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Unmasking the Molecular Mechanisms of Hepatitis B Virus Entry

An infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is spread by blood or bodily fluids, is one of the main causes of chronic liver diseases. The World Health Organization reports that there are 1.2 million new HBV infections worldwide each year.

4 Dec 2024

New Discovery Redefines the Shape of Axons in Mammalian Brain Cells

Biology textbooks may need a revision, say Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists, who present new evidence that an armlike structure of mammalian brain cells may be a different shape than scientists have assumed for more than a century.

3 Dec 2024

The Role of Trifunctional Enzymes in Antibiotic Production

Biochemists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have identified a new subclass of trifunctional enzymes in gram-positive bacteria that play an important role in the manufacture of an antibiotic lanthipeptide.

2 Dec 2024

The Role of RNA Polymerase and Ribosomes in Gene Expression

DNA within a cell contains the genetic instructions necessary for building proteins.

29 Nov 2024

Breakthrough in Understanding DNA Gyrase Paves Way for New Antibiotics

Researchers from Durham University, Jagiellonian University (Poland) and the John Innes Centre have achieved a breakthrough in understanding DNA gyrase, a vital bacterial enzyme and key antibiotic target.

27 Nov 2024

New Imaging Method Unlocks Secrets of RNA Folding Dynamics

In a groundbreaking development, researchers from the United States and Denmark have successfully captured 3D images of individual RNA nanoparticles in the midst of their folding process.

26 Nov 2024

EPFL Brain Models Break New Ground in Understanding Neural Connectivity

The hippocampus is one of the most fascinating brain regions. Associated with the formation of memories, it also helps us to navigate through the world without getting lost.

23 Nov 2024

New Insights into the Molecular Basis of Mitochondrial Diseases

A significant finding about the energy production process of human cells has been made by researchers at the Karolinska Institute's Department of Cell and Molecular Biology.

11 Nov 2024

Chloroplast-Infused Cells Revolutionize Tissue Engineering

Recent research from Japan has demonstrated that chloroplasts from algae can be integrated into hamster cells, allowing these cells to perform photosynthesis.

1 Nov 2024

3D Structure of Artificial Photosynthetic Antenna Protein Complex Revealed

Humans can do plenty, but plants have an ability we don't: they make energy straight from sunlight, a superpower called photosynthesis. Yet new research shows that scientists are closing that gap.

29 Oct 2024

Novel Mechanism for GRB2-SOS1-Mediated Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation

Researchers at Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered new details about how the proteins GRB2 and SOS1 in cells transmit signals from membrane receptors to nuclei.

28 Oct 2024

Cryo-EM Technology Paves the Way for Major Biological Discovery

Ben Orlando's research talk at MSU's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2019 laid the groundwork for a team effort that had been developing for decades.

25 Oct 2024

New Insights into How TRIM25 Fights RNA Viruses

Human bodies are attacked every single second of every day. The invading agents include bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins both living and non-living things that could impair how well bodies work.

25 Oct 2024

Structural Insights into Bacteriophages Open Doors for New Therapeutics

The viruses that infect bacteria are the most abundant biological entities on the planet. For example, a recent simple study of 92 showerheads and 36 toothbrushes from American bathrooms found more than 600 types of bacterial viruses, commonly called bacteriophages or phages.

23 Oct 2024

Phages Form Unique 3D Shapes, Boosting Disease Detection

While preparing slides to be examined under a powerful microscope, a team of McMaster researchers who frequently work with bacteriophage viruses that consume bacteria had a pleasant and potentially very significant surprise.

22 Oct 2024

Filamentous Bacteria Use Grappling Hooks and Cannons to Hunt

Countless bacteria call the vastness of the oceans home, and they all face the same problem: the nutrients they need to grow and multiply are scarce and unevenly distributed in the waters around them.

18 Oct 2024

Yeast's Survival Strategy Provides Clues for Targeting Cancer Cells

The discovery of a surprising way yeast used to brew beer can survive starvation could open the door to new treatments for cancer.

17 Oct 2024

New Insights Into the Antibacterial Function of GBP1 Proteins

An essential part of the human body's defense mechanism against infections is the protein GBP1.

14 Oct 2024

A Novel Mechanism for Apoptotic Cell Removal in Epithelial Tissues

In a recent discovery, a study team from Kyushu University in Japan has shed light on how the systems defend against illness and injury by identifying a calcium-based mechanism that is essential to the removal of dead cells.

10 Oct 2024

The Role of Yeast Ribosomes in Cellular Survival During Starvation

Researchers from EMBL Heidelberg and the University of Virginia School of Medicine have uncovered a fascinating mechanism by which cells respond to nutrient deprivation. This discovery holds intriguing implications for understanding cancer development.

10 Oct 2024