Electron Microscopy News and Research

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Researchers challenge the genetic paradigm of cancer

It's time for researchers to reconsider the current paradigm of cancer as a genetic disease, argued Sui Huang from the Institute for Systems Biology, USA, and colleagues in a new essay published March 18th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

19 Mar 2025

Breakthrough peptide inhibitor effective against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, infects cells by binding its spike protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors.

14 Mar 2025

Scientists uncover structure of key enzyme to block cancer cell energy supply

Cancer cells have an insatiable appetite for energy as they multiply more rapidly than normal cells. Greedy cancer cells hijack various cellular functions to find and exploit energy and other resources, including a group of enzymes that help normal cells maintain a balance of energy.

6 Mar 2025

Breakthrough study sheds light on Pol-theta’s role in DNA repair and cancer

DNA repair proteins act like the body's editors, constantly finding and reversing damage to our genetic code. Researchers have long struggled to understand how cancer cells hijack one of these proteins-called polymerase theta (Pol-theta)-for their own survival.

4 Mar 2025

Scientists develop fenugreek-based nanoparticles to enhance diabetes drug effectiveness

Researchers explored L-arginine-loaded lipid nanoparticles from fenugreek seed oil, finding they enhance drug stability and bioavailability, showing promise for diabetes treatment.

2 Mar 2025

Scientists uncover how a sugar shield in brain blood vessels protects against aging and disease

Researchers reveal that the loss of mucin-type O-glycosylation in the brain endothelial glycocalyx weakens the blood-brain barrier, leading to increased permeability, neuroinflammation, and cognitive decline in aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

27 Feb 2025

New AI model revolutionizes cell structure segmentation in microscopy

Identifying and delineating cell structures in microscopy images is crucial for understanding the complex processes of life.

26 Feb 2025

Breakthrough computational tool enhances design of targeted antiviral therapies

Viruses, like those that cause COVID-19 or HIV, are formidable opponents once they invade our bodies. Antiviral treatments strive to block a virus or halt its replication.

17 Feb 2025

Harvard researchers map 70,000 synaptic connections in rat brain

Harvard researchers have mapped and catalogued more than 70,000 synaptic connections from about 2,000 rat neurons, using a silicon chip capable of recording small yet telltale synaptic signals from a large number of neurons.

14 Feb 2025

EMBL researchers reveal new structural insights into minor spliceosome function

In human cells, only a small proportion of the information written in genes is used to produce proteins. How does the cell select this information? A large molecular machine called the spliceosome continuously separates the coding and non-coding regions of our genes – and it's doing this even as you read these lines.

12 Feb 2025

Novel biomarker for early prevention of Alzheimer’s disease

New serine biomarkers show promise for early Alzheimer's detection, linking tau assemblies to cognitive decline and offering potential for timely intervention.

11 Feb 2025

New discovery links brain and muscle cells in signal transmission

Our biceps and our brain cells may have more in common than previously thought.

8 Feb 2025

Collagen's structural diversity may be greater than previously believed, study suggests

Collagen, the body's most abundant protein, has long been viewed as a predictable structural component of tissues.

7 Feb 2025

Research disproves persister bacteria as main cause of antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics are indispensable for treating bacterial infections. But why are they sometimes ineffective, even when the bacteria are not resistant? In their latest study published in the journal Nature, researchers from the University of Basel challenge the conventional view that a small subset of particularly resilient bacteria are responsible for the failure of antibiotic therapies.

5 Feb 2025

New insights into how the Sudan virus attaches to human cells

The Sudan virus, a close relative of Ebola, has a fatality rate of 50% but remains poorly understood in terms of how it infects cells. Currently, no approved treatments exist.

4 Feb 2025

Study unlocks structural secrets of ApoB100 protein linked to heart disease

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) - commonly known as bad cholesterol - have long been on scientists' radar as a major contributor to heart disease.

3 Feb 2025

Microplastics may accumulate in the brain at higher levels than in the kidney or liver

Findings indicate rising microplastic concentrations in human brains and organs, urging deeper investigation into their health effects and distribution.

3 Feb 2025

NIH-supported clinical trial to test experimental treatment for dengue

A clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is testing an experimental treatment designed to help people suffering the effects of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease.

31 Jan 2025

Study reveals how glial cells respond to damage in neuron dendrites

Neurons may get all the glory, but they would be nothing without glial cells. While brain cells do the heavy lifting in the nervous system, it's the glia that provide nutrients, clean up waste, and protect neurons from harm.

29 Jan 2025

High-speed in-line force mapping unveils E. coli cell division dynamics

Light and electron microscopy have distinct limitations. Light microscopy makes it difficult to resolve smaller and smaller features, and electron microscopy resolves small structures, but samples must be meticulously prepared, killing any live specimens.

29 Jan 2025