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Mapping Small Molecule-Protein Interactions for Drug Development

For most human proteins, there are no small molecules known to bind them chemically (so called "ligands"). Ligands frequently represent important starting points for drug development but this knowledge gap critically hampers the development of novel medicines.

30 Apr 2024

Unlocking the Secrets of Lipid Droplet Proteins in Arabidopsis Thaliana Leaves

Lipid droplets (LDs) serve as storage organelles found in plant leaves and seeds. While the functions of seed LD proteins in lipid metabolism are well understood, many leaf LD proteins remain unidentified.

24 Apr 2024

Small RNA-Binding Protein Promotes Prime Editing Efficiency

Through years of engineering gene-editing systems, researchers have developed a suite of tools that enable the modification of genomes in living cells, akin to 'genome surgery'.

23 Apr 2024

Enhancing Drug Discovery Through Automated Protein Labeling

Exact protein observation in cells is crucial for many scientific fields, but it has proven to be a difficult technical task, particularly in living cells where each protein needs to have its fluorescent label applied separately.

22 Apr 2024

Protein TRBP's Regulatory Role in Immune Response to Viral Infections Uncovered

Researchers have revealed the regulatory mechanism of a specific protein that plays a key role in balancing the immune response triggered by viral infections in mammal cells.

22 Apr 2024

Unraveling the Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Entanglement Resolution

Picture in your mind a traditional "landline" telephone with a coiled cord connecting the handset to the phone.

12 Apr 2024

AI Predicts Mutations for Improved Protein Function

To design proteins with beneficial functions, researchers typically start with a natural protein possessing a desirable function, such as emitting fluorescent light.

5 Apr 2024

New Solvatochromic Dye Could Revolutionize Real-Time Lipid Order Imaging

A new solvatochromic probe could help shed light on the relationship between lipid membrane fluidity and various cellular functions, report scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology and Kyushu University.

14 Mar 2024

Breakthrough Studies Shed Light on Origins of Homochirality in Biology

Molecules often have a structural asymmetry called chirality, which means they can appear in alternative, mirror-image versions, akin to the left and right versions of human hands.

29 Feb 2024

APOE4's Influence on Lipid Droplets in Brain Cells

The largest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease is apolipoprotein E (APOE), and researchers Sarah Cohen, PhD, and Ian Windham, a former PhD student from the Cohen group, have made a novel discovery about this protein.

12 Feb 2024

Unlocking RNA Secrets: New Method Exposes Gene Expression's Hidden Hurdles

A new study demonstrates that a method may identify, for the first time, the frequency and precise location of a molecular occurrence known as "backtracking" across the genetic material (genome) of any species.

12 Feb 2024

Decoding Virus-Host Tug-of-War with RNA-Protein Interaction Mapping

The interplay between ribonucleic acid (RNA) and proteins is not only important for maintaining cellular homeostasis but is also at the center of the tug-of-war between virus and host.

2 Feb 2024

Scientists Harness Cellular Scaffolding for New Bio-Inspired Technologies

Princeton researchers have learned to harness the gossamer scaffolding that maintains the structure of living cells and used it to develop a nanotechnology platform.

27 Jan 2024

New Technique Reveals Order and Flow in the Cell's Control Center

Though its material characteristics still baffle scientists, the cell nucleus is thought to be the center of control for essential cellular functions

22 Jan 2024

New Method Reveals Bacteria's Protein Targeting System

Disease-causing bacteria of the genus Salmonella or Yersinia can use tiny injection apparatuses to inject harmful proteins into host cells, much to the discomfort of the infected person.

5 Jan 2024

Unraveling the Mysteries of COPII-Mediated Protein Transport

Similar to postal workers who deliver packages in inclement weather, such as snow, rain, or heat waves, a vital set of proteins found in mammals enables cells to operate normally, even in less-than-ideal circumstances.

4 Jan 2024

Improved Mapping of Small-Molecule Binding Sites in Cells

Researchers at Scripps Research created a novel, high-resolution method for identifying putative treatment targets on proteins in living cells.

3 Jan 2024

Breakthrough in Synthetic Biology: Researchers Build Artificial CO2-Fixing Pathway

Synthetic biology offers the opportunity to build biochemical pathways for the capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2).

3 Jan 2024

The Evolutionary Timeline of Diminished Boric Acid and Urea Transportation in Aquaporin 10

Aquaporin (Aqp) 10 water channels in humans allow the free passage of water, glycerol, urea, and boric acid across cells.

27 Dec 2023

New Technique Revolutionizes the Construction of Synthetic Chromosomes

A groundbreaking new technique invented by researchers at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Science may revolutionize the field of synthetic biology.

26 Dec 2023