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Structural Insights Unmask Novel Adaptations and Functions of Human LINE-1 ORF2

Martin Taylor, MD, PhD, a physician investigator in the Department of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in Pathology at Harvard Medical School, is the lead corresponding author of a new study in Nature, Structural Analysis and Inhibition of Human LINE-1 ORF2 Protein Reveals Novel Adaptations and Functions.

20 Dec 2023

Revealing the Molecular Machinery of Virus Warriors Against Bacterial Infections

The term “virus” is frequently linked with negative implications. Nevertheless, it is crucial to recognize that not all viruses are detrimental.

18 Dec 2023

Cryo-EM Analysis Uncovers Unexpected Enzymatic Switch in Bacterial Anti-Phage System

Scientists have revealed a never-before-seen phenomenon in a protein: Alone, the enzyme processes DNA and RNA but, when bound to another protein as part of a defense system, interacts with a completely different type of compound to help bacteria commit suicide.

14 Dec 2023

Structural Insights Into Coronavirus Spike Proteins

Coronaviruses employ protein “spikes” to latch onto and infect cells. Contrary to their name, these spikes do not have a rigid and pointed structure. Instead, they resemble chicken drumsticks, with the meaty portion facing outward.

27 Nov 2023

Where Does the Light Come From? Optical Properties Allow Plants to “See” Light

An innovative study led by Professor Christian Fankhauser at UNIL and colleagues at EPFL has combined expertise in biology and engineering to reveal that a light-sensitive plant tissue uses the optical properties of the air-water interface to create a light gradient that is ‘visible’ to the plant.

24 Nov 2023

Unraveling the Mystery of L-Cry: A Distinctive Cryptochrome Protein

In a recent release in Nature Communications, a collaborative research group comprising Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), the University of Cologne, and the University of Oldenburg has disclosed their discoveries regarding the operation of a distinctive cryptochrome protein (Cry).

16 Nov 2023

Dinosaur Reproductive Strategies Uncovered Through Fossil Analysis

The last three decades have witnessed the discovery of several remarkably well-preserved dinosaur specimens related to reproduction, significantly advancing the understanding of dinosaur reproductive biology.

16 Nov 2023

Unlocking the Secrets of Bacterial Transcription

Bacterial transcription serves as an assembly line for duplicating genetic directives from double-stranded DNA into RNA molecules.

7 Nov 2023

Exploring Z-RNA’s Role in Immune Response

Quentin Vicens, an Assistant Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Houston, has been granted $1.2 million by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to investigate the enigmatic Z-RNA structure found within human cells.

3 Nov 2023

Scientists Unlock the Structure of Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2

Neurons talk to each other using chemical signals called neurotransmitters. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have drawn on structural biology expertise to determine structures of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), a key component of neuronal communication.

2 Nov 2023

Engineered Enzymes Show Promise for Converting Grass Biomass Into Biofuels

Plant biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have engineered enzymes to modify grass plants so their biomass can be more efficiently converted into biofuels and other bioproducts.

30 Oct 2023

Study Offers Fresh Insights into Immune System Proteins

A new study from the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience’s Bridge Institute, in partnership with multinational teams from India, Australia, and Switzerland, sheds insight on these proteins.

18 Oct 2023

New Microscopy Technique Reveals Unprecedented Details of Amyloid Plaques in Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the Karolinska Institute (KI), and the biotechnology company BioArctic, both in Sweden, have combined STED microscopy, a technology that allows super-resolution visualization, and a new antibody recently created to observe the amyloidogenic aggregates characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

12 Oct 2023

A High-Resolution Glimpse into Peroxisomal Processes

Every system has a waste management system. The “peroxisomes” are cell organelles that dispose of toxic substances and lipids in the human body, among other things, and thereby avoid major diseases.

27 Sep 2023

How RNA Regulates Gene Silencing Could Pave Way for Novel Cancer Therapies

Deep inside our cells-;each one complete with an identical set of genes-;a molecular machine known as PRC2 plays a critical role in determining which cells become heart cells, versus brain or muscle or skin cells.

27 Sep 2023

Novel Imaging Technique Captures Rapid Protein Dynamics

EPFL researchers have created a unique imaging approach for capturing fast protein dynamics.

22 Sep 2023

Kanazawa University Research: Researchers Define a Protocol for Narrow Cantilever Fabrication and High-Resolution Imaging of Living Cells Using AFM

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in STAR Protocols procedural details and tips for nanoendoscopy-AFM, for capturing images of nanoscale structures inside living cells.

12 Sep 2023