Cell Membrane News and Research

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Biologists unravel how tissue geometry influences cell migration

Cells move constantly throughout our bodies, performing myriad operations critical to tissue development, immune responses, and general wellbeing. This bustle is guided by chemical cues long studied by scientists interested in cellular migration.

23 Nov 2020

Researchers investigate solutions to make cell membranes resistant to coronavirus entry

The cell membrane is the cell's outermost line of defense against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 disease.

23 Nov 2020

Chemists identify effective inhibitors to block the uptake of SARS-CoV-2

The cell membrane is impermeable to viruses: to get inside and infect a cell, they use a range of strategies to exploit the cellular and biochemical properties of the membranes.

23 Nov 2020

Scientists elucidate the structure of ABC transporter protein

A high concentration of salt or sugar in the environment will dehydrate microorganisms and stop them from growing.

19 Nov 2020

MIT chemists determine molecular structure of SARS-CoV-2 protein

MIT chemists have determined the molecular structure of a protein found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This protein, called the envelope protein E, forms a cation-selective channel and plays a key role in the virus's ability to replicate itself and stimulate the host cell's inflammation response.

16 Nov 2020

Researchers develop new method to produce artificial organelles in living yeast cells

Cells of higher organisms use cell organelles to separate metabolic processes from each other. This is how cell respiration takes place in the mitochondria, the cell’s power plants.

16 Nov 2020

Light-activated liposomes could help deliver CRISPR gene therapy

Light-activated liposomes could help to deliver CRISPR gene therapy - and the method could prove safer and more direct than current methods.

16 Nov 2020

Glass surface embedded with self-assembled gold nanoparticles can improve live-cell imaging

In the quest to image exceedingly small structures and phenomenon with higher precision, scientists have been pushing the limits of optical microscope resolution, but these advances often come with increased complication and cost.

9 Nov 2020

Researcher creates “leaf profile” of components involved in CO2 journey

During the process of photosynthesis, leaves trap the atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and convert it into organic compounds.

4 Nov 2020

Researchers identify new potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection

To identify new potential therapeutic targets for SARS-CoV-2, a team of scientists at the New York Genome Center, New York University, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, performed a genome-scale, loss-of-function CRISPR screen to systematically knockout all genes in the human genome.

27 Oct 2020

Scientists use molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the secrets of SARS-CoV-2 virus

The virus wreaking havoc on our lives is an efficient infection machine. Comprised of only 29 proteins (compared to our 400,000), with a genome 1/200,000 the size of ours, SARS-CoV-2 is expertly evolved to trick our cells to contribute its machinery to assist in its propagation.

22 Oct 2020

New nanoparticles can destroy drug-resistant cancer cells

Multidrug resistance, or MDR, is a process in which tumors become impervious to numerous drugs and is a major cause of failure in cancer chemotherapy.

19 Oct 2020

Peptide therapy prevents overreaction of the immune system against infections

Individuals require enough action to remove offensive viruses or bacteria, but not so much that their body suffer a considerable damage.

15 Oct 2020

Scientists find sensor protein which enables normal functioning of bladder

A team co-led by scientists at Scripps Research has found that the main sensor protein enabling our sense of touch also underlies the feeling of having a full bladder and makes normal bladder function possible.

15 Oct 2020

Researchers discover a new mechanism to regulate nerve impulses

Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have discovered a new mechanism by which substances can open a certain type of ion channel and in this way regulate nerve impulses.

13 Oct 2020

Researchers reveal mechanism behind osimertinib resistance in some lung-cancer patients

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in Nature Communications the mechanism making some lung-cancer patients resistant to the drug osimertinib.

7 Oct 2020

80-year-old antibiotic redesigned for new medical uses

Physicians and scientists have long searched the natural world for chemicals that can improve human health.

5 Oct 2020

Cocaine addiction: Impact of genetic mutations elucidated

Cocaine addiction is a chronic disorder with a high rate of relapse for which no effective treatment is currently available.

28 Sep 2020

Study sheds light on how membrane proteins could be influenced by lipids

The cell membrane, the wall-like boundary between the cell interior and its outside environment, is primarily made up of two kinds of biomolecules: lipids and proteins.

25 Sep 2020