Electron Microscopy News and Research

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Accelerating the structure-guided discovery of chemogenetic tools

In order to more fully understand how diseases arise in the brain, scientists must unravel the intricate way neurons relay messages (either chemical or electrical) along a complex web of nerve cells. One way is by using a tool called DREADDs, which stands for Designer Receptors Activated by Designer Drugs.

21 Feb 2023

New method triggers and analyzes the dynamics of brain protein linked to Alzheimer’s

Scientists are not yet clear on how the tau protein changes from a benign protein essential for normal function in our brains into the toxic neurofibrillary tangles that are a signature of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

15 Feb 2023

Study elucidates the structure of centromeric region in chicken cells

The genetic material inside cells is organized into structures called chromosomes. The centromere is essential for the correct division of the chromosomes via interaction with spindle microtubules when cells divide and grow.

7 Feb 2023

Structure of amyloid fibers formed by the protein hnRNPDL-2 determined

Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), UAB researchers determined the structure of amyloid fibers formed by the protein hnRNPDL-2, which has been linked to limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 3 and concluded that the protein’s inability to form amyloid ﬁbers, rather than aggregation, would be the cause of the disease.

6 Feb 2023

Countering climate change with nanowires produced by bacteria

Rapid climate change poses a serious and immediate threat to life on Earth. As atmospheric methane traps heat 30 times more effectively than CO2, temperatures are rising as a result.

3 Feb 2023

Proteins’ movement and the spread of antibiotic resistance

Umeå University researchers have figured out how a particular type of protein travels during DNA replication. The discovery could affect the current understanding of how bacteria propagate antibiotic resistance genes.

30 Jan 2023

Cryo-EM helps visualize the detailed structure of viral genome replication machinery

RNA viruses, such as the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, are in a life-and-death race the moment they infect a cell.

30 Jan 2023

A 3D explanation of SPOP’s role in cancer

The protein SPOP, which also plays a role in endometrial, uterine, and other cancers, is the most mutated in prostate cancer. Despite its significance, it is still unclear how SPOP mutations cause cancer.

26 Jan 2023

Highly potent antibiotic candidate identified

One of the most promising new antibiotic candidates in decades is a powerful plant toxin that harbors a novel way of killing hazardous bacteria.

26 Jan 2023

Native genome model of a “live” virus replicated

An Aston University scientist has developed the world’s first computer reconstruction of a virus, complete with its native genome.

24 Jan 2023

Analyzing the regulatory mechanisms of enzyme production in mold

Filamentous fungi have long been a close ally of sake brewers, but they may soon become associates of environmentalists as well. Scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University discovered the regulatory mechanisms of enzyme synthesis in a filamentous fungus, allowing for the effective degradation of plant biomass, an alternative energy resource to petroleum.

11 Jan 2023

Effective anticancer strategy for selective killing of cancer cells

A study team headed by Dr Yuanliang Zhai from The University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) School of Biological Sciences and his associates from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Institut Curie in France discovered a new mechanism of the human MCM2-7 complex in controlling replication initiation, which can be employed as a unique and effective anticancer method with the potential for selective death of cancer cells.

11 Jan 2023

Discovery of a new cellular element crucial to sense of smell

Researchers at Umeå University have found an organelle, a previously unidentified cellular component, inside the neurons that are responsible for the ability to smell. The finding might have repercussions for future studies on COVID-19 symptoms like impaired smell sense.

5 Jan 2023