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Hypercompact CRISPR enzyme from bacteriophages expands genome editing toolbox

A recently discovered hypercompact CRISPR enzyme found only in huge bacteriophages, and known as CRISPR-CasΦ, is functional, a new study by Patrick Pausch, Jennifer Doudna and colleagues reports, and it provides a powerful new tool in the CRISPR genome editing toolbox, including because it can target a wider range of genetic sequences compared to Cas9 and Cas12

17 Jul 2020

New method reveals the dynamics of HIV Gag-protein lattice structure

Viruses are scary. They invade our cells like invisible armies, and each type brings its own strategy of attack. While viruses devastate communities of humans and animals, scientists scramble to fight back.

17 Jul 2020

Researchers identify key enzyme that drives the production of ribosomes

Scientists have demonstrated that an enzyme fuels the production of ribosomes—the molecular machines that synthesize all cellular proteins.

17 Jul 2020

Imaging mass spectrometry identifies tumor markers for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Volume 11, Issue 28 of Oncotarget features "Lipid and protein tumor markers for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma identified by imaging mass spectrometry" by Schmidt et. al. which reported that the authors used MALDI imaging mass spectrometry and immunohistochemistry to seek tumor-specific expression of proteins and lipids in HNSCC samples.

15 Jul 2020

Umbilical cord blood treats children born with non-cancerous genetic disorders

Researchers at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh found that infusing umbilical cord blood -- a readily available source of stem cells -- safely and effectively treated 44 children born with various non-cancerous genetic disorders, including sickle cell, thalassemia, Hunter syndrome, Krabbe disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) and an array of immune deficiencies.

15 Jul 2020

Study could lead to major improvements in crop production

Research led by scientists at The Australian National University could lead to major improvements in crop production.

15 Jul 2020

Researchers develop bioink to print tissue-mimicking material in 3D printers

A research group led by Daniel Aili, associate professor at Linköping University, has developed a bioink to print tissue-mimicking material in 3D printers.

14 Jul 2020

UTHealth physicians study blood pressure drug's efficiency in improving COVID-19 outcomes

An interventional therapy aimed at improving survival chances and reducing the need for critical care treatment due to COVID-19 is being investigated by physicians at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

14 Jul 2020

Researchers evaluate role of zinc in COVID-19 prevention

Researchers from Sechenov University in collaboration with colleagues from Germany, Greece and Russia reviewed scientific articles on the role of zinc in the prevention and treatment of viral infections and pneumonia, with projections on those caused by SARS-CoV-2. The results were published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine.

14 Jul 2020

New mutation in common flu subtype helps evade immune response

Strains of a common subtype of influenza virus, H3N2, have almost universally acquired a mutation that effectively blocks antibodies from binding to a key viral protein, according to a study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

13 Jul 2020

New study may lead to advanced treatments for infections

Scientists from the University of Queensland have successfully solved a five-decade-old mystery that may lead to sophisticated herbicides and treatments for infections.

13 Jul 2020

Metagenomic data on intestinal microflora can open up treatments for intestinal dysbiosis

Scientists from Osaka City University, The Institute for Medical Science, and The University of Tokyo have presented intestinal viral and bacterial metagenome data from the fecal samples collected from 101 healthy Japanese persons.

13 Jul 2020

Scientists develop new genome editing methods for better crop yield

Although crop hybrid technologies have played a key role in considerably improving crop yield across the world in the past decades, developing and maintaining a hybrid production line has invariably been laborious and complex.

13 Jul 2020

Study reveals the role of Rubisco enzymes in carbon-fixing machinery of cyanobacteria

Researchers from the University of Liverpool have provided a new understanding of how cyanobacteria build the organelles that are crucial for their potential to photosynthesize.

13 Jul 2020

Study may provide a therapeutically safer strategy for gene editing

The CRISPR gene editing system is a robust tool specifically developed for the targeted editing of genomes. While this tool has considerable therapeutic potential, it is associated with improper editing of “off-target” sites.

13 Jul 2020

Study: PINK1 and Parkin work together to induce selective autophagy

Researchers at TMIMS have revealed that PINK1 (a serine/threonine kinase) and Parkin (a ubiquitin ligating enzyme: E3) work together to ubiquitylate the outer membrane proteins of damaged mitochondria to induce selective autophagy called mitophagy.

10 Jul 2020

Researchers use super-resolution microscopy to study close protein associations

With the advent of super-resolution microscopy, scientists can study close protein associations better than ever before.

10 Jul 2020

Study shows an entirely new complexity within enzyme machinery

Proteins are the workers in a cell and, as the "basic element of life", are responsible for the most widely varying metabolic processes.

9 Jul 2020

New type of molecular editor can make precise changes in mitochondrial DNA

The genome in mitochondria -- the cell's energy-producing organelles -- is involved in disease and key biological functions, and the ability to precisely alter this DNA would allow scientists to learn more about the effects of these genes and mutations.

9 Jul 2020

Researchers discover how good gut bacteria can help reduce heart disease risk

Scientists have discovered that one of the good bacteria found in the human gut has a benefit that has remained unrecognized until now: the potential to reduce the risk for heart disease.

9 Jul 2020