Molecular & Structural Biology

RSS

How Mitochondrial Damage Accelerates Stem Cell Aging

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the cells that produce all blood cell types, start to lose their efficacy as one ages, which eventually reduces the ability to maintain healthy blood and a robust immune system.

17 Apr 2026

Neuronal Lipid Metabolism Plays a Key Role in Preventing Metabolic Disorders

The brain is the body's command centre, and neurons are the workhorses that carry out its commands. They transmit signals that regulate many bodily functions, including key metabolic processes such as appetite, body weight and energy expenditure.

17 Apr 2026

Researchers Uncover How the Immune System Teaches the Brain to Avoid Toxins

Researchers from the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn uncover vital mechanism for survival.

17 Apr 2026

Scientists Uncover How "Sorting Hubs" Clear Damaged Proteins From Cells

Inside every cell, a cleanup operation runs around the clock. Proteins are constantly damaged by wear and tear. Some can be repaired, while others must be dismantled and recycled. When this system fails, damaged proteins accumulate in clumps associated with diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia.

16 Apr 2026

Researchers Develop 3D Organoids that Reflect the Complexity of Brain Tumors

Efforts to identify and evaluate next-generation therapeutics for pediatric brain tumors are easily stymied by the quality and availability of laboratory models for research. To address this issue, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital developed patient-derived tumor organoids and tumor organoid xenografts that accurately reflect the biologic underpinnings of embryonal brain tumors.

16 Apr 2026

"Zombie" Macrophages Accumulate in Aging Tissues and Diseased Livers

UCLA researchers have identified a rogue population of immune cells that quietly accumulates in aging tissues and in the livers of people with fatty liver disease. Clearing these cells, they found, dramatically reduced inflammation and reversed liver damage in mice - even while the animals remained on an unhealthy diet.

16 Apr 2026

Identifying Somatic Driver Mutations in Thyroid Autoimmune Disease

According to recent studies, immune cell DNA mutations that eliminate the immune system's natural brakes may be the cause of autoimmune disorders.

15 Apr 2026

How Single-Cell Proteomics Could Unlock the Rules That Govern Cells

This review shows how single-cell proteomics by mass spectrometry has advanced from an uncertain idea to a rapidly improving toolkit that can now quantify thousands of protein groups from individual cells. It argues that direct protein measurements, combined with better sample preparation, instrumentation, and multiplexing, could help researchers build more mechanistic models of cell biology while pushing throughput far higher.

13 Apr 2026

Kinesin Motor Protein Variations Control Cargo Specificity in Neuronal Transport

Intracellular transport is a vital process that allows cells to move proteins and other molecules to specific locations.

13 Apr 2026

Cryo-Electron Microscopy Reveals Structure of Borna Virus RNA Protein Complex

Cases of Borna disease virus 1, or BoDV-1, are extremely rare in humans, but in those who develop disease the outcome is severe, almost always resulting in fatal encephalitis or inflammation in the brain.

13 Apr 2026

AI Predicts Viral Mutations to Design Future-Proof Vaccines

The wave-shaped chart Ratul Chowdhury pulls up on a computer monitor in his office captures the evolutionary cat-and-mouse game his research lab is up against.

13 Apr 2026

Nanodisc Platform Shows How Antibodies Really Target Viruses

Viruses are masters at entering human cells, thanks to specialized proteins that coat their surfaces.

13 Apr 2026

Single-Letter Insertion in Non-Coding DNA can Alter Sex Development in Mice

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have discovered that changing just one letter in DNA can completely alter sex development in mice.

11 Apr 2026

New Experimental System Mimics Low-Grade Pediatric Glioma in 3D

A three-dimensional experimental system has been developed to study the response to drugs in low-grade glioma, a tumor of the central nervous system that often occurs in children.

10 Apr 2026

Low Oxygen Triggers Latent Regenerative Programs in Embryonic Mouse Limbs

Certain animals are able to regenerate missing body parts. After amputation, salamanders and frog tadpoles are able to reconstruct entire limbs. Mammals are unable to. Biologists have been trying to figure out why for decades.

10 Apr 2026

RNU2-2 Variants Drive Most Common Recessive Neurodevelopmental Disorder

New findings on RNU2-2 syndrome highlight its role in neurodevelopmental disorders, emphasizing genetic counseling and early diagnosis for affected families.

9 Apr 2026

RNA Barcoding Technique Reveals Neural Connections at Synapse Level

By tagging neurons with molecular "barcodes," researchers mapped connections among thousands of neurons in the mouse brain with unprecedented speed and resolution.

8 Apr 2026

Cnpy1 Protein Found Essential for Vomeronasal Neuron Survival

Researchers at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Hyderabad, have identified a mammalian protein, Cnpy1 (Canopy1), that is essential for the survival and function of vomeronasal sensory neurons in mice.

8 Apr 2026