Crystallography News and Research

RSS

New technique for imaging proteins in 3D

A team of scientists including researchers at the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II)--a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory--have demonstrated a new technique for imaging proteins in 3-D with nanoscale resolution.

13 Apr 2020

The building blocks of gum disease

A team of researchers has revealed the structure of adhesive pili and shed light on how they assemble, causing Periodontitis.

13 Apr 2020

UTSW researchers uncover shape of key protein involved in muscle contraction

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered the detailed shape of a key protein involved in muscle contraction. The report, published today in Neuron, may lead to improved understanding of muscle-weakening genetic conditions called congenital myasthenic syndromes.

12 Apr 2020

Advance in understanding actin sheds light on cell function

Scientists have discovered more about actin, a chemical modification on one of the most abundant and important proteins.

8 Apr 2020

Texas A&M chemists focus on searching for drugs to treat COVID-19

In the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Texas A&M University chemist Wenshe Ray Liu and his research team have focused their lab solely on searching for drugs to treat COVID-19.

6 Apr 2020

Putting an end to the pandemic

From the plagues of medieval Europe to the influenza pandemic of 1918, the specter of the next public health disaster has gripped the minds of scientists, captivated the imaginations of writers and vexed conspiracy theorists.

1 Apr 2020

Inhibiting the iron transport could halt tuberculosis

The bacteria that cause tuberculosis need iron to survive. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now solved the first detailed structure of the transport protein responsible for the iron supply.

1 Apr 2020

Researchers decode 3D architecture of SARS-CoV-2 main protease

Teams around the world are working hard to develop active substances against SARS-CoV-2. The structural analysis of functional proteins of the virus is very helpful for this goal. The function of a protein is closely related to its 3D architecture.

21 Mar 2020

New type of artificial binding proteins for blocking sugar structures on cell surfaces

The laboratory directed by Arne Skerra, Professor of Biological Chemistry, has its focus on designing artificial binding proteins for therapeutic applications.

17 Mar 2020

Researchers visualize first structure of key enzyme that helps make triglycerides

The first structure of a lipin enzyme, which carries out an important step in the production of triglycerides, the main reservoir for long-term energy storage, will help scientists to better understand how lipins regulate the production of triglycerides.

11 Mar 2020

Scientists map novel structure of so-called 'neurotransmitter: sodium symporter’

A novel structure of a so-called 'neurotransmitter: sodium symporter’ has been mapped at the University of Copenhagen.

6 Mar 2020

X-ray free electron laser helps probe deeper into deadly pathogen

Tularemia is a rare but often lethal disease. It is caused by one of the most aggressive pathogens on earth, the bacterium Francisella tularensis.

5 Mar 2020

ORNL story tips on antidote chasing, traffic control and automatic modeling

In the most comprehensive, structure-based approach to date, a team of scientists may have discovered a new family of antidotes for certain poisons that can mitigate their effects more efficiently compared with existing remedies.

2 Mar 2020

Cryo-electron microscopy reveals how transport protein works very efficiently

The structure of a transport complex used by bacteria to import aspartate has been mapped in unique detail by University of Groningen scientists.

24 Feb 2020

SwRI's Rhodium evaluates drug compounds for possible treatment of coronavirus

Drug discovery software at Southwest Research Institute is expanding the capacity to virtually screen drug compounds for possible treatment of coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

20 Feb 2020

Researchers map key atomic structures in measles, mumps, flu and RSV

Northwestern University researchers have, for the first time, determined the 3D atomic structure of a key complex in paramyxoviruses, a family of viruses that includes measles, mumps, human parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus.

17 Feb 2020

New study may lead to better treatments for Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a long-term (chronic) neurological condition that affects around 12,000 people in Ireland and between 7 and 10 million people worldwide. The disease affects the way the brain co-ordinates body movements like walking and talking, but cognitive abilities are also affected.

13 Feb 2020

New insights may guide design of light-sensitive proteins with desired properties

A team of scientists from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University has gained insight into how electric fields affect the way energy from light drives molecular motion and transformation in a protein commonly used in biological imaging.

13 Feb 2020

New prophylactic and therapeutic avenues to fight against rabies

Rabies is still responsible for approximately 60,000 human deaths per year mostly in Asia and Africa and affects especially underserved people.

11 Feb 2020

Scientists track down a potential target for new sleeping sickness drugs

Using ultra-bright X-ray flashes, a team of researchers has tracked down a potential target for new drugs against sleeping sickness: The scientists have decoded the detailed spatial structure of a vital enzyme of the pathogen, the parasite Trypanosoma brucei.

30 Jan 2020