Molecular & Structural Biology

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Engineering Blood Vessels to Image Bioluminescence Deep Within the Brain

Researchers frequently tag cells with fluorescent proteins, which enable them to monitor tumor growth or quantify alterations in gene expression that transpire during cell differentiation.

13 May 2024

Tiny, Laser-Activated Droplets Could Be Used to Detect Biomarkers for Diseases

A team of researchers led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has created tiny droplets that, when activated by laser light, can detect viral protein biomarkers indicating the presence of certain diseases.

11 May 2024

AI Deciphers the Complex Wiring of the Human Brain

Though it may not seem like much, one cubic mm of brain tissue exists. That small square, however, holds 230 mm of blood vessels, 150 million synapses, and 57,000 cells, totaling 1,400 terabytes of data. That is why researchers from Google and Harvard have just achieved something truly amazing.

10 May 2024

Researchers Identify Natural Compounds for Parasitic Worm Treatment

An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has found a family of natural compounds with potential as new and more effective treatments for parasitic worms.

9 May 2024

Molecular Pixelation Maps Hundreds of Proteins in Single Cells

According to a recent study published in Nature Methods, researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Pixelgen Technologies have created and implemented a method that enables protein mapping in individual cells in a new way.

9 May 2024

New Insights Into PARP1 Biology Could Open Avenues to Improve Cancer Treatments

A new study led by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers shows that an enzyme called PARP1 is involved in repair of telomeres, the lengths of DNA that protect the tips of chromosomes, and that impairing this process can lead to telomere shortening and genomic instability that can cause cancer.

8 May 2024

Harnessing Gut Microbiome Compounds to Reduce Inflammation

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found naturally occurring compounds in the gut that can be harnessed to reduce inflammation and other symptoms of digestive issues.

6 May 2024

Targeting RNA Modifications: A Novel Approach for Neuroblastoma Treatment

Neuroblastoma is a common pediatric cancer that originates in developing nerve cells outside the brain.

6 May 2024

Protein Complex Movement May Regulate Cell Division, Impacting Disease Research

Scientists at Umeå University in Sweden have found that the movement of a unique protein complex known as the Mediator along DNA genes may affect the process of cell division.

6 May 2024

Unlocking Brown Fat's Potential: Study Reveals Key Protein in Obesity Regulation

Brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue (BAT), is a type of fat in our bodies that's different from the white fat around our belly and thighs that we are more familiar with.

30 Apr 2024

Mapping Small Molecule-Protein Interactions for Drug Development

For most human proteins, there are no small molecules known to bind them chemically (so called "ligands"). Ligands frequently represent important starting points for drug development but this knowledge gap critically hampers the development of novel medicines.

30 Apr 2024

New Technique Reveals Plant's Defense Mechanism

Researchers at the Danforth Plant Science Center and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, working with Tessa Burch-Smith, PhD, are breaking new ground in their investigation of how viruses, essential molecules, and information are transferred between cells in plants.

30 Apr 2024

Study Reveals Molecular Assembly of One of the Most Common Anti-Phage Systems

One of the many secrets to bacteria's success is their ability to defend themselves from viruses, called phages, that infect bacteria and use their cellular machinery to make copies of themselves.

29 Apr 2024

Epigenetics May Spark Tumors Without DNA Mutations

Scientists from the CNRS are part of a research team that has found that epigenetic changes, or modifications that affect the regulation of gene expression, can be the sole cause of cancer, one of the world's leading causes of death.

25 Apr 2024

PI3K Enzyme's Dual Accelerator and Brake Mechanisms Uncovered

A group of researchers have expanded conventional knowledge on a critical enzyme that controls cell migration. In a recent publication in the journal Nature Communications, they reported that phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) not only acts as an accelerator to prompt cell motility, but it also has a built-in brake mechanism that impedes migration.

25 Apr 2024

Hydrogel Therapy: A Novel Defense Against Viral Infections

Vaccines remain the gold standard of protection against dangerous pathogens, but take considerable time and vast resources to develop.

24 Apr 2024

Small RNA-Binding Protein Promotes Prime Editing Efficiency

Through years of engineering gene-editing systems, researchers have developed a suite of tools that enable the modification of genomes in living cells, akin to 'genome surgery'.

23 Apr 2024

Localized Delivery Minimizes Side Effects of Immunotherapy

Cancer is the monster of the society.. The American Cancer Society reports that over 600,000 Americans lost their lives to cancer in the previous year. Medical progress has been shaped by the unwavering quest to understand this complex disease, leading to the development of less invasive yet highly effective treatment procedures.

22 Apr 2024

Unveiling Cannabinoid’s Potential for Treating Age-Related Brain Degeneration

Scientists at the Salk Institute observed the neuroprotective effects of cannabinol in fruit flies and discovered cannabinoid analogs that may prove to be promising future treatments for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and traumatic brain injury.

18 Apr 2024

U of T Scientists Make Breakthrough Discovery in DNA Repair Mechanism

Researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered a DNA repair mechanism that advances understanding of how human cells stay healthy, and which could lead to new treatments for cancer and premature aging.

18 Apr 2024