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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.

Kingfisher Genes Reveal Secrets of How They Dive Without Sustaining Brain Damage

If you've ever belly-flopped into a pool, then you know: water can be surprisingly hard if you hit it at the wrong angle. But many species of kingfishers dive headfirst into water to catch their fishy prey.

24 Oct 2023

The Exclusome, A New Mammalian "Container"

We speak to Dr. Ruth Kroschewski about new research that details the existence of an 'exclusome', a cytoplasmic container that appears to explain where extra-chromosomal DNA goes once it is in a cell.

24 Oct 2023

DNA-Origami Nanoengine Performing Pulsing Movements

An international team of scientists has just invented a revolutionary form of DNA nano-engine.

20 Oct 2023

AI Model Predicts Age and Detects Disease in Eye Fluid

A group of scientists mapped over 6,000 proteins found in various cell types within the eye using a few drops of eye fluid taken through surgery. Researchers reported that a proteomic clock with an AI model is designed to predict a fit person’s age based on their protein profile.

20 Oct 2023

Phylogenomics Provide Insight About Mosquitoes’ Previous Host Use

The mapping of the mosquito’s tree of life by North Carolina State University researchers and international partners is a significant step in comprehending key characteristics, such as how the insects select their hosts, feed on blood, and transmit disease.

19 Oct 2023

New Insight Into How Cancer Cells Function in Softer Tissue Environments

A collaborative research team from the University of Turku and Turku Bioscience Centre, in conjunction with Misvik Biology Ltd in Finland, has introduced a novel technique for investigating the behavior of cancer cells in both softer and stiffer tissue environments.

19 Oct 2023

Yeast-Based Method Could Accelerate Discovery of Plant-Based Medicinal Compounds

Cornell researchers have harnessed the power of baker's yeast to create a cost-effective and highly efficient approach for unraveling how plants synthesize medicinal compounds, and used the new method to identify key enzymes in a kratom tree.

19 Oct 2023

Scientists Decode Plant 'Warning Messages'

Plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere when they experience mechanical damage or insect attacks. New research offers great insight into how this mechanism works.

18 Oct 2023

Study Offers Fresh Insights into Immune System Proteins

A new study from the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience’s Bridge Institute, in partnership with multinational teams from India, Australia, and Switzerland, sheds insight on these proteins.

18 Oct 2023

"Old School" Genetics may be Just Fine for Species Conservation, Study Suggests

In the world of threatened and endangered species conservation, the genomic revolution has raised some complicated questions: How can scientists justify assessing species genetic diversity without consulting entire genomes now that they can be sequenced?

17 Oct 2023

MIT Chemists Discover Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Ion Channel in Open State

The genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus encodes 29 proteins, one of which is an ion channel called E. This channel, which transports protons and calcium ions, induces infected cells to launch an inflammatory response that damages tissues and contributes to the symptoms of Covid-19.

16 Oct 2023

Breakthrough Research Discovers How the Body Controls Itch

It can be a relief to scratch the occasional itch, but when itch gets out of control, it can become a serious health problem. How does the body know when to stop?

16 Oct 2023

Study Uncovers Genes in Gut Microbe That Play Key Role in Early Colonization After Fecal Microbe Transplant

Fecal microbe transplants from healthy donors can treat patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. However, after tens of thousands transplants,

16 Oct 2023

Fruit Fly Model Provides Insights into Pathogenesis of New Genetic Disorder

Research conducted in the laboratory of Dr Hugo J. Bellen, a Distinguished Service Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and a principal investigator at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, has identified a novel disorder linked to gain-of-function variants in the DOT1L gene.

16 Oct 2023

Researchers Unveil Novel Protein Families and Functions in Microbial Communities

Imagine researchers exploring a dark room with a flashlight, only able to clearly identify what falls within that single beam. When it comes to microbial communities, scientists have historically been unable to see beyond the beam -; worse, they didn't even know how big the room is.

12 Oct 2023

New Microscopy Technique Reveals Unprecedented Details of Amyloid Plaques in Alzheimer's Disease

Researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the Karolinska Institute (KI), and the biotechnology company BioArctic, both in Sweden, have combined STED microscopy, a technology that allows super-resolution visualization, and a new antibody recently created to observe the amyloidogenic aggregates characteristic of Alzheimer's disease.

12 Oct 2023

DNA Aptamer Promotes Cardiomyocyte Differentiation From Pluripotent Stem Cells

Generating specific cell lineages from induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells is the holy grail of regenerative medicine.

12 Oct 2023

The Factors Influencing Egg Cell Development

According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Northwestern Medicine scientists discovered how cytoskeletal proteins influence the growth of developing eggs in fruit flies, findings that advance the field’s understanding of how egg cells form and distinguish themselves from other sister cells.

11 Oct 2023

Researchers Target Pancreatic Cancer’s Metabolic Switch

In a recent study, a novel combination of treatments was discovered to effectively reduce the growth of pancreatic cancer in mice by inhibiting cancer cells from seeking fuel sources.

11 Oct 2023

Revealing How Interferon-Gamma Stops Tumor Cell Growth

At the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, scientists have uncovered a novel function for a protein known as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) within a pathway activated by interferon-gamma, capable of inducing cellular self-destruction.

11 Oct 2023