Molecular & Structural Biology

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CRISPR Screening Reveals Peptide in Human RNA Regulating Inflammation

UC Santa Cruz researchers have discovered a peptide in human RNA that regulates inflammation and may provide a new path for treating diseases such as arthritis and lupus.

27 May 2024

Cryo-EM Reveals Structural Insights Into ADAM17/iRhom2 Complex

Efficient communication between cells is vital for many biological processes, such as recruiting immune cells to combat disease.

24 May 2024

Plectasin's Velcro-Like Binding Holds Promise for Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance

A small antibiotic called plectasin uses an innovative mechanism to kill bacteria. By assembling into large structures, plectasin latches onto its target on the bacterial cell surface comparable to how both sides of Velcro form a bond.

24 May 2024

New Chemical Modification Enhances Antisense Oligonucleotide Targeting in CNS Diseases

Diseases that affect the brain and spinal cord can be particularly devastating, and finding new and more effective ways to treat these conditions is an important goal for researchers and clinicians alike.

23 May 2024

Sonification Reveals Hidden Patterns in Protein Folding Dynamics

By converting their data into sounds, scientists discovered how hydrogen bonds contribute to the lightning-fast gyrations that transform a string of amino acids into a functional, folded protein.

21 May 2024

Molecular Machinery Behind Plant Growth and Oil Production Deciphered

Proteins are molecular machines, with flexible pieces and moving parts. Understanding how these parts move helps scientists unravel the function a protein plays in living things -; and potentially how to change its effects.

20 May 2024

Takara Bio Launches PrimeCap T7 RNA Polymerase for mRNA Therapy Development

Takara Bio announces the launch of PrimeCap™ T7 RNA Polymerase (low dsRNA), a mutant T7 RNA polymerase suitable for mRNA therapeutic research and development.

20 May 2024

Repetitive Tasks Crystallize Memory Pathways in the Brain

According to a recent study conducted by UCLA Health, repeated practice not only helps to improve skills but also causes significant alterations in the memory pathways in the brain.

16 May 2024

Genetic Analysis Sheds Light on the Role of Ribosomal DNA Copy Number in Inflammation and Disease

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) is present in hundreds of copies in the genome, but has not previously been part of genetic analyses.

16 May 2024

Machine Learning Program Offers Insights Into Promoter Sequences and Transcription

A team led by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center developed deep learning models to identify a simple set of rules that govern the activity of promoters – regions of DNA that initiate the process by which genes produce proteins.

15 May 2024

Bristle Biogenesis of Platynereis dumerilii: Microvilli as Nature's 3D Printers

A new interdisciplinary study led by molecular biologist Florian Raible from the Max Perutz Labs at the University of Vienna provides exciting insights into the bristles of the marine annelid worm Platynereis dumerilii.

14 May 2024

New Insights Into Centromere Structure: Two Subdomains Revealed

Researchers from the Kops group in collaboration with researchers from the University of Edinburgh, made a surprising new discovery in the structure of the centromere, a structure that is involved in ensuring that chromosomes are segregated properly when a cell divides.

14 May 2024

Single-Molecule Study Reveals Unexpected Role of Protein Stiffness in Nuclear Transport

The degree of softness or rigidity in specific regions of proteins can affect how quickly or slowly those proteins enter the nucleus, according to research from the Francis Crick Institute and King's College London.

14 May 2024

Synthetic Anti-Clotting Agent Derived from Bloodsucking Organisms Saliva

Ticks, mosquitoes, and leeches are endowed by nature with a rapid method of preventing blood clotting while they feed on their host.

14 May 2024

Engineering Blood Vessels to Image Bioluminescence Deep Within the Brain

Researchers frequently tag cells with fluorescent proteins, which enable them to monitor tumor growth or quantify alterations in gene expression that transpire during cell differentiation.

13 May 2024

Tiny, Laser-Activated Droplets Could Be Used to Detect Biomarkers for Diseases

A team of researchers led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has created tiny droplets that, when activated by laser light, can detect viral protein biomarkers indicating the presence of certain diseases.

11 May 2024

AI Deciphers the Complex Wiring of the Human Brain

Though it may not seem like much, one cubic mm of brain tissue exists. That small square, however, holds 230 mm of blood vessels, 150 million synapses, and 57,000 cells, totaling 1,400 terabytes of data. That is why researchers from Google and Harvard have just achieved something truly amazing.

10 May 2024

Researchers Identify Natural Compounds for Parasitic Worm Treatment

An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has found a family of natural compounds with potential as new and more effective treatments for parasitic worms.

9 May 2024

Molecular Pixelation Maps Hundreds of Proteins in Single Cells

According to a recent study published in Nature Methods, researchers from Karolinska Institutet and Pixelgen Technologies have created and implemented a method that enables protein mapping in individual cells in a new way.

9 May 2024

New Insights Into PARP1 Biology Could Open Avenues to Improve Cancer Treatments

A new study led by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers shows that an enzyme called PARP1 is involved in repair of telomeres, the lengths of DNA that protect the tips of chromosomes, and that impairing this process can lead to telomere shortening and genomic instability that can cause cancer.

8 May 2024