Molecular Biology News and Research

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Molecular biology is the study of biology at a molecular level. The field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry. Molecular biology chiefly concerns itself with understanding the interactions between the various systems of a cell, including the interactions between DNA, RNA and protein biosynthesis as well as learning how these interactions are regulated.

Researchers discover promising drug that shrinks excess fat without lowering food intake

Given the ever-increasing obesity epidemic, researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have discovered a promising developing drug that has been shown to selectively shrink excess fat by increasing fat cell metabolism.

4 Jan 2018

MGH study points toward potential strategy for treating X-linked disorders

A study from a team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators points toward a potential strategy for treating X-linked disorders - those caused by mutations in the X chromosome - in females.

4 Jan 2018

Study illustrates the role of alcohol in causing damage to DNA and increased cancer risk

A new study conducted by a group of researchers at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge revealed the significant role of alcohol in causing damage to DNA in stem cells and thereby increasing cancer risks. The study was funded by Cancer Research UK and the results were published in Nature.

4 Jan 2018

Scientists show how alcohol exposure leads to permanent genetic damage

Scientists have shown how alcohol damages DNA in stem cells, helping to explain why drinking increases your risk of cancer, according to research part-funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Nature today (Wednesday).

4 Jan 2018

Unique mechanism of drug resistance found in pandemic cholera

Cholera is a devastating disease for millions worldwide, primarily in developing countries, and the dominant type of cholera today is naturally resistant to one type of antibiotic usually used as a treatment of last resort.

3 Jan 2018

Researchers use Nobel prize-winning technology to zoom in and see vital kidney protein

Researchers have applied Nobel prize-winning microscope technology to uncover an ion channel structure that could lead to new treatments for kidney stones.

3 Jan 2018

Japanese researchers propose new diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines for thyroid storm

With a mortality rate estimated at 10%, the life-threatening condition known as thyroid storm (TS) demands rapid diagnosis and treatment and can benefit from new evidence-based guidelines for TS developed by researchers in Japan.

2 Jan 2018

Research sheds light on role of epigenetics in placing egg cells into stasis

Keeping egg cells in stasis during childhood is a key part of female fertility. New research published today (1st January) in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology sheds some light on the role of epigenetics in placing egg cells into stasis.

2 Jan 2018

Genes in Space-3 team identifies microbes in real time aboard the space station

Being able to identify microbes in real time aboard the International Space Station, without having to send them back to Earth for identification first, would be revolutionary for the world of microbiology and space exploration.

29 Dec 2017

Researchers sequence salamander genome to reveal unique features of regeneration

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have managed to sequence the giant genome of a salamander, the Iberian ribbed newt, which is a full six times greater than the human genome.

22 Dec 2017

FDA-approved drug to treat high blood pressure increases life span in worms

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers find that an FDA-approved drug to treat high blood pressure seems to extend lifespan in worms via a cell signaling pathway that may mimic caloric restriction.

21 Dec 2017

Findings provide better understanding of thyroid hormones' role in mammalian seasonal changes

Researchers now have a better understanding of the role that thyroid hormones, the tissues that produce them, and the biochemical pathways on which they act have in driving seasonal reproduction in some mammals, and how this new information may help explain seasonal changes in metabolism and mood that affect humans.

21 Dec 2017

Use of smoking cessation drug may put people at higher risk for cardiovascular events

Varenicline, one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for helping people quit smoking, may put them at higher risk for a cardiovascular event, according to new research published online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

20 Dec 2017

Bruker Biospec MRI device installed at The Weizmann Institute of Science

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, today announced the installation of the Biospec® 15.2 Tesla USR™ preclinical ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) instrument from Bruker. The new instrument is installed in the Daniel Wolf building of the Department of Chemical Research, and is used by the MRI Biosensors laboratory, led by Dr. Bar-Shir, and the laboratory of Professor Neeman, to open new frontiers in molecular and microscopic imaging, adding to the team's existing world-class MRI instruments.

From Bruker BioSpin Group 19 Dec 2017

Study shows vital role for maternally inherited gene in embryonic development

A new study indicates an essential role for a maternally inherited gene in embryonic development. The study found that zebrafish that failed to inherit specific genetic instructions from mom developed fatal defects earlier in development, even if the fish could make their own version of the gene.

18 Dec 2017

Researchers identify mechanism that regulates signaling events leading to cancer metastasis

Understanding how cancer cells are able to metastasize -- migrate from the primary tumor to distant sites in the body -- and developing therapies to inhibit this process are the focus of many laboratories around the country.

18 Dec 2017

Researchers examine human mutations' impact on therapeutic effect of medicine

Every person has a unique DNA sequence in their genome. Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge have tried to quantify what these differences in the genome mean in the context of the genes targeted by drugs.

15 Dec 2017

Coarse particulate matter exposure linked to increased asthma risk in children

Children exposed to coarse particulate matter may be more likely to develop asthma and to be treated in an ER or be hospitalized for the condition, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

15 Dec 2017

Researchers examine link between tumor mutational burden and response to immune checkpoint therapy

Predicting how patients will respond to anti-cancer therapies can be vital in informing clinical decisions and improving treatment outcome.

15 Dec 2017

Study identifies potassium as key to circadian rhythms in red blood cells

An innovative new study from the University of Surrey and Cambridge's MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, has uncovered the secrets of the circadian rhythms in red blood cells and identified potassium as the key to unraveling the mystery.

12 Dec 2017

Molecular Biology News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers discover promising drug that shrinks excess fat without lowering food intake

MGH study points toward potential strategy for treating X-linked disorders

Study illustrates the role of alcohol in causing damage to DNA and increased cancer risk

Scientists show how alcohol exposure leads to permanent genetic damage

Unique mechanism of drug resistance found in pandemic cholera

Researchers use Nobel prize-winning technology to zoom in and see vital kidney protein

Japanese researchers propose new diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines for thyroid storm

Research sheds light on role of epigenetics in placing egg cells into stasis

Genes in Space-3 team identifies microbes in real time aboard the space station

Researchers sequence salamander genome to reveal unique features of regeneration

FDA-approved drug to treat high blood pressure increases life span in worms

Findings provide better understanding of thyroid hormones' role in mammalian seasonal changes

Use of smoking cessation drug may put people at higher risk for cardiovascular events

Bruker Biospec MRI device installed at The Weizmann Institute of Science

Study shows vital role for maternally inherited gene in embryonic development

Researchers identify mechanism that regulates signaling events leading to cancer metastasis

Researchers examine human mutations' impact on therapeutic effect of medicine

Coarse particulate matter exposure linked to increased asthma risk in children

Researchers examine link between tumor mutational burden and response to immune checkpoint therapy

Study identifies potassium as key to circadian rhythms in red blood cells

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