Structural Biology News and Research

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Study Reveals Structure of Two Nucleic Acid-Degrading Enzymes

When nucleic acids like DNA or RNA build up in a cell's cytoplasm, it sets off an alarm call for the immune system.

3 Apr 2024

Study unveils how our cells outsmart invaders without turning against us

The human immune system is a sophisticated network of cells and proteins created to defend against dangerous infections, and cells continuously repel invaders in a microscopic war raging inside human bodies.

29 Feb 2024

Scientists Capture Microtubule Birth in Human Cells

Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona and the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) in Madrid have captured the world's first high-resolution images of the earliest moments of microtubule formation inside human cells.

2 Feb 2024

Study Unveils Dual Role of 7-DHC in Ferroptosis and Cancer Cell Survival

Cell death is fundamental to life and, thus, healthy aging. In the realm of cellular biology, ferroptosis (a form of programmed cell death) has emerged not only as a focal point of research for its potential in eliminating cancer cells, but also its role in a plethora of other diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, eye diseases such as Retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, as well as ischemia, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, acute kidney injury and inflammation.

2 Feb 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

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

Scientists Unravel the Mystery of Parkinson's Disease With 3D Protein Structures

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital revealed the complex structure of two Parkinson's disease-related proteins, both of which are implicated in late-onset cases.

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

Study Elucidates How Mutant NPM1 Protein Drives Leukemia by Activating Autophagy System

In a recent study, scientists led by Professor Stefan Müller from Goethe University's Institute of Biochemistry II investigated a specific form of blood cancer known as acute myeloid leukemia, or AML.

5 Dec 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

Modifying/Shredding RNA with Small 3D CRISPR Model

Small and precise: these are the perfect traits for CRISPR systems, the Nobel Prize-winning technology used to alter nucleic acids such as RNA and DNA.

28 Sep 2023

Newly Developed Antibody Therapy to Have Benefits Over Existing Opioid-Overdose Treatments

An antibody in single-chain fragment variable (scFv) format that binds to the powerful opioid carfentanil was shown to reverse signs of carfentanil overdose in preclinical tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.

11 Aug 2023

New Breakthrough in Generative AI Models and AlphaFold Structures for Drug Discovery

Insilico Medicine ("Insilico"), a clinical-stage end-to-end generative artificial intelligence (AI) drug discovery company, has achieved a significant breakthrough in the application of multiple generative AI models and AlphaFold structures for drug discovery.

3 Aug 2023

Identifying The Best Antibodies Using X-Rays

Imagine you're going to a party where you only know a single person. While you've been friends with this person for a long time, you're concerned about them leaving you alone in a room full of strangers. Even though they promise they'll stick by your side, they immediately walk away from you upon entering the party to speak to someone else they know.

26 Jul 2023