Structural Biology News and Research

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New hexameric structure of the protein triggering antibiotic resistance discovered

All living organisms require DNA replication to ensure the genetic integrity of the following generation. On the other hand, bacteria have the ability to horizontally transfer genetic information to other bacteria.

6 Feb 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

Ubiquigent collaborates with University of Glasgow on translational structural biology to accelerate drug discovery within the (de)ubiquitylation field

Ubiquigent Limited (Ubiquigent), a drug discovery and development company harnessing novel deubiquitinase (DUB) modulators as new therapeutics for areas of high unmet medical need, today announced it is supporting a Master’s student at the University of Glasgow (UoG) to undertake a research project on USP30, a DUB implicated in neurodegenerative, renal, and cardiovascular diseases.

From Ubiquigent Limited 23 Jan 2023

Study unravels a novel function of the gene scissors

Many years earlier, the CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors have been making a sensation in science and medicine. This new tool of molecular biology consists of its origins in an ancient bacterial immune system.

28 Nov 2022

Tankyrase protein plays an important role in helping drive bowel cancer

The inner workings of the main protein involved in an extensive range of cellular processes have been disclosed by researchers. This possibly sets the stage for improved and less toxic cancer drugs.

25 Nov 2022

Providing structural understanding of the influenza virus

The structure of the influenza replication machinery and how it interacts with cellular proteins have been solved by a team of Oxford University scientists using a variety of techniques at Diamond Light Source.

8 Nov 2022

Conserved vacuolar sorting hub regulates autophagic flux in plants

A “hub and spoke” system allows plant cells to effectively coordinate cellular trafficking, especially for cellular recycling, also known as autophagy. Autophagosomes are specialized vesicles that capture hazardous molecules and transport them to the vacuole, where they are destroyed.

21 Oct 2022

New study supports bradykinin storm theory of COVID-19's viral pathogenesis

A new paper published in Nature Communications adds further evidence to the bradykinin storm theory of COVID-19's viral pathogenesis -; a theory that was posited two years ago by a team of researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

19 Sep 2022

Understanding protein structures can be more complicated than thought

When you think of proteins – the enzymes, signaling molecules, and structural components in every living thing – you might think of single strands of amino acids, organized like beads on a string.

29 Aug 2022

Researchers determine a novel antiviral technique to combat bacteria

Bacteria use a wide range of defense strategies to combat viral infection, and some of these systems have resulted in game-changing technologies like CRISPR-based gene editing.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 15 Aug 2022

Researchers utilize AI to reveal hitherto unknown 3D structures in rotavirus spike protein

The three types of rotavirus that cause gastroenteritis in individuals, known as groups A, B, and C, are the most well-known and afflict predominantly youngsters.

10 Jun 2022

Study shows how G protein-coupled receptors signal helps drug development

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), membrane proteins that are the target of one-third of approved drugs, are being studied by scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute.

29 Apr 2022

Researchers may have identified a key intermediate in the transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes

All modern organisms fall into two classes, eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Eukaryotes (from the Greek meaning "true kernel") have a cell nucleus that harbors most of the cell's genetic information and includes organisms such as humans, plants and fungi.

20 Apr 2022

Scientists discover an effective drug development candidate from rare actinomycetes

Researchers are rushing to review a group of bacteria known as actinomycetes, which are one of the most successful sources of treatment.

19 Apr 2022

Cryo-EM reveals the structure of fermentation enzyme phosphoketolase

Pharmaceuticals, plastics, and other industries use enzymes to help synthesize molecular feedstocks.

19 Apr 2022

Researchers analyze the complex function of cyanobacteria and the regulation of the biological clock

Researchers aim to learn more about circadian rhythms, which are the 24-hour internal clock cycles of sleeping and waking that happens in all species, including humans, plants, fungi, and bacteria.

18 Apr 2022

Researchers discover a unique technique to fight hospital-borne disease

A study team developed an early-stage therapy that sabotages the pump and restores antibiotic efficiency by disclosing the structure of a protein needed by bacteria to pump out antibiotics.

From New York University (NYU) 4 Apr 2022

Yale and uOttawa researchers partner to solve a puzzle rooted in the deepest past of evolution

For decades, scientists have been trying to unravel an enduring mystery of structural biology: Why do two otherwise identical protein forms found in everything from plants, amphibians and human beings hang onto a slight variation across the mighty span of evolution?

21 Mar 2022

Researchers use GP2 and UMOD to prevent urinary tract infection

A team led by Karolinska Institute used AI and structural biology to learn more about two similar proteins that protect against bacterial infection in the urinary tract.

16 Mar 2022

Research points to a common thread linking diverse neurodegenerative diseases

Take a cell-deep tour of a brain afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, and you will find minuscule clumps of protein that seem suspicious. Ever since the 1980s, when neuroscientists began identifying these protein tangles, researchers have discovered that other brain diseases have their own tangled-protein signatures.

7 Mar 2022