Protein News and Research

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Proteins are complex molecules that are made up of amino acids. They can be found in every cell in the body, and carry out vital processes that keep human beings alive. Mutations in proteins can lead to a multitude of diseases, the most common being cancer.

Study may help develop new antiviral drugs against COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus that is responsible for causing COVID-19 infection. It uses multiple steps to attack the body.

9 Nov 2020

Glass surface embedded with self-assembled gold nanoparticles can improve live-cell imaging

In the quest to image exceedingly small structures and phenomenon with higher precision, scientists have been pushing the limits of optical microscope resolution, but these advances often come with increased complication and cost.

9 Nov 2020

Genetically edited form of herpes simplex virus outperforms key vaccine candidate

A genetically edited form of a herpes simplex virus -- rewired to keep it from taking refuge in the nervous system and eluding an immune response -- has outperformed a leading vaccine candidate in a new study from the University of Cincinnati, Northwestern University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

9 Nov 2020

Infrared spectroscopy can trace out various modifications in protein structure

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a frequently used technique for the structural analysis of simple and complex molecules.

9 Nov 2020

Species-rich plant communities can limit herbivore pest outbreaks

Increasing plant diversity enhances the natural control of insect herbivory in grasslands. Species-rich plant communities support natural predators and simultaneously provide less valuable food for herbivores.

9 Nov 2020

New method to improve preclinical evaluation of CAR-T cell therapies

Ludwig Cancer Research scientists have developed a method to significantly improve the preclinical evaluation of chimeric antigen-receptor (CAR) T cell therapies.

9 Nov 2020

Researchers show how encapsulated viruses hijack biosynthetic pathways in cells

Researchers from the Universities of Melbourne, York, Warwick and Oxford have shed light on how encapsulated viruses like hepatitis B, dengue and SARS-CoV-2 hijack the protein manufacturing and distribution pathways in the cell - they have also identified a potential broad spectrum anti-viral drug target to stop them in their tracks.

9 Nov 2020

Ground-breaking discovery provides new understanding of how proteins operate

A ground-breaking discovery by Centenary Institute scientists has provided new understanding as to the nature of proteins and how they exist and operate in the human body.

9 Nov 2020

Study provides key insight to better understand the development of Type 2 diabetes

Scientists have found that insulin has met an evolutionary cul-de-sac, limiting its ability to adapt to obesity and thereby rendering most people vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes.

6 Nov 2020

Study shows how coronavirus block cells’ ability to produce protective proteins

One of the novel coronavirus' most insidious tricks is that it can block the ability of cells to produce protective proteins without hindering its own ability to replicate.

6 Nov 2020

Rapid prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 by MALDI-TOF MS

Gomila et al. recently uploaded a study to the preprint server medRxiv* (November 2020), aiming to utilize MALDI-TOF MS to analyze the sera of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in a range of disease severity states.

6 Nov 2020

Study sheds new light on key protein implicated in tumor development

A study headed by the University of Colorado Boulder has revealed a specific protein that is crucial for regulating the growth, proliferation, and function of cells, and how these cells were long implicated in the development of tumors.

5 Nov 2020

Study examines how extremophilic microbes can tolerate drastic space conditions

Since the dawn of space exploration, humankind has been fascinated by survival of terrestrial life in outer space. Outer space is a hostile environment for any form of life, but some extraordinarily resistant microorganisms can survive.

5 Nov 2020

Researchers reveal identity of the last unknown protein of autophagy

Drs. Nobuo Noda (Director) and Kazuaki Matoba (Senior Researcher) et al. at the Institute of Microbial Chemistry (BIKAKEN, Tokyo, Japan) discovered that Atg9, one of the proteins that function to mediate autophagy, has phospholipid-translocation activity (the lipid scramblase activity) between the two layers of the lipid bilayer and elucidated that the protein's activity brings about autophagosome membrane expansion.

5 Nov 2020

Researchers discover how tomato plants identify Cuscuta as a parasite

Working together with researchers from the University of Tübingen, the University of Tromsø, the UC Davis and the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, biologists from Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have discovered how tomato plants identify Cuscuta as a parasite.

5 Nov 2020

Researchers use AI tool to study the dynamics behind cancer, Alzheimer’s disease

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), scientists from the University of Copenhagen have solved a crucial issue that, to date, has been a major barrier to significant protein research into the dynamics behind various diseases, like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and also in the development of novel gene-editing techniques and sustainable chemistry.

4 Nov 2020

Researchers identify a new solution for treating ligament injuries

Ligament injuries that affect scores of regular citizens and athletes are sidelined every year. Added to this, recovery is painful and takes a long time and, at times, a return to normal function is never achieved because of the formation of scars—an aspect that makes ligament injuries inclined to more damage.

4 Nov 2020