Molecular & Structural Biology

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Tiny Protein Interacts with Ion Channels to Make Our Eyes Sensitive to Dim Light

Using cryo-electron microscopy and mass spectrometry, researchers from PSI have deciphered the structure of an ion channel found in the eye while it interacts with the protein calmodulin – a structure that has eluded scientists for three decades.

4 Apr 2023

Designing a Lipid Nanoparticle to Safely Deliver mRNA to the Pancreas

Therapeutics that use mRNA-;like some of the COVID-19 vaccines-;have enormous potential for the prevention and treatment of many diseases.

4 Apr 2023

Researchers Uncover a New, Direction-Dependent Friction in Proteins

An interdisciplinary research team of the Institutes of Physical Chemistry and Physics of the University of Freiburg and the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt-am-Main has discovered a new, direction-dependent friction in proteins called anisotropic friction.

3 Apr 2023

Tighter Core of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in New Variants Likely Improved the Virus's Ability to Infect Host Cells

Just as a tight core is a component of good physical fitness for humans, helping to stabilize our bodies, mutations that tightened the core of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in new variants may have increased the virus's fitness.

3 Apr 2023

Study brings into sharper focus the structural details of SARS-COV-2 virus

A new study led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) brings into sharper focus the structural details of the COVID-19 virus, revealing an elliptical shape that "breathes," or changes shape, as it moves in the body.

31 Mar 2023

Newly developed toolkit uses small molecules to control the activity of synthetic RNA

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Astellas Pharma Inc., has developed a new toolkit that uses small molecules to control the activity of a piece of synthetic RNA, and ultimately regulate gene expression.

31 Mar 2023

First atomic-level structure of 'oil-eating' enzyme paves way for bioengineered catalysts

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have produced the first atomic-level structure of an enzyme that selectively cuts carbon-hydrogen bonds-;the first and most challenging step in turning simple hydrocarbons into more useful chemicals.

31 Mar 2023

Harnessing a natural bacterial system to deliver proteins in mice and human cells

Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT have harnessed a natural bacterial system to develop a new protein delivery approach that works in human cells and animals.

30 Mar 2023

Research shows how the fruit fly gut builds a cozy niche to selectively promote colonization

The digestive tract of fruit flies remodels itself to accommodate beneficial microbiome species and maintain long-term stability of the gut environment, according to new research led by Carnegie's William Ludington and Allan Spradling.

30 Mar 2023

Study helps understand at the cellular level how physical activity contributes to fitness during aging

Regular exercise can guarantee quality of life and longevity, specialists agree. However, exactly how exercise influences the functioning of muscle cells is poorly understood.

30 Mar 2023

Epigenetic fingerprinting helps trace the origin of animal products

Food analysis laboratories can provide an answer to questions like “Was the salmon for dinner really caught wild or did it come from aquaculture? What to make of the alleged ‘biolabel quality’ of the shrimp for the seafood salad? And was the chicken for the Sunday roast really allowed to spend its life in the open air?” to a limited extent.

30 Mar 2023

New inhibitor molecule disrupts the infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus

A team of scientists led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed a molecule that disrupts the infection mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and could be used to develop new treatments for COVID-19 and other viral diseases.

29 Mar 2023

New project addresses the lack of standards for optimal management of Lp(a)

According to a recent scientific statement gathered from American Heart Association, high levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are known to be a separate, chiefly inherited and causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease, known to be the leading cause of death and disability around the world.

29 Mar 2023

Heart-healthy benefits of walnuts may be linked to beneficial changes in the mix of gut microbes

A new study examining the gene expression of gut microbes suggests that the heart-healthy benefits of walnuts may be linked to beneficial changes in the mix of microbes found in our gut.

27 Mar 2023

New insights into how different countries' research establishments respond to disease outbreaks

In a new study, researchers examined how a country's number of published 3D protein structures for coronaviruses, including the one responsible for COVID-19, correlated with its economic output and population.

27 Mar 2023

New breakthrough in controlling plant responses to temperature

UC Riverside scientists have significantly advanced the race to control plant responses to temperature on a rapidly warming planet.

24 Mar 2023

Eye color genes play important roles in maintaining retinal health

Metabolic pathways consist of a series of biochemical reactions in cells that convert a starting component into other products.

24 Mar 2023

Brain scans link signs of cellular aging to symptoms of Alzheimer’s

According to a new study led by Anya Topiwala of Oxford Population Health, a division of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and published on March 22nd, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s disease are connected to telomeres shortening, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells age.

23 Mar 2023

RHOJ acts as a key regulator of EMT-associated resistance to chemotherapy

In spite of the ongoing development of new targeted therapies, chemotherapies remain the most popular used treatment for patients with advanced cancers. Chemotherapy resistance is one of the leading causes of cancer treatment failure and death.

23 Mar 2023

Revealing how hematopoietic stem cells acquire malignant traits in cancer

Scientists from Lund University’s Faculty of Medicine have discovered a novel mechanism connecting ribonucleic acid (RNA) metabolism to the development of leukemia in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

23 Mar 2023

Molecular & Structural Biology

Tiny Protein Interacts with Ion Channels to Make Our Eyes Sensitive to Dim Light

Designing a Lipid Nanoparticle to Safely Deliver mRNA to the Pancreas

Researchers Uncover a New, Direction-Dependent Friction in Proteins

Tighter Core of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in New Variants Likely Improved the Virus's Ability to Infect Host Cells

Study brings into sharper focus the structural details of SARS-COV-2 virus

Newly developed toolkit uses small molecules to control the activity of synthetic RNA

First atomic-level structure of 'oil-eating' enzyme paves way for bioengineered catalysts

Harnessing a natural bacterial system to deliver proteins in mice and human cells

Research shows how the fruit fly gut builds a cozy niche to selectively promote colonization

Study helps understand at the cellular level how physical activity contributes to fitness during aging

Epigenetic fingerprinting helps trace the origin of animal products

New inhibitor molecule disrupts the infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus

New project addresses the lack of standards for optimal management of Lp(a)

Heart-healthy benefits of walnuts may be linked to beneficial changes in the mix of gut microbes

New insights into how different countries' research establishments respond to disease outbreaks

New breakthrough in controlling plant responses to temperature

Eye color genes play important roles in maintaining retinal health

Brain scans link signs of cellular aging to symptoms of Alzheimer’s

RHOJ acts as a key regulator of EMT-associated resistance to chemotherapy

Revealing how hematopoietic stem cells acquire malignant traits in cancer

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

From Memory to Metaplasticity: Unraveling the Brain's Secrets

Revolutionizing Mass Spectrometry: A Deep Dive into Plasmion’s SICRIT® Technology

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