Molecular Biology News and Research

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Molecular biology is the study of biology at a molecular level. The field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry. Molecular biology chiefly concerns itself with understanding the interactions between the various systems of a cell, including the interactions between DNA, RNA and protein biosynthesis as well as learning how these interactions are regulated.

MIT chemists determine molecular structure of SARS-CoV-2 protein

MIT chemists have determined the molecular structure of a protein found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This protein, called the envelope protein E, forms a cation-selective channel and plays a key role in the virus's ability to replicate itself and stimulate the host cell's inflammation response.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 16 Nov 2020

Study demonstrates utility of novel method in fluorescent labeling

Thirty years ago, the cloning of the green fluorescent protein GFP, together with genetic engineering tools, revolutionized the field by enabling researchers to fuse a fluorescent 'beacon' to any protein of interest so that it can be directly observed in living cells using fluorescence microscopy.

16 Nov 2020

Study shows how chaperone activity influences the course of neurodegenerative diseases

In many neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, protein aggregates form in the brain and are assumed to contribute to neuronal cell death.

12 Nov 2020

Study provides key insight to better understand the development of Type 2 diabetes

Scientists have found that insulin has met an evolutionary cul-de-sac, limiting its ability to adapt to obesity and thereby rendering most people vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes.

6 Nov 2020

Study shows how fear and aggression are regulated

Our brains are wired to protect us from threats. For social animals like humans, threats often come from other members of our own species when there is conflict over food, mates, or territory.

30 Oct 2020

Ketogenic diets can prevent or reverse heart failure caused by metabolic process

Research from Saint Louis University finds that high fat or "ketogenic" diets could completely prevent, or even reverse heart failure caused by a metabolic process.

27 Oct 2020

New research sheds light on the working principles of advanced biosensing technologies

The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly the most challenging global health burden since the 2nd World War. The pandemic has raised social awareness on the importance of effective and timely diagnosis that may help minimize the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

22 Oct 2020

Cell nucleus may enable the cells to evade crowded environments

Like people, cells in the human body protect their personal space. They seem to know how much space they need, and if it gets too tight, most cells prefer to break free.

20 Oct 2020

Study provides new insights into molecular mechanisms of adipogenesis

The impairment of adipogenesis, the process in which fat cells (also known as adipocytes) accumulate to become fat tissue, can lead to many diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and heart conditions.

15 Oct 2020

Study sheds light on whether corals are genetically equipped to handle warmer oceans

In 1998, ocean temperatures soared, and the world experienced its first significant coral bleaching event. From the Great Barrier Reef to Indonesia to Central America, corals turned white and ghostly.

15 Oct 2020

DNA structural changes play key role in the recovery phase after DNA damage

A research team from Cologne has discovered that a change in the DNA structure - more precisely in the chromatin - plays a decisive role in the recovery phase after DNA damage. The key is a double occupation by two methyl groups on the DNA packaging protein histone H3 (H3K4me2).

15 Oct 2020

Novel mechanism restores cell function after DNA damage

Scientists have found that a modification in the DNA structure— specifically in the chromatin—plays a key role in the recovery stage following DNA damage.

15 Oct 2020

Study could explain why some people are severely affected by Bardet-Biedl syndrome

Geneticists usually split disorders into “simple”, where mutations in several genes contribute modest quantities.

13 Oct 2020

Too many genetic exchanges impede chromosome segregation into eggs

The exchange of DNA between chromosomes during the early formation of sperm and egg cells normally is limited to assure fertility.

9 Oct 2020

Study offers explanation to why people respond differently to the same drug

Scientists at Scripps Research have comprehensively mapped how a key class of proteins within cells regulates signals coming in from cell surface receptors.

5 Oct 2020

Study offers clues to optimize defense tactics against viruses

Science's pursuits of unraveling how human cells fight viral infections kicked into high gear in 2020 with the devastating emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

30 Sep 2020

Scientists uncover new parvovirus strategy for reaching the cell nucleus

Researchers at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, in collaboration with American scientists, have uncovered a new parvovirus strategy for reaching the cell nucleus which is their site of replication.

25 Sep 2020

Scientists use cryo-EM method to extract molecular data

Scientists have made enormous strides in the field of structural biology, looking into the activities of nature at the smallest scale.

24 Sep 2020

Escherichia coli bacteria show path to speed up photosynthesis

Cornell University scientists have engineered a key plant enzyme and introduced it in Escherichia coli bacteria in order to create an optimal experimental environment for studying how to speed up photosynthesis, a holy grail for improving crop yields.

22 Sep 2020

Defined regulatory framework needed for developing live biotherapeutic products

The Pharmabiotic Research Institute (PRI), Europe's only regulatory expertise centre for the development of microbiome-based drug products, has announced the publication of a review titled "Live biotherapeutic products: the importance of a defined regulatory framework".

18 Sep 2020