Molecular & Structural Biology

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New Insights Into LARP6-RNA Binding Could Lead to Fibrosis Therapies

A research team at the Institute of Molecular Biophysics and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Florida State University has made a significant discovery regarding the interaction between a protein present in the human body and RNA, which may pave the way for innovative treatments for tissue scarring, commonly referred to as fibrosis.

12 Dec 2025

Mitochondrial Supercomplex Protein COX7RP Extends Lifespan and Healthspan

As life expectancy continues to climb globally, the focus of many people has moved from longevity alone to living in good health.

11 Dec 2025

Changes in the Activity of KCC2 Protein Influence Reward Learning

A new finding from researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center shows that the learning process of associating cues with rewards can be altered by increased or decreased activity of a specific protein in the brain.

11 Dec 2025

Scientists Speed Lung Organoid Growth With Stirred Bioreactors

In a new study in Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, scientists explore a large-scale method for organoid generation, finding it to be successful and more uniform than before.

10 Dec 2025

Breaking the Interspecies Immune Barrier to Advance Human Organ Generation

Failure of human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to survive when grown with the PSCs of distantly related species occurs because of an innate immune reaction in the nonhuman cells, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers suggests.

9 Dec 2025

Protein ‘Neighborhood’ Holds an ABC Transporter in Place to Regulate Cyclic AMP Signaling

When a cell receives a message from outside, it generates a molecule called cyclic AMP (cAMP) to relay this message. To ensure the signal reaches the correct effector without triggering pathways accidentally, cAMP levels must be maintained around their point of origin and at the right level.

8 Dec 2025

Broken DNA Loops Trigger Lymphoma Development

Cancer involves more than just genetic mutations; it also involves structural failures. Consider a city where roads disappear, isolating communities from vital resources.

8 Dec 2025

Researchers Capture the Most Detailed Images of Molecules in Chromatin Condensates

A team of researchers led by HHMI Investigator Michael Rosen has captured the most detailed images yet of the molecules in chromatin condensates — droplet-like structures of compacted DNA.

5 Dec 2025

Cells Use Condensates to Save RNA Messages During Stress

All cells need to sense and respond to their environment, to know when to activate genes, build proteins, and carry out their basic functions.

4 Dec 2025

New Tool Predicts Which Intrinsically Disordered Regions Drive Condensate Formation

Fusion oncoproteins arise when a gene fuses with another gene and acquires new abilities. Such abilities can include the formation of biomolecular condensates, "droplets" of concentrated proteins, DNA or RNA.

4 Dec 2025

Circular Single-Stranded DNA Molecule Can Simultaneously Silence Multiple MicroRNAs

Professor Dongsheng Liu of Tsinghua University, Professor Ziyang Hao of Capital Medical University, and Researcher Yuanchen Dong of the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, have collaborated to develop a circular single-stranded DNA molecule capable of simultaneously silencing multiple miRNAs.

4 Dec 2025

Decoding the Interaction Between SV2A Protein and Anti-Epileptic Drugs

A multi-institute team led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and UT Southwestern Medical Center investigators established for the first time how certain drugs used to treat epilepsy affect their target.

2 Dec 2025

Study Uncovers How Polyploid Plants Harness Transposons for Evolutionary Innovation

Polyploidization, the combination and duplication of genomes, is a major driver of plant evolution and diversification. Yet this process causes "genome shock," leading to rapid activation of transposable elements (TEs).

2 Dec 2025

Hidden Messengers in the Blood

Every second, countless minute packages circulate through the bloodstream, transporting crucial data between the body’s cells.

1 Dec 2025

Capturing a Self-Splicing Ribozyme in Motion

RNA is a central biological macromolecule, now widely harnessed in medicine and nanotechnology. Like proteins, RNA function often depends on its precise three-dimensional structure.

28 Nov 2025

Real-Time Visualization Reveals the Transcriptional Gearbox

Life's instructions are written in DNA, but it is the enzyme RNA polymerase II (Pol II) that reads the script, transcribing RNA in eukaryotic cells and eventually giving rise to proteins.

28 Nov 2025

New Regulatory Pathway Enhances Key Aroma Compound in Wine Grapes

β-Damascenone is a key norisoprenoid compound responsible for characteristic floral and fruity aromas in grapes and wines, particularly those from non-aromatic varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

27 Nov 2025

UBQLN2 Liquid Droplets Found to Catalyze Early α-Synuclein Aggregation

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related, progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The hallmark of PD pathogenesis is the Lewy bodies (LBs) that accumulate in neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain, damaging these neurons and leading to the motor symptoms of the disease. α-synuclein (α-syn), a misfolded protein, aggregates and forms fibrils, which leads to the formation of LBs.

27 Nov 2025

Kinase Inhibitors Found to Trigger Widespread Target Protein Degradation

Protein kinases are the molecular switches of the cell. They control growth, division, communication, and survival by attaching phosphate groups to other proteins.

27 Nov 2025

DNA Rigidity Inside the Nucleosome Regulates INO80 Positioning

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have shown that DNA inflexibility, or rigidity, inside the nucleosome regulates the positioning of INO80. This highlights that the physical structure and shape of DNA, not just genetic information, are key components of DNA transcription.

26 Nov 2025