mar 2026

3D Reconstructions Reveal Complex Sensory Organ in Ancient Comb Jellies

New 3D reconstructions of a key sensory organ in ctenophores reveal an unexpected structural and functional complexity.

5 Mar 2026

Decoding the Molecular Machinery of Vesicle Transport

Since the 1940s, scientists have known that cells form tiny carriers called vesicles that move molecules among cellular compartments and to other cells.

2 Mar 2026

New Multicolor Electron Microscopy Reveals Cell Structure and Proteins in Vivid Detail

Scientists have developed a new imaging technique that uses a novel contrast mechanism in bioimaging to merge the strengths of two powerful microscopy methods, allowing researchers to see both the intricate architecture of cells and the specific locations of proteins-all in vivid color and at nanometer resolution.

23 Feb 2026

Study Reveals New Structural Role for HIV Integrase

The tiny shell protecting the HIV virus resembles a slightly rounded ice cream cone, but there is nothing sweet about it.

19 Feb 2026

The Genetic Mechanics of Bacterial Circadian Clocks

Circadian clocks play an important role in our health and well-being by synchronizing the 24-hour biological cycles with light and dark exposure. Disruptions in the rhythms of these clocks, such as jet lag and daylight saving time, might put their everyday operations out of sync.

11 Feb 2026