Molecular & Structural Biology

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Damped circadian oscillations observed in the absence of KaiA protein in cyanobacterium

Circadian rhythms are driven by a highly autonomous, self-sustaining circadian clock in our cells, telling us when to sleep or wake up in a 24-hour cycle.

27 May 2020

Using CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors to recombine entire chromosomes

The CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors work like a fine surgical instrument and can be used to modify genetic information in plants.

27 May 2020

Study discovers how protein inhibits tumor development in mice

Proteins are found throughout our cells and regulate a lot of biological processes that are important for our survival.

27 May 2020

New minimally invasive method allows cells to be sampled over time

At any given moment, a variety of dynamic processes occur inside a cell, with many developing over time. Because current research methods for gene profiling or protein analysis destroy the cell, study is confined to just that one moment in time, and researchers are unable to return to the cell to examine how things change beyond that snapshot.

27 May 2020

The eye launches an immune response in the lens following injury

The lens of the eye is an unusual organ. Unlike most of the body's organs, blood vessels don't reach the lens. If they did, they'd obscure our vision and we wouldn't be able to see. The lack of vasculature led scientists to believe immune cells, which travel via the bloodstream, couldn't get to this part of the body either.

27 May 2020

Study reveals the favorable effect of Neanderthal gene in child-bearing women

According to a new study, one in three women in Europe has inherited the progesterone receptor from Neanderthals.

27 May 2020

New sequencing method helps map the spatial arrangement of DNA

A sequencing technique helps to map the spatial arrangement of DNA in the cell nucleus, revealing which regions of the genome are at greater risk of mutation.

27 May 2020

Fruit fly study helps explain why it is so hard to wake up on a winter morning

Winter may be behind us, but do you remember the challenge of waking up on those cold, dark days? Temperature affects the behavior of nearly all living creatures, but there is still much to learn about the link between sensory neurons and neurons controlling the sleep-wake cycle.

26 May 2020

Introducing genetic “barcodes” to DNA samples can preserve their integrity

Researchers have developed a technique to ensure that DNA fingerprinting continues to be secure against malicious attacks or mistakes in the field.

25 May 2020

Genetic 'memory' of ancestral homelands helps organisms adapt to environmental change

Organisms carry long-term "memories" of their ancestral homelands that help them adapt to environmental change, according to a new study that involved raising chickens on the Tibetan Plateau and an adjacent lowland site.

22 May 2020

Bacteria’s drug resistance is not affected by genetic tradeoffs

Bacteria can still acquire antibiotic resistance even in the face of complex genetic compromises related to different concentrations of antibiotics.

21 May 2020

Researchers use CRISPR technology to control many genes simultaneously

Researchers from UMD are using CRISPR technology in an effort to develop first-of-their-kind microelectronic devices that link with biological systems.

21 May 2020

Study identifies brain structure that controls our behavior

For our social life and our profession we must be able to deal with our environment and other people. Executive functions, meaning the basic intellectual abilities that control human thought and action, help us to do this.

20 May 2020

Subcellular chatter plays key role in regulating longevity

As people get older, they often feel less energetic, mobile or active. This may be due in part to a decline in mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside of our cells, which provide energy and regulate metabolism.

20 May 2020

Researchers develop new AI model to bridge biology and chemistry

Insilico Medicine announces the publication of a new research paper titled "Molecular Generation for Desired Transcriptome Changes With Adversarial Autoencoders" in Frontiers in Pharmacology.

20 May 2020

X-ray experiments reveal antibody to block entry of SARS-CoV-2

As scientists across the globe race to develop a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, an international team led by Davide Corti at Vir Biotechnology and David Veesler at the University of Washington has been working around the clock on a complementary approach - identifying neutralizing antibodies that could be used as a preventative treatment or as a post-exposure therapy.

20 May 2020