Molecular & Structural Biology

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New probe allows real-time imaging of molecular orientations in live cells

Monitoring alignments of the building blocks of cells is important to understand how the cells are built. By collaborating with imaging scientists at the MBL, researchers from Japan have developed a new probe which they call POLArIS, allowing real-time imaging of molecular orientations in live cells.

17 May 2021

Scientists shed light on the origins of Mimivirus and other giant viruses

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay shed light on the origins of Mimivirus and other giant viruses, helping us better understand a group of unique biological forms that shaped life on earth.

17 May 2021

Study analyzes how resistance proteins defend plants from pathogens

Disease resistance proteins function as main immune receptors in plants, detecting pests and pathogens and initiating robust defense responses.

13 May 2021

Study reveals mitochondrial enzyme plays a vital role in preventing ferroptosis

According to a study, the mitochondrial enzyme DHODH plays a significant and previously unknown function in preventing a form of cell death called ferroptosis.

13 May 2021

Study shows metabolic pathways by which Mycobacterium tuberculosis consumes its favorite nutrients

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is remarkable because it can live in the human host for decades.

From University of Surrey 13 May 2021

An efficient automated method for production of synthetic DNA

Chemically synthesized short DNA sequences are extremely important ingredients with countless uses in research laboratories, hospitals, and in industry, like in the method for identifying COVID-19.

13 May 2021

Researchers map the changes in metabolism that occur after a heart attack

Scientists have mapped out the alterations in metabolism that occur following a heart attack, and the results of their study were published recently.

13 May 2021

Researchers identify the biosynthesis mechanism of new DNA nucleobases

DNA is made up of nucleobases, which are depicted by the letters G, A, T, and C. They are the foundation of the genetic code.

From Institut Pasteur 13 May 2021

Cancer cells re-organize DNA structure to ramp up the activity of oncogenes

A lot of biological mechanisms go wrong in cancer—for example genes mutate and cells proliferate in an uncontrollable manner.

11 May 2021

New method can enable early detection and treatment of cerebral aneurysms

Cerebral aneurysms are malformations caused by abnormalities on the walls of blood vessels in the brain. When these blood vessels rupture, about 30% of the sufferers die on the spot, giving these the rightful label of 'ticking bombs in the head'.

11 May 2021

Mutations in GEMIN5 protein can cause rare genetic disorders in children

Researchers have discovered a genetic cause of an unusual neurological disorder characterized by developmental delay, known as ataxia.

From University of Pittsburgh 10 May 2021

Supercoiling characteristic of DNA's structure controls gene expression, research shows

The two meters of -stretched- DNA contained in human cells are continuously twisting and untwisting to give access to genetic information: when a gene is expressed to generate a protein, the two strands of DNA are separated to give access to all the machinery necessary for this expression, resulting in an excessive accumulation of coiling that needs to be resolved later.

10 May 2021

Researchers design novel type of actuator driven by genetically modified biomolecular motors

Inside our cells, and those of the most well-known lifeforms, exist a variety of complex compounds known as "molecular motors."

6 May 2021

“Chemical nose” smells vital variations in unusual folding of DNA structures

Small variations in the structure of DNA have been related to breast cancer and other diseases, but they have been incredibly hard to find so far.

6 May 2021

New technology efficiently detects gene mutation in blood with low error rate

Next-generation gene sequencing (NGS) technologies --in which millions of DNA molecules are simultaneously but individually analyzed-- theoretically provides researchers and clinicians the ability to noninvasively identify mutations in the blood stream.

5 May 2021

Study reveals relationship between form and function in the genetic material of dinoflagellates

A new study unfolds a longstanding puzzle about the connection between the function and form in the genetic material of a complex group of algae.

5 May 2021

New genetic database maps how immune disorders evolve

A first-of-its-kind genetic database for autoinflammatory and autoimmune disorders has been created by Japanese researchers.

4 May 2021

Researchers devise a small-molecule cocktail to protect stem cells from stress

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have devised a four-part small-molecule cocktail that can protect stem cells called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from stress and maintain normal stem cell structure and function.

4 May 2021

Researchers use T cell engineering to arrest tumor growth for a variety of cancers

Through T cell engineering, researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center show that it's possible to arrest tumor growth for a variety of cancers and squash the spread of cancer to other tissues.

3 May 2021

Antiviral T therapies are safe and effective for treating complications after stem cell transplants

A Phase II trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that BK virus (BKV)-specific T cells from healthy donors were safe and effective as an off-the-shelf therapy for BKV-associated hemorrhagic cystitis (BKV-HC), a painful complication common after allogeneic stem cell transplants for patients with leukemia or lymphoma.

3 May 2021