Molecular & Structural Biology

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Scientists identify complex enzyme that protects cells from constant DNA damage

A team of researchers have revealed the mechanism and 3D structure of a complex enzyme that guards cells against persistent DNA damage.

19 Aug 2020

Study shows how proteins act as a defense mechanism to protect their own DNA

Viruses usually inject their DNA into a host cell to multiply. As soon as this foreign material penetrates the intracellular fluid, it activates a defense mechanism called the cGAS-STING pathway.

18 Aug 2020

High-speed AFM enables real-time visualization of influenza A hemagglutinin during viral entry

Unlike living organisms, to avoid extinction, viruses need to hijack living host machineries to generate new viruses.

18 Aug 2020

Extrachromosomal DNA with potential to cause cancer drives poor patient outcomes

The multiplication of genes located in extrachromosomal DNA that have the potential to cause cancer drives poor patient outcomes across many cancer types, according to a Nature Genetics study published Aug. 17, 2020 by a team of researchers including Professors Vineet Bafna and Dr.Paul Mischel of the University of California San Diego and Professor Roel Verhaak of Jackson Laboratories.

From UC San Diego 18 Aug 2020

Protective anti-prion antibodies found in humans

Antibodies targeting the normal PrP version of the prion protein have been found in humans selected at random with no history of any associated transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

18 Aug 2020

Switching off 'master regulator' may offer neuroprotection from Parkinson's-related damage

Switching off a molecular "master regulator" may protect the brain from inflammatory damage and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, reports a study published today in Nature Neuroscience.

18 Aug 2020

Protein produced by nervous system may be the key to treating inflammatory diseases

A Rutgers-led team may have found the key to treating inflammatory diseases like asthma, allergies, chronic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

From Rutgers University 18 Aug 2020

Researchers show how two X chromosomes communicate during embryo development

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have solved a mystery that has long puzzled scientists: How do the bodies of female humans and all other mammals decide which of the two X chromosomes it carries in each cell should be active and which one should be silent?

18 Aug 2020

SIDT1 in the mammalian stomach mediates absorption of dietary miRNAs

In a new study published in Cell Research, Chen-Yu Zhang's group at Nanjing University School of Life Sciences, China, reports that SIDT1 in the mammalian stomach mediates host uptake of dietary and orally administered microRNAs (miRNAs), thus exerting biological functions in the host.

18 Aug 2020

New fluorescent probe to detect damaged mitochondria could help treat neurodegenerative disorders

Scientists have developed a new, multipurpose probe that is capable of detecting the programmed destruction of faulty mitochondria with pinpoint precision.

17 Aug 2020

Scientists describe the mechanism of action of therapeutic antibodies

Since the late 1990s, immunotherapy has been the frontline treatment against lymphomas where synthetic antibodies are used to stop the proliferation of cancerous white blood cells.

14 Aug 2020

Harnessing natural enzymes to create complex, oxygen-containing molecules

Chemists at Scripps Research have efficiently created three families of complex, oxygen-containing molecules that are normally obtainable only from plants.

14 Aug 2020

Recalling memories from an observer-like perspective activates different parts of the brain

Adopting a third-person, observer point of view when recalling your past activates different parts of your brain than recalling a memory seen through your own eyes, according to a new paper.

14 Aug 2020

Researchers use supercomputer to gain new insights into hepatitis B virus

Researchers at the University of Delaware, using supercomputing resources and collaborating with scientists at Indiana University, have gained new understanding of the virus that causes hepatitis B and the "spiky ball" that encloses the virus's genetic blueprint.

14 Aug 2020

Scientists shed new light on the evolution and function of shapes seen in nature

Researchers have shed fresh light on the evolution and function of the shapes we see in nature - using as a model the heart shaped fruits of the Capsella genus.

14 Aug 2020

Internal structure of fossilized trilobite eye found to be identical to modern bee eyes

The internal structure of a 429-million-year-old fossilized trilobite eye is almost identical to that of modern bees, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.

14 Aug 2020

Single-cell analysis uncovers new details concerning mitochondrial diseases

Investigators led by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have made discoveries at the single cell level to uncover new details concerning mitochondrial diseases-- inherited disorders that interfere with energy production in the body and currently have no cure.

14 Aug 2020

A genetic link discovered to predict treatment response for patients with rare, aggressive cancer

A Singapore team led by clinician-scientists and researchers from the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) discovered a genetic link to better predict treatment response for relapsed/refractory patients with natural- killer T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL), a highly aggressive form of blood cancer.

13 Aug 2020

New study shows how mitochondrial calcium transporter evolved over the years

According to a study performed by IRB Barcelona, the system that controls calcium levels in cells duplicated, giving rise to a pair of non-equivalent systems.

13 Aug 2020

Study identifies a protein that facilitates spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus through cells

Eric Ross and Sean Cascarina, biochemistry and molecular biology researchers at Colorado State University, have released a research paper identifying a protein encoded by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, that may be associated with the quick spread of the virus through cells in the human body.

13 Aug 2020

Molecular & Structural Biology

Scientists identify complex enzyme that protects cells from constant DNA damage

Study shows how proteins act as a defense mechanism to protect their own DNA

High-speed AFM enables real-time visualization of influenza A hemagglutinin during viral entry

Extrachromosomal DNA with potential to cause cancer drives poor patient outcomes

Protective anti-prion antibodies found in humans

Switching off 'master regulator' may offer neuroprotection from Parkinson's-related damage

Protein produced by nervous system may be the key to treating inflammatory diseases

Researchers show how two X chromosomes communicate during embryo development

SIDT1 in the mammalian stomach mediates absorption of dietary miRNAs

New fluorescent probe to detect damaged mitochondria could help treat neurodegenerative disorders

Scientists describe the mechanism of action of therapeutic antibodies

Harnessing natural enzymes to create complex, oxygen-containing molecules

Recalling memories from an observer-like perspective activates different parts of the brain

Researchers use supercomputer to gain new insights into hepatitis B virus

Scientists shed new light on the evolution and function of shapes seen in nature

Internal structure of fossilized trilobite eye found to be identical to modern bee eyes

Single-cell analysis uncovers new details concerning mitochondrial diseases

A genetic link discovered to predict treatment response for patients with rare, aggressive cancer

New study shows how mitochondrial calcium transporter evolved over the years

Study identifies a protein that facilitates spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus through cells

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