Molecular & Structural Biology

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New Research Challenges Views on Human Brain Evolution

Modern humans, Neanderthals, and other recent relatives on our human family tree evolved bigger brains much more rapidly than earlier species, a new study of human brain evolution has found.

2 Dec 2024

The Immune System’s Role in Neurodegenerative Disease

Researchers have discovered a new connection between Parkinson’s disease development and the immune system.

2 Dec 2024

Comprehensive Review of Intracellular Checkpoints in NK Cell Biology and Cancer

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in the innate immune response to cancer and viral infections, and their presence in tumors correlates with improved patient outcomes in a variety of cancers.

29 Nov 2024

Novel Role for Viscoelasticity in Cellular Signaling and Response

An important mechanism in fat cells (adipocytes) that allows them to safely enlarge to store energy has been discovered by a team at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), led by Professor Miguel Ángel del Pozo Barriuso, who leads the CNIC's Mechanoadaptation and Caveolae Biology group.

29 Nov 2024

The Critical Role of TRiC in Brain Development and Function

In 1992, Judith Frydman, PhD, discovered a molecular complex with an essential purpose in all of our cells: folding proteins correctly.

29 Nov 2024

Mathematical Approach Helps Understand Complex Neural Systems

In an article published in the scientific journal PNAS Nexus, researchers from the Neuromorphic Engineering Laboratory at the University of Liège reveal a fascinating brain mechanism: the ability of neurons to maintain reliable functions despite significant variability in their physiological components.

29 Nov 2024

Systemic Metabolic Adaptation Supports Tissue Regeneration in Axolotls and Fruit Flies

Regenerating tissues following injury is a demanding task most multicellular organisms master to different levels. In order to better understand the mechanisms common to many species behind tissue regeneration, researchers from the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden and the BIOTEC (TU Dresden), decided to examine changes in systemic metabolism during regeneration.

29 Nov 2024

Reduced Protein Mobility Linked to Chronic Diseases and Their Complications

Chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and inflammatory disorders have a huge impact on humanity. They are a leading cause of disease burden and deaths around the globe, are physically and economically taxing, and the number of people with such diseases is growing.

28 Nov 2024

Novel DNA-Based Platform for Biomolecular Interactions

Researchers at The University of British Columbia Okanagan have created a first-of-its-kind artificial adhesion system that closely resembles biological connections.

28 Nov 2024

Breakthrough in Understanding DNA Gyrase Paves Way for New Antibiotics

Researchers from Durham University, Jagiellonian University (Poland) and the John Innes Centre have achieved a breakthrough in understanding DNA gyrase, a vital bacterial enzyme and key antibiotic target.

27 Nov 2024

New Imaging Method Unlocks Secrets of RNA Folding Dynamics

In a groundbreaking development, researchers from the United States and Denmark have successfully captured 3D images of individual RNA nanoparticles in the midst of their folding process.

26 Nov 2024

Dopamine and Serotonin Act as Opposing Forces in Learning and Reward

If you've heard of two of the brain's chemical neurotransmitters, it's probably dopamine and serotonin. Never mind that glutamate and GABA do most of the work -; it's the thrill of dopamine as the "pleasure chemical" and serotonin as tender mood-stabilizer that attract all the headlines.

26 Nov 2024

Locus Coeruleus Identified as Crucial for Maintaining Sleep Cycles

Researchers at the University of Lausanne have identified a novel role for the brain's 'locus coeruleus' in sleep and its disruptions.

26 Nov 2024

Unveiling the Hidden Potential of SnoRNAs

Dynamic, reversible modifications of DNA and RNA regulate how genes are expressed and transcribed, which can influence cellular processes, disease development, and overall organismal health.

25 Nov 2024

Simplified Model Predicts Neuronal Activity in Zebrafish Gaze Control

Working with week-old zebrafish larva, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and colleagues decoded how the connections formed by a network of neurons in the brainstem guide the fishes' gaze.

25 Nov 2024

Unmasking the Molecular Mechanisms of Melanoma

LMU researchers have discovered how the interplay between a key protein and an endolysosomal ion channel promotes tumor development in skin cancer.

24 Nov 2024

Deep Neural Connections Drive Social Thought, Study Says

We've all been there. Moments after leaving a party, your brain is suddenly filled with intrusive thoughts about what others were thinking. "Did they think I talked too much?" "Did my joke offend them?" "Were they having a good time?"

24 Nov 2024

Researchers Decode Complete Genome of Medicinal Plant Forsythia Suspensa

A recent study has decoded the complete genome of Forsythia suspensa, a plant renowned for its medicinal value and decorative appeal.

23 Nov 2024

Versatile Molecule with a New Role in Genome Maintenance

A multi-institutional team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology has uncovered a hitherto unidentified function for RNA.

22 Nov 2024

Ancient DNA Unlocks Secrets of European Genetic Adaptation

Leveraging a unique statistical analysis and applying it to ancient DNA extracted from human skeletal remains, a team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Los Angeles has revealed new insights into how ancient Europeans adapted to their environments over 7,000 years of European history.

21 Nov 2024