Molecular & Structural Biology

RSS

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

Researchers Uncover How Methamphetamine Suppresses Dopamine Clearance

Dopamine brings on a surge of pleasure, but too much dopamine in a synapse can ultimately lead to mood disorders and addiction.

26 Nov 2025

Ribosome Collisions Activate Key Stress Signaling Mechanisms in Cells

LMU researchers uncover the mechanism by which ribosomes raise alarms in the cell.

25 Nov 2025

Optogenetic Tool Uncovers Key Role of Mechanical Forces in Early Embryonic Development

Only two weeks after fertilization, the first sign of the formation of the 3 axes of the human body (head/tail, ventral/dorsal, and right/left) begins to appear.

24 Nov 2025

Chaperone-Shielding Mechanism Regulates Protein Glycosylation

Proteins are often called the building blocks of cells, but even those building blocks need to be built. One of the most important steps in the process of building proteins is glycosylation, when sugar molecules (glycans) are attached to the maturing protein.

20 Nov 2025

Newly Identified Mitochondrial DNA Damage Sheds Light on Cellular Stress

A previously unknown type of DNA damage in the mitochondria, the tiny power plants inside our cells, could shed light on how our bodies sense and respond to stress.

20 Nov 2025

Transcription Factor SmMYB53 Drives Enhanced Tanshinone Synthesis in Salvia miltiorrhiza

Salvia miltiorrhiza has long been used in traditional medicine, with tanshinones being its main active compounds.

19 Nov 2025

Researchers Discover Molecular Switch That Helps Breast Cancer Cells Survive Stress

Cells are regularly faced with environmental stresses that may damage or destroy them. To survive, they quickly adjust their gene expression to protect themselves.

18 Nov 2025

Exploring Carotenoid Diversity in Carrots Through Gene Editing

Carrots are rich in carotenoids, essential for human health, providing important compounds like vitamin A.

17 Nov 2025

Reviving Ancient DNA Techniques to Study Historical Disease Evolution

Research institutions around the world house valuable genetic information that could help unlock countless medical mysteries.

17 Nov 2025

RNA Imaging Predicts Early Cell Damage with High Sensitivity

NIMS, in collaboration with Nagoya University, Gifu University, and the University of Adelaide, has developed a method for simultaneously imaging DNA and RNA inside cells using harmless infrared to near-infrared light.

14 Nov 2025

Studying Disease Evolution Through Ancient DNA Analysis

Research institutions around the world house valuable genetic information that could help unlock countless medical mysteries. However, because DNA degrades over time, it is difficult for researchers to analyze DNA samples older than 20 years using conventional analytical approaches.

14 Nov 2025

New Tool Studies Kinase Activity During DNA Damage

Cornell researchers have developed a powerful new biosensor that reveals, in unprecedented detail, how and where kinases – enzymes that control nearly all cellular processes – turn on and off inside living cells.

14 Nov 2025

FOXP3 Gene Regulation Holds Key to Immune Therapies

The immune system faces a delicate balancing act: it must be aggressive enough to fight infections and cancer, yet restrained enough to avoid attacking the body's own tissues.

14 Nov 2025