Structural Biology News and Research

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Study shows how G protein-coupled receptors signal helps drug development

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), membrane proteins that are the target of one-third of approved drugs, are being studied by scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute.

29 Apr 2022

Researchers may have identified a key intermediate in the transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes

All modern organisms fall into two classes, eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Eukaryotes (from the Greek meaning "true kernel") have a cell nucleus that harbors most of the cell's genetic information and includes organisms such as humans, plants and fungi.

20 Apr 2022

Scientists discover an effective drug development candidate from rare actinomycetes

Researchers are rushing to review a group of bacteria known as actinomycetes, which are one of the most successful sources of treatment.

19 Apr 2022

Cryo-EM reveals the structure of fermentation enzyme phosphoketolase

Pharmaceuticals, plastics, and other industries use enzymes to help synthesize molecular feedstocks.

19 Apr 2022

Researchers analyze the complex function of cyanobacteria and the regulation of the biological clock

Researchers aim to learn more about circadian rhythms, which are the 24-hour internal clock cycles of sleeping and waking that happens in all species, including humans, plants, fungi, and bacteria.

18 Apr 2022

Researchers discover a unique technique to fight hospital-borne disease

A study team developed an early-stage therapy that sabotages the pump and restores antibiotic efficiency by disclosing the structure of a protein needed by bacteria to pump out antibiotics.

From New York University (NYU) 4 Apr 2022

Yale and uOttawa researchers partner to solve a puzzle rooted in the deepest past of evolution

For decades, scientists have been trying to unravel an enduring mystery of structural biology: Why do two otherwise identical protein forms found in everything from plants, amphibians and human beings hang onto a slight variation across the mighty span of evolution?

21 Mar 2022

Researchers use GP2 and UMOD to prevent urinary tract infection

A team led by Karolinska Institute used AI and structural biology to learn more about two similar proteins that protect against bacterial infection in the urinary tract.

16 Mar 2022

Research points to a common thread linking diverse neurodegenerative diseases

Take a cell-deep tour of a brain afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, and you will find minuscule clumps of protein that seem suspicious. Ever since the 1980s, when neuroscientists began identifying these protein tangles, researchers have discovered that other brain diseases have their own tangled-protein signatures.

7 Mar 2022

Researchers redevelop Cas9 that is unlikely to cut the wrong DNA

At times, the molecular machinery makes alterations to the wrong part of a host’s genome, generating the likelihood of an effort to repair a genetic mutation.

4 Mar 2022

Cryo-electron microscopy reveals structures of a muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

New research co-led by a University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine professor is shedding light on some of the mysterious dynamics that define the interplay between nerves and muscle.

17 Feb 2022

Programming DNA Robots to Prod Cell Membranes

In this interview, we speak to Dr. Matthew Baker about his latest research that led to the programming of DNA 'robots' that are able to prod cell membranes.

From The University of New South Wales (UNSW) 14 Feb 2022

Study suggests Cx43 hemichannels as potential new target for osteoporosis treatments

Channels on the surface of bone cells called osteocytes help build stronger bones in response to mechanical stress, shows a study published today in eLife.

9 Feb 2022

Researchers discover a sustainable approach for drug development

Although several people think of medicines as purely synthetic compounds, nature is an important element of most of the medications humans depend on.

4 Feb 2022

Cryo-ET reveals mechanisms underlying gene mutations that lead to blindness

Researchers have discovered the structural determinants of the highly specialized rod outer segments membrane architecture of the eye, which plays a crucial role in vision.

7 Jan 2022

Unraveling how DNAzymes work in real time

DNAzymes are precision biocatalysts that destroy unwanted RNA molecules. However, major obstacles to their use in medicine remain.

23 Dec 2021

Scientists unravel the structure of octopus-like Lassa viral polymerase

Endemic in Western African countries, Lassa virus is transmitted to humans through food or household items that are contaminated with the urine or faeces of Mastomys rats.

7 Dec 2021

Creating a Biological Clock in a Test Tube

We speak to researchers from the UC San Diego Center for Circadian Biology about their latest research that led to the development of a biological clock in a test tube.

From UC San Diego 6 Dec 2021

UD biochemist explores how mRNA eraser enzymes work in our cells

University of Delaware biochemist Jeff Mugridge is trying to figure out how so-called mRNA eraser enzymes work in our cells, why those erasers can sometimes misbehave and lead to cancer, and how science can pave the way for possible solutions to this problem.

25 Nov 2021

Research demonstrates how diet affects immunity through the gut microbiome

The cliché "you are what you eat" has been used for hundreds of years to illustrate the link between diet and health. Now, an international team of researchers has found the molecular proof of this concept, demonstrating how diet ultimately affects immunity through the gut microbiome.

From Harvard Medical School 17 Nov 2021