Membrane News and Research

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Biology of single-celled organisms reveals potential treatment target for COPD

In a series of experiments that began with amoebas -- single-celled organisms that extend podlike appendages to move around -- Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have identified a genetic pathway that could be activated to help sweep out mucus from the lungs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a widespread lung ailment.

13 Apr 2021

A novel method to visualize protein channels in bacteria

Almost all bacteria rely on the same emergency valves--protein channels that pop open under pressure, releasing a deluge of cell contents.

13 Apr 2021

Could cow's milk provide some passive immunity against COVID-19?

Researchers at the Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain, speculate that bovine milk consumption – specifically from cows with resistance to bovine coronaviruses – may potentially provide at least some degree of protection from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The article is available to read in full on the Frontiers in Immunology website.

13 Apr 2021

New fluorescent probe can differentiate between B and T lymphocytes

Human blood contains several different components, including plasma, red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets. Among these, WBCs are divided into numerous subcategories each with unique functions and characteristics, such as lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and others.

13 Apr 2021

Zipper motif mediates SARS-CoV-2 spike trimerization within host cell membrane

A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv* server describes the results of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study to determine the structure of the S protein transmembrane domain (TMD) and its membrane-proximal regions.

13 Apr 2021

UHN performed first double-lung transplant after COVID-19 in Canada

University Health Network has performed what is believed to be the first lung transplant in Canada on a patient whose lungs were irreparably damaged by COVID-19.

12 Apr 2021

P681 mutation has little impact on transmissibility in the SARS-CoV-2 UK variant, finds study

A new preprint, recently released on the bioRxiv* server, explores the impact of a single mutation, the P681H mutation, on the transmissibility of the virus.

12 Apr 2021

Researchers provide ultrastructural details of SARS-CoV-2-infected respiratory epithelial cells

A team of scientists from the United Kingdom recently investigated the ultrastructural details of the attachment, entry, and budding processes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the human airway epithelium. They have used a highly differentiated air-liquid interface cultures of airway epithelium to thoroughly investigate the viral infection cycle. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

12 Apr 2021

Could N protein-based COVID-19 vaccines hinder SARS-CoV-2's NK cell inhibition?

Upon SARS-CoV-2 infection, what are the changes occurring on the surface of the host cell? To address this, and a team of researchers undertook a study exploring the natural killer (NK) cells and their role during a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

12 Apr 2021

Study finds no evidence of SARS-CoV2 transmission by breast milk

Some studies have reported the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in breast milk from women who were recently infected with the virus. A new study explores the relationship between viral RNA and infectious virus to clarify the occurrence of vertical transmission through breast milk.

9 Apr 2021

Scientists develop microfluidic probe for free radical attack on live cells

Is there a way to chemically manipulate small, confined areas on cellular surfaces? Scientists have developed a microfluidic probe to send a flow of free radicals on live cells and track the outcome using fluorescence imaging.

9 Apr 2021

Novel protein transport system mediates toxin secretion by tuberculosis pathogen

Six years ago, Michael Niederweis, Ph.D., described the first toxin ever found for the deadly pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

9 Apr 2021

New time-lapse system helps measure membrane tension

Ion channels play an indispensable role in cellular physiology, and understanding the physical features that affect ion channel functions is a matter of considerable interest to biologists.

9 Apr 2021

Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine induces cell spikes similar to SARS-CoV-2's

Scientists from the University of Oxford and the University of Southampton report in the journal ACS Central Science that cells infected with the ChAdOx1 vaccine produce spike proteins on the cells similar to those produced by natural SARS-CoV-2 infection.

9 Apr 2021

Powerful algorithms can 'predict' the biological language of cancer and Alzheimer's

Powerful algorithms used by Netflix, Amazon and Facebook can 'predict' the biological language of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, scientists have found.

8 Apr 2021

Solvation cages may lead to more efficient operation of high-voltage battery cells

Membranes that allow certain molecules to quickly pass through while blocking others are key enablers for energy technologies from batteries and fuel cells to resource refinement and water purification.

8 Apr 2021

The interaction between blood clotting and SARS-CoV-2 infection

Coagulopathy - a condition in which the blood's ability to clot is impaired, is recognized as a significant aspect of morbidity in COVID-19 patients. In a recent study, Prof Lewis Cantley and a team of researchers explored the role of coagulation factors in the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Their recent study is posted on the bioRxiv server.

7 Apr 2021

South African and Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 variants can evade antibodies from therapies, vaccines, and infection

Researchers at the Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, and the Georg-August-University Göttingen in Germany have found that the B.1.351 and P.1 SARS-CoV-2 variants have the potential to evade therapeutic antibodies or antibodies induced by natural infection or vaccination.

7 Apr 2021

Researchers determine key protein structure that may lead to effective treatments for schizophrenia

Glycine is the smallest amino acid - one of the building blocks of proteins. It acts also as a neurotransmitter in the brain, enabling neurons to communicate with each other and modulating neuronal activity.

7 Apr 2021

Study discovers how microcephaly and blindness may develop in Zika-infected fetuses

A study led by Edward Wojcik, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, identified how microcephaly (abnormally small heads) and blindness may develop in Zika-infected fetuses, as well as a new way to potentially prevent these neurodevelopmental defects.

6 Apr 2021

Membrane News and Research

Biology of single-celled organisms reveals potential treatment target for COPD

A novel method to visualize protein channels in bacteria

Could cow's milk provide some passive immunity against COVID-19?

New fluorescent probe can differentiate between B and T lymphocytes

Zipper motif mediates SARS-CoV-2 spike trimerization within host cell membrane

UHN performed first double-lung transplant after COVID-19 in Canada

P681 mutation has little impact on transmissibility in the SARS-CoV-2 UK variant, finds study

Researchers provide ultrastructural details of SARS-CoV-2-infected respiratory epithelial cells

Could N protein-based COVID-19 vaccines hinder SARS-CoV-2's NK cell inhibition?

Study finds no evidence of SARS-CoV2 transmission by breast milk

Scientists develop microfluidic probe for free radical attack on live cells

Novel protein transport system mediates toxin secretion by tuberculosis pathogen

New time-lapse system helps measure membrane tension

Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine induces cell spikes similar to SARS-CoV-2's

Powerful algorithms can 'predict' the biological language of cancer and Alzheimer's

Solvation cages may lead to more efficient operation of high-voltage battery cells

The interaction between blood clotting and SARS-CoV-2 infection

South African and Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 variants can evade antibodies from therapies, vaccines, and infection

Researchers determine key protein structure that may lead to effective treatments for schizophrenia

Study discovers how microcephaly and blindness may develop in Zika-infected fetuses

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