Light News and Research

RSS

Researchers Study Chloroplast Antenna Proteins to Boost Global Crop Yields

Plants must carefully strike a balance between harvesting sunlight to fuel photosynthesis and protecting themselves from light damage.

17 Jun 2026

Genome Sequencing Unlocks Ancestral History of North Atlantic Founder Population

Genome sequencing has revealed insights into how current-day residents of the Faroe Islands can trace their ancestry to a North Atlantic founder population and how evolutionary forces have shaped their genomes since.

17 Jun 2026

Scientists Bring Ancestral Cell Membrane Proteins Back to Active Life

Resurrecting dinosaurs using DNA retrieved from a mosquito trapped in amber is a great movie plot, though it's less likely to happen in the real world.

17 Jun 2026

Study Identifies Protein Involved as Key Structural Anchor for Bacterial Membranes

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame and collaborators have discovered a key process for how the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria attaches to the cell wall, advancing the understanding of how these bacteria frequently manifest resistance to antibiotics.

16 Jun 2026

Tracking Individual Membrane Translocation Accelerates Precision Microscopic Drug Screening Efforts

A new single-protein analysis technique gives researchers an unprecedented ability to study proteins called scramblases, which have critical roles in biology.

16 Jun 2026

New Retinal Cell Discovery Paves Way for Sight-Restoring Transplants

A new understanding of retinal cell development may help pave the way for future retina transplants, which could restore sight to people whose conditions currently have no effective treatments, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

15 Jun 2026

AI Decodes Biomolecular Condensates to Revolutionize Drug Discovery

Researchers at Princeton University have harnessed AI to understand how drugs affect the dynamics of vital structures within the cell.

13 Jun 2026

Biotech Startup Turns to Space to Manufacture Artificial Retinas for Treating Blindness

A biotechnology startup is harnessing the unique space environment to manufacture artificial retinas that could one day restore vision to the millions of people blinded by macular degeneration.

13 Jun 2026

Laser Phase Plate in the Electron Microscope Promises Clear Images of Tiniest Proteins

Nearly 100 years ago, a seemingly simple discovery revolutionized the microscope. The introduction of phase-contrast, which garnered a Nobel Prize in 1953, brought into clear view structures inside cells that had previously been too faint or washed out for biologists to study.

12 Jun 2026

Tail Region of mRNAs Found to Act as Protein Chaperone

Proteins are how cells get work done. They carry out nearly every important cellular task, from ferrying messages to controlling which genes are turned on or off.

10 Jun 2026

Mylpf Protein Identified as a Linchpin for Healthy Muscle Formation

University of Maine researchers have published new findings about how muscles form, why certain muscle diseases develop and why symptoms may not appear until years after muscle degeneration begins.

9 Jun 2026

New Method Dissects Light Signaling and Heme Pathways in Chloroplast Formation

For plants, light is an important environmental factor not only as a source of energy for photosynthesis but also as a signal for capturing environmental information. Light signals are sensed by photoreceptor proteins called phytochrome. The amino acids that make up proteins are transparent and cannot absorb visible light.

8 Jun 2026

Uncovering How Box Jellyfish Reproduce at the Microscopic Level

Box jellyfish are commonly regarded as dangerous animals, with certain species capable of delivering severe or even lethal stings.

1 Jun 2026

Heatwave: Extreme Heat and Air Pollution May Worsen Migraines, New Study Finds

Migraine is a moderate to severe headache disorder with unique characteristics that distinguish it from a regular headache. It is typically described as a throbbing pain, often on one side of the head.

30 May 2026

Scientists Transfer Nitrogen-Fixing Genes Into New Bacterial Strains

Most major crops, such as wheat and corn, require expensive nitrogen fertilizer to flourish. But what if bacteria could help those plants draw nitrogen from the atmosphere, as peas and beans do?

29 May 2026

Identifying a Genetic Switch That Halts Human Nerve Regeneration

Researchers at Cambridge have created tiny circuits in the lab that replicate the connections between the brain and spinal cord, which control human movements.

29 May 2026

Researchers Identify Neural Pathway Governing Memory Organization

When a person has a new experience, their brain faces a subtle but critical decision: should this experience be categorized with other stored memories, or should it be filed away as its own new memory? Getting it right allows the brain to help people navigate the world.

28 May 2026

New Molecular Map Traces Human Disease Genes Back to LECA

A University of Texas at Austin-led team has reconstructed the most detailed map to date of the molecular machines that carried out the functions of life in an ancient ancestor that gave rise to all complex life on Earth, including us, shedding new light on genetic causes of human diseases.

28 May 2026

New TriPcide Antibiotics Kill Dormant MRSA Without Resistance

The study on TriPcides reveals their ability to combat MRSA and dormant bacteria, offering a new strategy to address antimicrobial resistance in public health.

27 May 2026

Inflammatory Cytokines Trigger Higher Protein Levels as a Natural Defense Mechanism Against Disease

A new study from researchers at the University of Chicago provides important insight into how the pancreas protects itself during inflammation, pointing to promising new directions for treating pancreatitis.

23 May 2026