Histology & Microscopy

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Tracking Individual Membrane Translocation Accelerates Precision Microscopic Drug Screening Efforts

A new single-protein analysis technique gives researchers an unprecedented ability to study proteins called scramblases, which have critical roles in biology.

16 Jun 2026

Laser Phase Plate in the Electron Microscope Promises Clear Images of Tiniest Proteins

Nearly 100 years ago, a seemingly simple discovery revolutionized the microscope. The introduction of phase-contrast, which garnered a Nobel Prize in 1953, brought into clear view structures inside cells that had previously been too faint or washed out for biologists to study.

12 Jun 2026

Scientists Track Tiny Human Proteins Using Novel Laser Phase Plate

In a landmark achievement in biological imaging, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley and Biohub today announced the successful demonstration of the laser phase plate.

12 Jun 2026

Cryo-EM Study Unlocks Structural Secrets of RNA Therapeutics

RNA therapeutics have emerged as one of the most promising new classes of medicines. Eight small interfering RNA (siRNA) drugs have already been approved worldwide for the treatment of genetic diseases, yet scientists have not fully understood one of the most fundamental steps underlying their function: how Argonaute, the core protein responsible for gene silencing, becomes activated.

11 Jun 2026

OIST Scientists Uncover Key Mechanism Behind Regulated Cell Division

During animal cell division, a highly synchronized and tightly regulated dance of chromosomes takes place, ensuring the chromosomes split correctly into the two cells.

28 May 2026

Molecular Blueprint Shows How Vital Gene Regulation Complexes Form

While scientists have known for over two decades that all cells use a strategy called RNA interference to regulate gene expression, a new study is the first to describe how a specific protein manages the step-by-step process of assembling the molecular complex that performs the regulatory job.

27 May 2026

Scientists Reveal How Surface Acids Prevent Bacteria From Blobbing

Researchers have discovered how acids on the surface of bacteria give these microscopic organisms their characteristic "rod" shape-by keeping an enzyme at bay that would otherwise turn the cylindrical cells into shape-shifting blobs.

27 May 2026

Extracellular Acidosis Disrupts Internal Transport Systems of Living Cells

A new scientific study led by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) describes the mechano-chemical mechanism by which the acidity of the cellular environment destabilizes microtubules, the "avenues" that organize internal cellular traffic.

27 May 2026

Structural Discovery Solves Long Standing Mystery in T Cell Biology

Researchers at VIB, Ghent University, and VUB have uncovered how two proteins essential for immune cell development work together at the molecular level.

27 May 2026

High-Resolution Cryo-EM Imaging Reveals a Hidden Secondary Drug Binding Site on Bacterial Ribosomes

A new Nature Communications study, published May 19, redefines scientists' understanding of how a popular class of antibiotics work.

22 May 2026

Cryo-EM Study Explains Why Coffee Tastes Bitter to Humans

Have you ever wondered why freshly brewed coffee smells so delicious, but tastes bitter?

12 May 2026

Cryo-EM Images Reveal Coronavirus Proofreading Enzyme in Atomic Detail

The closest-ever detailed look at a key enzyme inside the virus that causes COVID-19 could lead to more effective treatment of the disease.

8 May 2026

New Discovery Reveals How HIV Infects Resting Immune Cells

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism by which HIV-1 can infect resting immune cells.

7 May 2026

Cells Use a Timing Mechanism to Filter Persistent Physical Forces

Scientists have discovered how cells decide when to respond to physical forces, potentially opening new avenues for tackling diseases such as cancer and fibrosis.

30 Apr 2026

Visualizing Immune Synapses in Three Dimensions Using Cryo-Expansion Microscopy

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes are the body's specialized "killer" cells, precisely eliminating infected or cancerous cells.

30 Apr 2026

High Resolution Images Reveal DNA Repair Process in Key Protein

Scientists have captured the most detailed structural images to date of a specific type of protein's DNA repair process, a finding that could reveal ways to inhibit the effects of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that heighten the risk for breast, ovarian and other cancers.

28 Apr 2026