Molecular & Structural Biology

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Cracking the Code of the Cytoplasm: How Cells Organize Protein Production

Back in 2018, the lab of Christine Mayr, MD, PhD, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) introduced the world to a key cellular component that had been hiding in plain sight.

22 Dec 2023

New Technique Reveals Secrets of Protein Partnerships

Proteins are building blocks of our bodies, but they do not work solo. They form partners to facilitate in different biological processes that keep us going.

22 Dec 2023

Deciphering the Structure and Function of PLD3 in Cellular Waste Disposal

If we don't take out the trash regularly, our homes become unpleasant and even a danger to our health.

21 Dec 2023

Sirtuin 6 Boosts DNA Repair in Aging Cartilage Cells

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 23, entitled, "Sirtuin 6 activation rescues the age-related decline in DNA damage repair in primary human chondrocytes."

20 Dec 2023

Structural Insights Unmask Novel Adaptations and Functions of Human LINE-1 ORF2

Martin Taylor, MD, PhD, a physician investigator in the Department of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor in Pathology at Harvard Medical School, is the lead corresponding author of a new study in Nature, Structural Analysis and Inhibition of Human LINE-1 ORF2 Protein Reveals Novel Adaptations and Functions.

20 Dec 2023

Light-Activated "Good Vibrations" can Destroy Cancer Cells

The Beach Boys' iconic hit single "Good Vibrations" takes on a whole new layer of meaning thanks to a recent discovery by Rice University scientists and collaborators, who have uncovered a way to destroy cancer cells by using the ability of some molecules to vibrate strongly when stimulated by light.

20 Dec 2023

Researchers Uncover Previously Unknown Inactive Form of p38a Protein

p38a protein, a key enzyme in the regulation of various cellular functions, plays a crucial role in some diseases, including cancer, chronic inflammation, and neurodegenerative conditions.

20 Dec 2023

Exploring Brain Communication Through Polysynaptic Pathways

In a comparative study of communication networks in the brains of humans, macaques, and mice, researchers from EPFL discovered that only human brains transmit information through multiple parallel pathways.

19 Dec 2023

Algae to the Rescue: A Surprising New Protein Source for Muscle Building

With more of us looking for alternatives to eating animals, new research has found a surprising environmentally friendly source of protein – algae.

19 Dec 2023

New AI-Generated Proteins Could Revolutionize Medicine and Beyond

A new study Dec. 18 in Nature reports an AI-driven advance in biotechnology with implications for drug development, disease detection, and environmental monitoring.

19 Dec 2023

Gladstone Scientists Create Intricate Map of Human T Cell Function With Base Editing

In a study of historic scale, scientists at Gladstone Institutes have created an intricate map of how the immune system functions, examining the detailed molecular structures governing human T cells using the next-generation CRISPR tool known as base editing.

14 Dec 2023

Cryo-EM Analysis Uncovers Unexpected Enzymatic Switch in Bacterial Anti-Phage System

Scientists have revealed a never-before-seen phenomenon in a protein: Alone, the enzyme processes DNA and RNA but, when bound to another protein as part of a defense system, interacts with a completely different type of compound to help bacteria commit suicide.

14 Dec 2023

From Mice to Men: New Studies Bridge the Gap in Brain Cell Gene Expression Across Species

Despite all our cells sharing the same DNA, there are thousands of different cell types in the human brain, each with a unique structure and function.

14 Dec 2023

The Complex Dynamics of Death and Reversibility

Defining death neurologically poses a challenging task. Rather than a specific moment marking the transition from life to death, it is a process spanning several minutes, sometimes reversible under certain conditions.

13 Dec 2023

Model Helps Researchers 'See' Proteins on AFM Substrates

By employing a computational-based approach, researchers from Kanazawa University have introduced a new method for predicting protein placement on AFM substrates.

13 Dec 2023

Unveiling ppGpp’s Surprising Role in Fruit Fly Sleep

Sleep, a fundamental behavior observed across various organisms, ranging from worms to humans, is influenced by both internal sleep drive and external environmental factors.

12 Dec 2023

Unraveling Oxygen's Impact on Protein Dynamics

Understanding the adverse effects of insufficient oxygen becomes apparent with the simple act of holding ones breath for too long.

11 Dec 2023

Fossil Lipids and Genetics Offer Glimpse into Early Animal Diets

Paleontologists are gaining insight into life from over a billion years ago by analyzing chemical remnants in ancient rocks and studying the genetics of present-day animals.

11 Dec 2023

Brain Imaging Study Unravels the Secret of Impulse Control

A group of researchers from The University of Hong Kong and The University of Electronic Science and Technology of China has definitively pinpointed the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) as a pivotal input and causal regulator within the subcortical response inhibition nodes.

11 Dec 2023

Researchers Redesign the Future of mRNA Therapeutics

Scientists have unearthed that errors in the interpretation of therapeutic mRNA by the cell’s decoding apparatus can incite an inadvertent immune reaction within the body.

7 Dec 2023