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A 3D explanation of SPOP’s role in cancer

The protein SPOP, which also plays a role in endometrial, uterine, and other cancers, is the most mutated in prostate cancer. Despite its significance, it is still unclear how SPOP mutations cause cancer.

26 Jan 2023

Utilizing "cyborg cells" in environment protection and medicine

At the University of California, Davis, biomedical engineers have developed “cyborg cells” that are partially alive.

From The University of California, Davis 19 Jan 2023

Blending multiple maps uncover new genetic causes of blindness

In a new study, Ran Elkon and Ruth Ashery-Padan of Tel Aviv University, Israel, and colleagues discovered a new genetic risk factor for adult-onset macular degeneration (AMD) by combining a map of gene regulatory sites with disease-associated loci.

18 Jan 2023

Role of clonal hematopoiesis as a broad driver of atherosclerosis

A group at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), collaborating with institutions in the USA, has shown that acquired mutations in the gene encoding the protein p53 contribute to the onset of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

18 Jan 2023

Insights into the role of the germline in de novo mutation

The male reproductive system is a hotspot for the introduction of new genes. Perhaps that might assist in understanding why fathers tend to pass on more new mutations than mothers do. However, it does not explain why older fathers pass on more mutations than younger fathers.

16 Jan 2023

The continued functioning of circadian clock of cells even after starvation

According to a study that was just published in eLife, cells that have a functioning molecular clock are better able to adapt to changes in glucose supply and can recover from long-term starvation more quickly.

11 Jan 2023

Effective anticancer strategy for selective killing of cancer cells

A study team headed by Dr Yuanliang Zhai from The University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) School of Biological Sciences and his associates from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Institut Curie in France discovered a new mechanism of the human MCM2-7 complex in controlling replication initiation, which can be employed as a unique and effective anticancer method with the potential for selective death of cancer cells.

11 Jan 2023

Argonne scientists awarded DOE funding to study plant-microbe communication

Argonne scientists awarded funding for bioimaging project to study communication between plants and microbial symbionts.

10 Jan 2023

Investigating the molecular mechanisms that govern cilia force sensing

Although the human body is superficially symmetric along the left–right axis, most internal organs, including the heart, lungs, liver, stomach, and brain, have noteworthy left–right asymmetries in their structure and placement.

6 Jan 2023

Novel insights into the elongation dynamics of eukaryotic cells

The proper functioning of numerous proteins generated in cells by ribosomes is essential for life. This diversified variety of proteins, called proteome, is sustained by the ribosomes’ vigorous translation elongation of amino acid sequences.

6 Jan 2023

Discovery of a new cellular element crucial to sense of smell

Researchers at Umeå University have found an organelle, a previously unidentified cellular component, inside the neurons that are responsible for the ability to smell. The finding might have repercussions for future studies on COVID-19 symptoms like impaired smell sense.

5 Jan 2023

Ultrafast, highly sensitive detection of proteins using simple laser irradiation

Protein detection based on antigen–antibody reaction is vital in early diagnosis of a wide range of diseases. How to effectively detect proteins, however, has frequently bedeviled researchers.

4 Jan 2023

UCR researchers decode the secret language of photosynthesis

For decades, scientists have been stumped by the signals plants send themselves to initiate photosynthesis, the process of turning sunlight into sugars.

3 Jan 2023

New technique provides an unlimited supply of patient-derived tissues to study AMD

Scientists used patient stem cells and 3D bioprinting to produce eye tissue that will advance understanding of the mechanisms of blinding diseases.

3 Jan 2023

MIT researchers use specialized MRI sensor to detect light deep within tissues

Using a specialized MRI sensor, MIT researchers have shown that they can detect light deep within tissues such as the brain.

3 Jan 2023

Structure of the complete virion of S. epidermidis–infecting phage revealed

Scientists from the University of Alabama at Birmingham used cryo-electron microscopy to reveal the structure of a bacterial virus in extraordinary detail.

20 Dec 2022

Octopuses' acuity may provide a critical link in understanding the evolution of complex life

Octopuses have captured the attention of scientists and the public with their remarkable intelligence, including the use of tools, engaging in creative play and problem-solving, and even escaping from aquariums.

16 Dec 2022

Right solvent pretreatment needed to make valuable bioproducts

Lignin and cellulose are polymers-;large molecules made up of repeating modules-;that are situated in a tangled braid, along with some other polymers, within the plant cell wall.

15 Dec 2022

Living “bio-solar cell” runs on photosynthesis

Plants can provide food, oxygen, and decor, but they are not commonly thought to be useful sources of electricity.

15 Dec 2022

Small fluorescent protein helps researchers to capture deeper, more precise biomedical images

Biomedical and genetic engineers at Duke University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have designed a small fluorescent protein that emits and absorbs light that penetrates deep into biological tissue.

7 Dec 2022