Molecular & Structural Biology

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Excessive RNA Editing May Explain Neurological Differences in Down Syndrome

A collaborative research study co-led by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Liber Institute for Brain Development has for the first time identified a biological process that may help explain how the brain develops differently in people with Down syndrome. The study was a collaboration among scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, the Medical University of Sofia in Bulgaria, and the University of Arizona.

2 Apr 2026

Researchers Use Retron Systems to License DNA for Cellular Tasks

Stepping away from its billions-of-years-old role as a genetic "blueprint," DNA is now embarking on a new journey as an active "field agent" within cells. This research by a team led by Professor Jongmin Kim and Ph.D. candidate Geonhu Lee from the Department of Life Sciences at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) was published in the online edition of the international chemistry journal, Nature Chemistry.

2 Apr 2026

Study Reveals How Biological Machines Write New Genetic Information

New research has discovered that the molecular machines responsible for copying our DNA have a surprising hidden talent – an ability to create entirely new and highly sophisticated DNA sequences from scratch.

1 Apr 2026

Mirror Protein Design Blocks Amyloid Beta in Alzheimer’s Disease

Understanding how proteins interact with their own mirror images enabled a Kobe University research team to design a small mirror protein that disables a causal factor of Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta.

1 Apr 2026

How To Create Long-Lasting Immune Cells For Stronger Vaccines

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a potential approach to develop longer-lasting vaccines for respiratory viruses such as influenza and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

1 Apr 2026

Discovery Challenges the Theory That Proteins Move Mainly by Diffusion

Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have uncovered a previously unknown system of internal "trade winds" that help cells rapidly move essential proteins to the front of the cell, reshaping how researchers understand cell migration, cancer spread and wound healing.

31 Mar 2026

Study Links ER Stress From Fat Buildup to Senescence

When cells experience enough chronic stress, they can stop dividing permanently. In this state of cellular limbo, known as replicative senescence, cells remain alive but no longer proliferate.

31 Mar 2026

Study Reveals How Distributed Networks Support Complex Behavior

Understanding how the brain works requires more than studying single regions in isolation. The cerebral cortex depends on long-distance connections that link specialized areas into coordinated networks. But scientists have had limited tools for selectively turning these specific connections "on" or "off" in animal models that most closely resemble the human brain.

31 Mar 2026

Novel Immunotherapy Disrupts the Protective Tumor Microenvironment Ecosystem

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy - CAR T for short - has been a major advance in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. But the immunotherapy has struggled against solid tumors for two main reasons: tumor cells often don't share one consistent surface target, and many solid tumors are protected by a dense network of scar tissue and immune-suppressive cells that blocks T cells.

31 Mar 2026

Sweat Peptide Dermcidin Prevents Flu Virus Entry Into Cells

A research team led by the Fisabio Foundation has demonstrated that dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide produced constitutively by the human body, also exhibits antiviral activity against the influenza virus. The study also shows that people who do not develop flu-like symptoms have higher baseline levels of this molecule, which could be associated with lower susceptibility to infection.

31 Mar 2026

Study Highlights the Vast Untapped Potential Within the Global Protein Universe

The number of known proteins is infinitely small in comparison to the universe of possible proteins which could in theory be realized. Yet these known proteins are the only major training ground for future protein design. Understanding how representative these proteins are of the overall potential diversity can therefore help inform strategies for a wide range of applications, including therapeutic, biocatalysis, or biomaterials development.

31 Mar 2026

Identifying the Cellular Origin of MS-Related Neuroinflammation

Signals from the gut have been linked to autoimmune inflammation, but fundamental cellular processes remain poorly understood.

30 Mar 2026

Study Reveals How STING Protein Migrates to Trigger Immune Responses

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified how the quintessential immune protein known as stimulator of interferon genes (STING) migrates from one cellular organelle to another, a necessary step in its activation.

27 Mar 2026

SLIT3 Protein Drives Brown Fat Activation Through Dual Signaling

Researchers have determined how a key protein activates brown fat by expanding blood vessels and nerves in the heat-generating tissue.

26 Mar 2026

Study Reveals Molecular Basis of Reduced Cold Sensitivity in Salamanders

The ability to sense environmental temperature, which helps animals move away from sub-optimal locations and find those with ideal temperatures, involves various channels on sensory neurons that open at specific temperature ranges.

26 Mar 2026

Synthetic Plasmid Design Enables Precise Control of DNA Replication

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," goes the old adage, which Rice University professor James Chappell completely ignored in a recent Nature Communications publication.

26 Mar 2026

NAC Complex Triggers Protein Folding at Earliest Stage of Synthesis

In the earliest phase of creating human proteins, the protein complex NAC performs an essential task by starting the first steps towards folding proteins into their correct three-dimensional structures.

24 Mar 2026

SHP Protein Slows Cartilage Degeneration in Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, a condition that causes pain and reduced mobility in joints such as the knees and fingers, is one of the most common joint disorders worldwide, particularly among aging populations.

24 Mar 2026