Molecular & Structural Biology

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Excessive degradation of mitochondria causes severe disease in children

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that excessive degradation of the power plants of our cells plays an important role in the onset of mitochondrial disease in children.

12 Jun 2020

Deleting a key gene to create an immune cell with stronger anti-tumor activity

Using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and deleting a key gene, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have created natural killer cells -- a type of immune cell -- with measurably stronger activity against a form of leukemia, both in vivo and in vitro.

From UC San Diego 12 Jun 2020

A protein that helps to fight viruses can also inhibit lung tissue repair

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found that a protein which is initially helpful in the body’s immune response to a virus, can later interfere with the repair of lung tissue.

12 Jun 2020

Study uncovers two brain phenomena that may explain ketamine's side-effects

Researchers have identified two brain phenomena that may explain some of the side-effects of ketamine. Their measurements of the brain waves of sheep sedated by the drug may explain the out-of-body experience and state of complete oblivion it can cause.

12 Jun 2020

Lungs' immune cells can be activated more easily than previously thought

A significant site of damage during COVID-19 infection is the lungs. Understanding how the lungs' immune cells are responding to viral infections could help scientists develop a vaccine.

12 Jun 2020

Overactive enzyme causes an inherited form of hypertension

A Turkish family from a village near the Black Sea first caught the attention of medical researchers in the early 1970s.

12 Jun 2020

Researchers identify how certain gene mutations cause ALS

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified how certain gene mutations cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

11 Jun 2020

Study reveals structure of an activated dopamine receptor

Dopamine, a chemical that sends messages between different parts of the brain and body, plays a key role in a variety of diseases and behaviors by interacting with receptors on cells.

11 Jun 2020

Protein dynamics can help fight bacterial infections

When pathogenic bacteria infect, the body’s immune system attempts to remove these invaders. One method to do this is to trigger an inflammatory response.

10 Jun 2020

New dietary approach to fight obesity

Research has offered insight into the roles played by a pair of essential amino acids in metabolic health. This insight may help researchers to combat obesity.

10 Jun 2020

High sodium intake affects health of gut microbiome

Particularly in females with untreated hypertension, reducing salt intake to what's considered a healthier level appears to be good for both their gut microbiome and their blood pressure, scientists report.

10 Jun 2020

Study shows how a network of genes directs trachea and esophagus development

A new study reporting how a network of genes directs the development of the trachea and oesophagus in mice has been published today in eLife.

10 Jun 2020

RDP1 gene regulates the production of pollen grains

An international study has discovered a gene in the plant model Arabidopsis that reduces the number of pollen grains.

9 Jun 2020

Study reveals the relationship between genome folding and cellular functions

According to a study, the 3D structure of the human genome is fundamental to provide a quick and strong inflammatory response.

9 Jun 2020

Understanding protein-coding gene's role in IBD

A protein-coding gene associated with autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively referred to as inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, will be the focus of new research in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside.

9 Jun 2020

Automated 3D brain imaging data analysis helps unravel complex neural circuits

Automated 3-D brain imaging data analysis technology offers more reliable and standardized analysis of the spatial organization of complex neural circuits.

9 Jun 2020

DNA damage and repair jointly shape mutational signatures

A collaborative project between the Center for Genome Integrity, within the Institute for Basic Science, and the Dundee School of Life Sciences, the EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute have screened almost 163,000 DNA mutations in 2,700 C. elegans roundworms to shed light on DNA damage.

9 Jun 2020

Genome rewiring could help explain evolution of multi-cellular organisms

InsideOutBio expert Dr Alan Herbert has explained a pioneering research in a paper recently published online by the Royal Society Open Science journal.

9 Jun 2020

A synthetic microbial system can determine location of origin for objects

Every year, an estimated 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses, resulting in some 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

5 Jun 2020

Single-cell-resolution technologies help map brain regions in humans and primates

Using the single-cell-resolution transcriptomics technologies, researchers have performed a large-scale analysis of gene expression in 33 different brain regions of chimpanzees, bonobos, macaques, and humans, and successfully generated a map of the various brain regions with their particular cell structures.

5 Jun 2020