Molecular & Structural Biology

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Unique Genetic Signature Predicts Bacteria's Potential to Develop Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a global public health crisis responsible for more than a million deaths annually.

29 Jan 2025

Unveiling the Architecture of Native NMDA Receptors in the Mammalian Brain

A research team led by Shujia Zhu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ (CAS) Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology and Yang Li from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of CAS examined the architecture and assembly of endogenous N-methyl-ᴅ-aspartate receptors (eNMDARs) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of adult mammals in a study published in Cell on January 23rd, 2025.

27 Jan 2025

Peptides Boost Anti-Tumor Activity of Drugs

A team of scientists has created a ground-breaking method for improving drug formulations by employing specifically engineered peptides.

27 Jan 2025

New Method for Engineering GPCRs Opens Pathways for Advanced Drug Development

Proteins are life's engines, powering processes like muscle movement, vision, and chemical reactions.

24 Jan 2025

New Breakthrough Pushes DNA-Nanoparticle Motors Closer to Natural Protein Speed

DNA-nanoparticle motors are exactly as they sound: tiny artificial motors that use the structures of DNA and RNA to propel motion by enzymatic RNA degradation.

23 Jan 2025

New Technique Unifies Protein Size Measurements to Predict Aggregation Risk

Proteins are necessary for many bodily processes. Numerous physiological functions and activities are carried out by thousands of distinct proteins.

21 Jan 2025

Ancient Viral DNA Plays a Key Role in Embryonic Development

More than half of the human genome is made up of thousands of remnants of ancient viral DNA, known as transposable elements, which are pervasive across the tree of life.

21 Jan 2025

Unveiling the Interplay of DNA and RNA Epigenetics

The genes contain all the instructions the human body needs to function, but their expression must be carefully regulated to guarantee that each cell performs its function as best it can.

20 Jan 2025

Scientists Discover Surprising Directional Flexibility in DNA-Shaping Motors

Scientists from Delft, Vienna, and Lausanne discovered that the protein machines that shape our DNA can switch direction.

17 Jan 2025

Study Identifies Five Root-Lesion Nematodes Affecting New Zealand Maize

A new study has lifted the lid on five species of root-lesion nematodes living in maize crops across New Zealand - and suggested the existence of a hitherto-unsuspected cryptic species.

15 Jan 2025

Compound from Sea Sponge Could be Used as a Chemical Probe for Research

Girolline, a compound extracted from the sea sponge Pseudaxinyssa cantharella, has been investigated for possible antitumor effects and also found to have anti-malarial effects.

15 Jan 2025

Unrepaired DNA Damage Can Persist for Years and Lead to Cancer Mutations

While most known types of DNA damage are fixed by our cells’ in-house repair mechanisms, some forms of DNA damage evade repair and can persist for many years, new research shows. This means that the damage has multiple chances to generate harmful mutations, which can lead to cancer.

15 Jan 2025

Study Reveals How Gut Bacteria and the Body Regulate Bile Acids

Our gut is a bustling hub of activity, home to trillions of microbes that work together with our bodies to keep us healthy.

15 Jan 2025

Understanding RapA's Function in E. coli R-loop Control

From a genetic perspective, it is the worst-case scenario for a bacterium: during transcription, freshly created RNA adheres to its DNA template to form a three-stranded structure called an R-loop.

15 Jan 2025

Research Shows How Sleep Clears Brain Waste

A good night's sleep does more than just help you feel rested-it might literally clear your mind. A new study published January 8 in the Cell Press journal Cell shows how deep sleep may wash away waste buildup in the brain during waking hours, an essential process for maintaining brain health.

10 Jan 2025

Illuminating RNA Function with Innovative Bioluminescent Probes

The molecule that reads the genetic data contained in DNA is called RNA. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have found a method to tag RNA with a glowing bioluminescent molecule, which enables them to track RNA in real time as it travels throughout the body.

10 Jan 2025

New Insights into How Nitrogenase Enzyme Survives Oxygen Exposure

Nitrogen is an essential component in the production of amino acids and nucleic acids - both necessary for cell growth and function.

9 Jan 2025

New Discovery Sheds Light on How Monoamines Regulate Brain Rhythms

A collaborative effort between Mount Sinai and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has shed valuable light on how monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and now histamine help regulate brain physiology and behavior through chemical bonding of these monoamines to histone proteins, the core DNA-packaging proteins of our cells.

9 Jan 2025

Identifying PRIMER Cells and their Role in Defense Signaling

A diverse population of immune cells that move from one organ to another and react to anything from cuts to colds to cancer is how human bodies protect themselves. However, this luxury is not available to plants.

9 Jan 2025

Weak Molecular Interactions Trigger Autophagy in Cells

Recycling takes place in our cells at all times: in a process called autophagy, cell components that are no longer needed are enclosed by membranes and broken down into their basic building blocks.

8 Jan 2025