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Live-Cell Imaging Reveals How STING Activates Innate Immunity

When pathogens attack the body, the innate immune system goes to work protecting against the invading disease.

12 Jan 2024

Scientists Reinvent Spectinomycin as a Powerhouse Weapon for Drug-Resistant Superbug

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are tackling Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) antibiotic resistance.

10 Jan 2024

Unmasking the "Fingerprint" of a Single Protein with Light

Singular protein infrared vibrational spectrum is seen by use of sophisticated measurement methods based on near-field optical microscopy.

10 Jan 2024

Bacterial "Freight Elevator" Transports Camouflage Molecule for Immune Evasion

Some bacterial membrane transporters work almost like freight elevators to transport substances through the cell membrane into the interior of the cell. The transporter itself spans the bacterial membrane.

9 Jan 2024

Engineering Plants to Fight Disease with Friendly Bacteria

For the first time, scientists have modified the plant microbiome to increase the amount of “good” bacteria that shield the plant from harm.

8 Jan 2024

Unlocking the Gut's Metabolic Secrets

The variety of enzymes that microbes employ to make energy in the low-oxygen environment of the gut is highlighted by a survey of bacterial genomes.

8 Jan 2024

Breakthrough in Bdellovibrio's Prey Recognition System

Researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham have uncovered how naturally occurring antimicrobial predatory bacteria, known as Bdellovibrio bacterivorous, produce fiber-like proteins on their surface to entice prey in a study published on January 4th, 2024, in Nature Microbiology.

8 Jan 2024

Improved Mapping of Small-Molecule Binding Sites in Cells

Researchers at Scripps Research created a novel, high-resolution method for identifying putative treatment targets on proteins in living cells.

3 Jan 2024

Unveiling Cytonemes, the Secret Messengers of the Nervous System

Researchers at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital captured images of cytonemes, which are cellular projections that are involved in long-distance signal transmission during development.

3 Jan 2024

Breakthrough in Synthetic Biology: Researchers Build Artificial CO2-Fixing Pathway

Synthetic biology offers the opportunity to build biochemical pathways for the capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2).

3 Jan 2024

The Foundation of Gene Expression in Brain Development

Researchers from Osaka University and Shenzhen Bay Laboratory have uncovered the actions of proteins connected to memory and learning in human brain cells in a study that was just published in Cell Reports.

29 Dec 2023

Toxic Plant Toxin Gets a Safety Upgrade for New Drugs and Pesticides

Picrotoxinin, a plant-derived toxin that Asian fishermen traditionally have used to paralyze and catch fish, has long been seen as a possible starting point for new human therapeutics and other neuroactive products.

26 Dec 2023

Simultaneous Production of Bioplastics and High-Value Carotenoids by Multifunctional Bacteria

We often look to the smallest lifeforms for help solving the biggest problems: Microbes help make foods and beverages, cure diseases, treat waste and even clean up pollution.

26 Dec 2023

The Adrenaline Puzzle Solved: Scientists Untangle Key Cell Receptor's Inner Workings

Through an international collaboration, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital leveraged data science, pharmacology and structural information to conduct an atomic-level investigation into how each amino acid in the receptor that binds adrenaline contributes to receptor activity in the presence of this natural ligand.

26 Dec 2023

Plants Use Stealth Molecular Weapon to Attack Cells of Invading Gray Mold

UC Riverside scientists have discovered a stealth molecular weapon that plants use to attack the cells of invading gray mold.

22 Dec 2023

Light-Activated "Good Vibrations" can Destroy Cancer Cells

The Beach Boys' iconic hit single "Good Vibrations" takes on a whole new layer of meaning thanks to a recent discovery by Rice University scientists and collaborators, who have uncovered a way to destroy cancer cells by using the ability of some molecules to vibrate strongly when stimulated by light.

20 Dec 2023

Scientists Crack the Code for Artificial DNA

The genetic code is composed of just four letters representing the four nucleotides, which are the fundamental building blocks of DNA.

14 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

Unveiling ppGpp’s Surprising Role in Fruit Fly Sleep

Sleep, a fundamental behavior observed across various organisms, ranging from worms to humans, is influenced by both internal sleep drive and external environmental factors.

12 Dec 2023