Molecular & Structural Biology

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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

New "Ultra-Mild" Method Corrects Cancer DNA Methylation Test Errors

Traditional bisulfite sequencing damages DNA, while enzyme-based alternatives are inconsistent. A novel methylation analysis method, called UMBS-seq, was published this week in Nature Communications. UMBS-seq achieves both accuracy and gentleness, unlocking more reliable cancer biomarker detection.

13 Nov 2025

AlphaSync Brings Continuous Updates to Global Protein Structure Predictions

The shape, or structure, of proteins determines how they work, making it essential for researchers to have access to high-quality structural models.

12 Nov 2025

Deciphering PARP14's Role in Viral Pathogenesis

Researchers at the University of Kansas have identified that the human gene encoding the protein PARP14 plays a crucial role in regulating interferon, a key component of the body’s innate immune system.

12 Nov 2025

Pitt-Led Team Creates Fully Synthetic Bacteriophages, Speeding Up Discovery

A team led by University of Pittsburgh's Graham Hatfull has developed a method to construct bacteriophages with entirely synthetic genetic material, allowing researchers to add and subtract genes at will. The findings open the field to new pathways for understanding how these bacteria-killing viruses work, and for potential therapy of bacterial infections.

11 Nov 2025

Inter-Organelle Crosstalk Regulates Protein Biogenesis in Eukaryotic Cells

Janelia researchers have uncovered a novel way that two of the structures inside cells-the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and lysosomes-coordinate the production of proteins, highlighting how interactions between organelles are important for regulating cellular processes.

11 Nov 2025

Uncovering the Mechanism of Chromosome Congression for Targeted Cancer Therapy

A research team from The University of Osaka, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has uncovered a new molecular mechanism underlying chromosome alignment during cell division.

11 Nov 2025

Dual Role of SlNOR and SlNOR-like1 Revealed in Tomato Pollen Development

Successful fertilization in flowering plants depends on healthy pollen development and structural integrity of the pollen wall.

10 Nov 2025

Researchers Find "Hidden" Mutations by Tracing Protein Isoforms

Approximately 25 million individuals in the United States are affected by a rare genetic disorder, and a significant number of them face challenges not only due to the absence of effective treatments but also because of insufficient information regarding their condition.

10 Nov 2025

St. Jude Scientists Discover Hidden Binding Pocket in Nuclear Receptors

A study from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital uncovered an alternative binding pocket within nuclear receptors, revealing a much-needed new therapy route for this important class of drug targets.

7 Nov 2025

TRV-Mediated Gene Editing System Transforms Tomato Functional Genomics

CRISPR-Cas9 has revolutionized plant genome editing, yet its application in tomato remains limited due to the plant's recalcitrance to transformation and regeneration.

7 Nov 2025

Scientists Reveal Nonenzymatic Role of NUDT5 in Purine Pathway Regulation

Inside every cell, a finely tuned metabolic network determines when to build, recycle, or stop producing essential molecules.

7 Nov 2025

Atomic Structure of Kinesin-2 Reveals the Molecular Logic of Cargo Recognition

For decades, scientists have known that motor proteins like kinesin-2 ferry vital cargo along microtubule "highways" inside cells.

7 Nov 2025

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Accurately Recreate the RNA Folding Process

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is one of life's most versatile molecules, with roles going far beyond being a messenger of genetic code, as it is fundamentally involved in gene regulation, processing, and maintenance across all living systems.

5 Nov 2025

RNA Molecules Alter Genome Structure to Silence Critical Neuronal Genes During Stress

What if the brain's response to stress could be read not in fleeting neurotransmitter bursts, but in the quieting of genes deep inside chromatin? Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have now shown that stress hormones may silence crucial neuronal genes through an unexpected class of RNA molecules that operate not by encoding proteins, but by reshaping the genome's architecture.

5 Nov 2025

Study Unveils the Complete Biosynthetic Loop Regulating Tannin Production in Strawberries

Hydrolyzable tannins (HTs), including gallotannins and ellagitannins, are essential polyphenolic compounds that influence fruit taste, antioxidant capacity, and stress tolerance. Although condensed tannin biosynthesis has been well studied, the enzymatic processes governing HT formation remain unclear.

3 Nov 2025