Structural Biology News and Research

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Unveiling the Molecular Mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas10's Cellular Shutdown

CRISPR-Cas9 can elegantly and precisely cut away any desired region of DNA and has long been compared to a type of genetic scissors.

29 Oct 2024

Cryo-EM Technology Paves the Way for Major Biological Discovery

Ben Orlando's research talk at MSU's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2019 laid the groundwork for a team effort that had been developing for decades.

25 Oct 2024

Structural Insights into Bacteriophages Open Doors for New Therapeutics

The viruses that infect bacteria are the most abundant biological entities on the planet. For example, a recent simple study of 92 showerheads and 36 toothbrushes from American bathrooms found more than 600 types of bacterial viruses, commonly called bacteriophages or phages.

23 Oct 2024

Structural Discovery of Fanzor Proteins Offers New Directions in Genome Engineering

A revolution in biomedicine is currently underway, driven by the application of genome engineering tools such as the prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas9.

3 Oct 2024

Breakthrough Discovery on How TGF-Beta Communicates in Cells

Scientists discover how TGF-Beta, a crucial protein in development and cancer, sends its message even while tethered to the cell membrane.

17 Sep 2024

New Insights into How Mutant p53 Promotes Tumor Growth

Research from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging (INBEB) in Brazil has uncovered a critical mechanism by which mutations in the p53 protein-;a key tumor suppressor known as the "guardian of the genome"-;turn other proteins into cancer-promoting agents

17 Sep 2024

High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Reveals Cofilin Binding Patterns in Actin Filaments

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in eLife on deciphering the actin structure-dependent preferential cooperative binding of cofilin.

29 Aug 2024

Unraveling the Molecular Mechanism Behind Neocapritermes taracua's Explosive Defense

Researchers from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, in cooperation with colleagues from the Faculty of Tropical AgriScience of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, are unraveling the mysteries of the life of termites.

28 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

New AI Model Predicts Protein-DNA Binding Specificity with High Accuracy

A new artificial intelligence model developed by USC researchers and published in Nature Methods can predict how different proteins may bind to DNA with accuracy across different types of protein, a technological advance that promises to reduce the time required to develop new drugs and other medical treatments.

12 Aug 2024

Macrolones Offer Promising Strategy for Combating Resistant Bacteria

New research from the University of Illinois Chicago suggests that a novel antibiotic that disrupts two distinct cellular targets would make it 100 million times harder for bacteria to evolve resistance.

24 Jul 2024

Real-Time Snapshots of RNA Polymerase Illuminate Transcription Bubble Dynamics

Every living cell transcribes DNA into RNA. This process begins when an enzyme called RNA polymerase (RNAP) clamps onto DNA.

10 Jul 2024

Small Molecules Offer Precise Control Over Splicing in Gene Expression

The correct functioning of cells relies heavily on the ability to finely control gene expression, a complex process by which the information contained in DNA is copied into RNA to eventually give rise to all the proteins and most of the regulatory molecules in the cell.

3 Jul 2024

Bridge RNA: The Revolutionary Tool in Genetic Recombination

In a leap forward for genetic engineering, a team of researchers from the Arc Institute have discovered the bridge recombinase mechanism, a precise and powerful tool to recombine and rearrange DNA in a programmable way.

27 Jun 2024

New Insights into How Cells Fine-Tune Protein Assembly

Imagine the body as a bustling factory constantly assembling proteins, the building blocks that keep everything running smoothly.

26 Jun 2024

Breakthrough Imaging Reveals the Dynamics of the Brain's Fast-Acting Kainate Receptor

New groundbreaking images of one of the brain's fastest-acting proteins are providing critical clues that may lead to the development of targeted therapies to treat epilepsy and other brain disorders.

18 Jun 2024

Study Unveils Key Mechanism of Telomere Maintenance by CST–Polα/Primase

The length of telomeres that protect the ends of our chromosomes should be tightly regulated. Those that are too long predispose to cancer, and those that are too short lose their protective ability, resulting in telomere disorders with serious health consequences.

6 Jun 2024