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Study shows how drug-like small molecules regulate the activity of ion channels

Researchers have recently discovered how the function of therapeutically relevant ion channels is regulated by drug-like small molecules.

24 Nov 2020

Genetic modification in the ‘coat’ of fatal brain virus may allow it to escape antibodies

A genetic modification in the 'coat' of a brain infection-causing virus may allow it to escape antibodies, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

23 Nov 2020

Researchers reveal new details of crucial steps involved in the maturation of ribosomes

Ribosomes synthesize all the proteins in cells. Studies mainly done on yeast have revealed much about how ribosomes are put together, but an Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich team now reports that ribosome assembly in human cells requires factors that have no counterparts in simpler model organisms.

23 Nov 2020

A non-physical method for generating random building blocks

True random numbers are required in fields as diverse as slot machines and data encryption. These numbers need to be truly random, such that they cannot even be predicted by people with detailed knowledge of the method used to generate them.

23 Nov 2020

Endogenous viral elements play important role in genome evolution of green algae

Viruses are tiny invaders that cause a wide range of diseases, from rabies to tomato spotted wilt virus and, most recently, COVID-19 in humans. But viruses can do more than elicit sickness -- and not all viruses are tiny.

19 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

New removable coating cleans desalination membranes

A removable coating that can be used to clean desalination membranes has been developed by KAUST researchers. The nontoxic coating could provide a safer and more efficient alternative to harmful chemicals used to clean reverse osmosis systems for seawater desalination.

17 Nov 2020

Study reveals 3D structure of crucial phage component in atomic resolution

Scientists from Berlin-based FMP are particularly interested in the tube employed by phages to insert their DNA into bacteria.

16 Nov 2020

Study shows how coronavirus block cells’ ability to produce protective proteins

One of the novel coronavirus' most insidious tricks is that it can block the ability of cells to produce protective proteins without hindering its own ability to replicate.

6 Nov 2020

Researchers reveal identity of the last unknown protein of autophagy

Drs. Nobuo Noda (Director) and Kazuaki Matoba (Senior Researcher) et al. at the Institute of Microbial Chemistry (BIKAKEN, Tokyo, Japan) discovered that Atg9, one of the proteins that function to mediate autophagy, has phospholipid-translocation activity (the lipid scramblase activity) between the two layers of the lipid bilayer and elucidated that the protein's activity brings about autophagosome membrane expansion.

5 Nov 2020

Scientists detect light-absorbing 'tarballs' in the Himalayan atmosphere

Some people refer to the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau as the "third pole" because the region has the largest reserve of glacial snow and ice outside of the north and south poles.

5 Nov 2020

Researchers unlock new possibilities for development of sustainable, clean bioenergy

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have unlocked new possibilities for the future development of sustainable, clean bioenergy.

4 Nov 2020

Mature SARS-CoV-2 particle development by host-protein interactions

The proteins of SARS-CoV-2 play a key role in self-arrangement and particle formation, and current work suggests that an assembly is formed in the lipid bilayer of the endoplasmic reticulum.

3 Nov 2020

Combination of microscopy and machine learning helps detect fossil pollen grains

Plant biology researchers at the University of Illinois and computer scientists at the University of California Irvine have developed a new method of fossil pollen identification through the combination of super-resolution microscopy and machine learning.

27 Oct 2020

Study explains the nuances of mechanical signaling in cells

Actin is among the most abundant proteins in cells, and it has many jobs--from giving the cell its very shape and structure to managing networks of proteins crucial to numerous cellular functions. Without it, the fragile fundamental unit of life would crumble.

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