Crystallography News and Research

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Cryogenic electron microscopy used to determine the structure of fungal ribosome

Most people carry the fungus Candida albicans on their bodies, without this causing many problems. However, a systemic infection with this fungus is dangerous and difficult to treat.

25 May 2022

Important methodology for targeting conserved epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 and an immune-focused approach in pan-sarbeco and universal CoV vaccine design

A new study has focused on designing immunogens associated with the conserved region of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.

20 May 2022

Super-antibody UT28K shows broad-spectrum activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants

A study, published online in the journal mAbs, describes a novel mAb, UT28K, that has promising broadly neutralizing activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

15 May 2022

Research highlight reports on the observed differences in transmissibility and pathogenicity of Omicron vs. earlier variants of SARS-CoV-2

A new paper published in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy reports the observed differences in transmissibility and pathogenicity of Omicron vs. earlier variants of SARS-CoV-2.

10 May 2022

New method enables the structural analysis of RNA molecules

We live in a world made and run by RNA, the equally important sibling of the genetic molecule DNA. In fact, evolutionary biologists hypothesize that RNA existed and self-replicated even before the appearance of DNA and the proteins encoded by it.

3 May 2022

Unraveling how strigoractone hormone regulates massive gene networks controlling plant growth

As sessile organisms, plants have to continually adapt their growth and architecture to the ever-changing environment. To do so, plants have evolved distinct molecular mechanisms to sense and respond to the environment and integrate the signals from outside with endogenous developmental programs.

28 Apr 2022

New discovery about nature’s ‘high-end machinery’ could have big implications for biology

Working with tiny bacteria, Michigan State University researchers led by Lee Kroos have made a discovery that could have big implications for biology.

26 Apr 2022

The potency of halicin against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2

A new paper published in Current Research in Chemical Biology discusses the potential of a molecule called halicin against SARS-CoV-2.

26 Apr 2022

Antibodies that neutralize most sarbecoviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 variants

Researchers isolate three mAbs that broadly neutralized sarbecoviruses and carried out virological and structural studies of these mAbs.

21 Apr 2022

Investigating extensive SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing immunoglobulins from COVID-19 recovered subjects

A new study discovered immunoglobulins with powerful broad-acting neutralizing capacity against SARS-CoV-2 from SARS-CoV-2 convalescents.

5 Apr 2022

Deep-water cone snails produce a potentially painkilling compound, study reports

Scientists already know that the venom of cone snails, which prowl the ocean floor for a fish dinner, contains compounds that can be adapted as pharmaceuticals to treat chronic pain, diabetes and other human maladies.

24 Mar 2022

New insight into SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 protein opens door to new drugs

In a recent research paper currently available on bioRxiv* preprint server, scientists from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and the University of Auckland in New Zealand identified several structural specificities of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that may serve as viable starting points for the development and optimization of viral inhibitors against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other future threats.

16 Mar 2022

Spectacular structure of C.difficile's protective armor revealed

The spectacular structure of the protective armor of superbug C.difficile has been revealed for the first time showing the close-knit yet flexible outer layer – like chain mail.

25 Feb 2022

Novel glycation patterns help understand Omicron immune escape

A new study explores changes in the sugar structure of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which may shed light on its immunologic escape and transmissibility characteristics.

15 Feb 2022

Molecular cage helps researchers to get atomic-level details of key cancer protein

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the American Cancer Institute estimates, will affect more than 20,000 Americans this year and kill more than 11,000 of them.

11 Feb 2022

Illustrating the structural diversity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike

In a new study, a team of researchers used cryo-electron microscopy to determine the spike (S) structures of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant to understand how the mutations that alter its primary sequence impact S conformation.

1 Feb 2022

Structural proteomics approaches can help in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Two researchers from Skoltech and McGill University have published a review of the promising research field known as structural proteomics in the influential journal Chemical Reviews.

27 Jan 2022

Effects of the Omicron spike amino acid changes in the interaction with human ACE2 receptor or human antibodies

A recent study analyzed the effects of the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 Omicron spike amino acid and the human ACE2 receptor or with human antibodies.

26 Jan 2022

Scientists explore how proteins bind with specific companions inside cells

Despite its minute size, a single cell contains billions of molecules that bustle around and bind to one another, carrying out vital functions. The human genome encodes about 20,000 proteins, most of which interact with partner proteins to mediate upwards of 400,000 distinct interactions.

25 Jan 2022

Topical antiseptic Acriflavine inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and other betacoronaviruses

A new study, published in the journal Cell Chemical Biology, has reported the discovery of acriflavine (ACF), an effective inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2. This drug is a mixture of trypaflavines (3,6-diamino-10-methylacridinium chloride and 3,6-diamino-3-methylacridinium chloride) and proflavine (3,6-diaminoacridine).

16 Jan 2022