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Engineering Purple Bacteria for Enhanced Bioplastic Synthesis

In a world overrun by petroleum-based plastics, scientists are searching for alternatives that are more sustainable, more biodegradable and far less toxic to the environment.

27 Aug 2024

Cryo-EM Reveals CDCA7's Hemimethylation Sensing in Nucleosome Core Particles

DNA methylation, a process by which methyl groups are added to DNA molecules, is essential for the maintenance of DNA and the overall health of an organism. Disruptions in the standard DNA methylation patterns can lead to immunodeficiency and diseases such as cancer.

27 Aug 2024

New Human Intestinal Immuno-Organoids Reveal Insights into Immune Cell Dynamics and Cancer Immunotherapy

Research on intestinal immuno-organoids reveals their potential in modeling immune interactions and studying intestinal diseases linked to cancer therapies.

26 Aug 2024

The Complex Link Between DNA Modification and ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease which remains incurable. The disease is characterized by the selective degeneration of upper motor neurons in the motor cortex as well as the lower motor neurons in the brainstem and spinal cord. The cause of ALS remains unknown in 90 percent of cases, which are referred to as sporadic ALS because there is no family history for the disease. Cumulative evidence suggests that sporadic ALS may result from complex interactions between genetic susceptibility and aging.

23 Aug 2024

Enzyme Therapy Shows Promise for Parkinson's Disease

A preclinical investigation conducted by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers has shown an unexpectedly important role for an enzyme called PGK1 in the synthesis of chemical energy in brain cells.

22 Aug 2024

Understanding the Molecular Basis of Avian Influenza Host Shift

A recent study by the Cusack group clarifies how a crucial enzyme of the avian influenza virus can change, enabling the virus to spread to mammals.

20 Aug 2024

Harnessing Proteomics to Explore the Role of Probiotic Bacteria in Human Health

The currently available proteomics strategies can be used to identify and quantify probiotic bacterial proteins.

19 Aug 2024

Researchers Uncover Role of OpgH in Bacterial Cell Shape

In what they labeled a "surprising" finding, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers studying bacteria from freshwater lakes and soil say they have determined a protein's essential role in maintaining the germ's shape. Because the integrity of a bacterial cell's "envelope" or enclosure is key to its survival, the finding could advance the search for new and better antibiotics.

16 Aug 2024

Novel Technique to Study Ubiquitination

Once human proteins are synthesized, they go through some chemical changes. These adjustments control their stability, functionality, and structure.

13 Aug 2024

Discovery of Efficient Glycosyltransferases for Pterocarpan Glycoside Biosynthesis

A research team has identified two highly efficient glycosyltransferases, AmGT28 and AmGT44, from Astragalus membranaceus, which convert medicarpin to medicarpin 3-O-glucoside and show a preference for pterocarpans over isoflavonoids.

13 Aug 2024

Discovery of Free-Floating Genes in Bacteria Challenges Genetic Code Assumptions

Since the genetic code was first deciphered in the 1960s, our genes seemed like an open book. By reading and decoding our chromosomes as linear strings of letters, like sentences in a novel, we can identify the genes in our genome and learn why changes in a gene's code affect health.

12 Aug 2024

New Findings Shed Light on ATM Activation in DNA Repair

New research from a team of genome scientists and DNA damage response experts breaks new ground in understanding the function of a protein currently limited in clinical trials for cancer treatments.

9 Aug 2024

Gene Editing Creates Prickle-Free Eggplants for Easier Farming

Eggplants, a staple crop globally, present significant challenges in cultivation and harvesting due to their prickles. These prickles, which serve as a natural defense mechanism, complicate handling and reduce efficiency in agricultural practices. Addressing these issues is crucial for improving farming outcomes. Consequently, researchers are focused on understanding the genetic basis of prickle formation to develop prickle-free eggplant varieties. Based on these challenges, there is a pressing need to conduct in-depth research and identify solutions for more efficient eggplant cultivation.

9 Aug 2024