Molecular & Structural Biology

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Researchers identify genes that control the internal clock of plants

How do plants know when it is time to flower? Researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) have studied this question and identified two genes that are key to this process.

23 Jun 2020

New study shows how a protein works as 'master regulator' in the immune system

Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology have discovered a potential new way to better fight a range of infectious diseases, cancers and even autoimmune diseases.

22 Jun 2020

Study sheds light on DNA sculpting properties of enigmatic protein

Sometimes, when something is broken, the first step to fixing it is to break it even more. In a recent example, scientists seeking to understand the mechanism of a DNA-repairing enzyme have discovered that the molecule performs its functions by first marking and then further breaking damaged DNA.

22 Jun 2020

New LI383 molecule can help treat opioid-related disorders

A novel molecule LIH383 developed by scientists at the Luxembourg Institute of Health binds to and inhibits a formerly unknown opioid receptor in the brain.

22 Jun 2020

Mouse models help understand the functioning of muscles

The quest to detect all kinds of proteins that constitute the sarcomere, the fundamental contractile unit of muscle cells, led to a surprising revelation.

22 Jun 2020

Study shows promise for treating developmental and epileptic brain disease

Studies show that a pair of mutations detected in people with developmental and epileptic brain disease can be traced back to the same ion channel.

19 Jun 2020

Study sheds light on the reproductive role of 'dark matter' DNA

Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University have shed light on the reproductive role of 'dark matter' DNA - non-coding DNA sequences that previously seemed to have no function.

19 Jun 2020

Novel silicon-based antioxidant agent may prevent kidney failure and Parkinson's disease

Oxidative stress is the result of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and can be damaging to cells and tissues.

From Osaka University 19 Jun 2020

Study reveals mechanism by which propionic acid induces brain disorders

Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI, headed by Suh Pann-ghill) announced on the 11th that the research team led by Dr. Mun Ji-young revealed the mechanism of autism induced by an imbalance of human gut microorganisms.

19 Jun 2020

Researchers sequence the genome of medicinal leeches

The results of new research published this week in Scientific Reports reveal insights that may have profound effects on the use of medicinal leeches in hospital-based medicine.

18 Jun 2020

New microscope looks at the different parameters that change during wound healing

Researchers at the GSK Center for Optical Molecular Imaging have developed a new microscope that looks at the different parameters that change during wound healing. They hope to use this technique to understand how skin disorders, such as foot ulcers in diabetic patients and psoriasis, can be treated.

18 Jun 2020

Fighting fish synchronize their attacks and also gene expression in the brain cells

When two betta fish are fighting for dominance, not only do their attacks mirror each other, but the gene expression in their brain cells also starts to align.

18 Jun 2020

cryo-EM images reveal proteins involved in brain activity

When the body continues to perform its daily biological processes neurotransmitters, regulate the level of electrical activity inside the brain.

18 Jun 2020

Researchers use lead sequencing to determine the structure of RNAs

Scientists from RUB and the University of Münster have created a technique to simultaneously establish the structures of all RNA molecules in a bacterial cell.

18 Jun 2020

Structural map reveals changes in SMCHD1 protein linked to degenerative conditions

Researchers have used structural biology to map a portion of a protein called SMCHD1, describing how certain modifications can lead to degenerative conditions.

18 Jun 2020

NJIT researchers develop new efficient method to quantify therapeutic proteins

Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology in collaboration with Ohio University and Merck & Co. Inc. recently developed a new efficient method for targeted protein analysis -- one they say could speed up processes for disease testing, drug discovery and vaccine development.

18 Jun 2020

New system of gene editing allows for targeted, super-fast DNA repair

In a series of experiments using human cancer cell lines, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used light as a trigger to make precise cuts in genomic material rapidly, using a molecular scalpel known as CRISPR, and observe how specialized cell proteins repair the exact spot where the gene was cut.

18 Jun 2020

EEG study in split-brain patients shines light on sleep slow waves

The particular kind of waves that the brain produces during sleep, which repeatedly sweep the surface of the cerebral cortex, travel through the anatomical "highways" that connect distant areas of the cortical mantle, a new study in The Journal of Neuroscience shows.

18 Jun 2020

Dysfunctional placenta can contribute to Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Researchers have demonstrated that a dysfunctional placenta can play a formerly unknown role during the earliest phases of development in Cornelia de Lange.

17 Jun 2020

Loss of lipid-regulating protein drives prostate cancer metastasis

Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers from the Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences identified a lipid-regulating protein that conveys what the researchers describe as "superpowers" onto prostate cancer cells, causing them to aggressively spread.

17 Jun 2020