Molecular Biology News and Research

RSS

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.

New method may help identify small amounts of nanomaterials in environment samples

It is still unclear what the impact is on humans, animals and plants of synthetic nanomaterials released into the environment or used in products. It's very difficult to detect these nanomaterials in the environment since the concentrations are so low and the particles so small. Now the partners in the NanoUmwelt project have developed a method that is capable of identifying even minute amounts of nanomaterials in environmental samples.

2 May 2016

Researchers one step closer to understanding disease origin

Researchers are one step closer to understanding the genetic and biological basis of diseases like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's and rheumatoid arthritis - and identifying new drug targets and therapies - thanks to work by three computational biology research teams from the University of Arizona Health Sciences, University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University.

30 Apr 2016

New class of cancer-driver gene may serve as unique therapeutic targets, biomarkers in TNBC

The discovery of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has dramatically changed the understanding of the biology of diseases such as cancer. The human genome contains about 20,000 protein-coding genes - less than 2 percent of the total - but 70 percent of the genome is made into non-gene-encoding RNA.

29 Apr 2016

Scientists show how HIV enters female reproductive tract

Finding the vulnerable points where HIV enters the female reproductive tract is like searching for needles in a haystack. But Northwestern Medicine scientists have solved that challenge by creating a glowing map of the very first cells to be infected with a HIV-like virus.

28 Apr 2016

TSRI study reveals important traits in LCMV, Lassa virus

For the first time, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have solved the structure of the biological machinery used by a common virus to recognize and attack human host cells.

27 Apr 2016

Researchers discover gene that plays vital role in inherited eye disorder

Researchers from the University of Liverpool have identified a specific gene that plays a key role in an inherited eye disorder.

26 Apr 2016

Researchers determine 3-D structure of RlmN protein from bacteria

The structure of a bacterial RNA-binding protein has been determined in the act of modifying a molecule of RNA -- an achievement that provides researchers with a unique view of the protein's function in action and could lead to clues that would help in the fight against the development of antibiotic-resistant infections.

22 Apr 2016

Existing cancer drugs may be able to help people with enlarged heart cells

UT Southwestern Medical Center cardiology researchers have identified molecular ties between the growth of cancer cells and heart cells that suggest existing cancer drugs may be able to help those with enlarged heart cells -- a condition that can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

18 Apr 2016

MicroRNAs circulating in blood could lead to first diagnostic test for asthma

People with asthma have telltale molecules circulating in their blood, say researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. The discovery could lead to the first diagnostic blood test for asthma, as well as more targeted treatments for the condition.

16 Apr 2016

FOXO proteins affect dozens of genes common to worms, flies, mice and humans

Whether a creature is a worm, a fly, a mouse, or a human, death inevitably awaits. And not only do these organisms share a common fate, but also, according to a new study, they may share some of the specific mechanisms of mortality. The researchers found that in all four species, there are 46 genes regulated by the same family of "FOXO" proteins known to be central in aging and longevity.

16 Apr 2016

Improving body clock could protect against metabolic syndrome

Essential biological processes are managed by an internal timer or body clock. When the body clock gets out of whack, conditions such as metabolic syndrome can occur.

15 Apr 2016

Bacteroidia pilins prevalent in human gut and mouth form new type of pili to cling to hosts

Many bacteria interact with their environment through hair-like structures known as pili, which attach to and help mediate infection of host organisms, among other things. Now a U.S.-Japanese research team, including scientists from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, has discovered that certain bacteria prevalent in the human gut and mouth assemble their pili in a previously unknown way - information that could potentially open up new ways of fighting infection.

12 Apr 2016

Abnormally active Rab5 protein leads to early development of neurodegenerative disease

Writing in the April 11 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say abnormalities in a protein that helps transport and sort materials inside cells are linked to axonal dysfunction and degeneration of neurons in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Down syndrome (DS).

12 Apr 2016

New GHz-class NMR magnet and probe technologies introduced by Bruker at ENC 2016

At the 57th Experimental Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Conference (www.enc-conference.org), Bruker announced new GHz-class NMR magnet and probe technologies to enable expanding frontiers in structural biology, membrane protein and intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) research.

From Bruker BioSpin Group 11 Apr 2016

Study reveals new activation mechanism for protein kinases

Protein kinases, most scientists would agree, regulate nearly every aspect of cell life. It is no surprise, then, that having faulty protein kinases may lead to a number of human conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes.

11 Apr 2016

AstraZeneca, MedImmune to present new clinical trial and scientific data on lung cancer treatments at ELCC 2016

AstraZeneca and its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, will report new clinical trial and scientific data from their industry-leading lung cancer franchise of marketed and pipeline medicines at the European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, 13 -16 April 2016.

11 Apr 2016

Study finds evidence of lung function abnormalities in light-use hookah smokers

A study of light-use hookah or waterpipe smokers found evidence of lung function abnormalities, including marked changes in cells lining the airways. The study, "Pulmonary Abnormalities in Young, Light-use Waterpipe (Hookah) Smokers," was published recently in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

6 Apr 2016

Immune-boosting formulation in Chinese herbal remedies comes from bacteria growing on Angelica roots

Juzen-taiho-to, also known as shi quan da bu tang, is one of the most popular herbal formulas in China and Japan and is used in the West by practitioners of traditional Asian medicine. New research suggests the remedy's immune-boosting effects are due, at least in part, to bacteria that grow on the roots of one of the formula's component herbs.

6 Apr 2016

Blocking blood supply of small cell lung cancer tumors may help delay cancer relapse

A study by researchers at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine has found that blocking the blood supply of small cell lung cancer tumors may help reduce their growth and delay the regrowth process after treatment. Small cell lung cancer is considered the most lethal of all lung cancers.

5 Apr 2016

Cambridge Pharmaceutical Cryo-EM Consortium formed by FEI, five pharmaceutical companies, the Medical Research Council and the University of Cambridge

FEI (NASDAQ: FEIC) has partnered with five pharmaceutical companies: Astex Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Heptares Therapeutics, and UCB; the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC-LMB); and the University of Cambridge’s Nanoscience Centre, to form the “Cambridge Pharmaceutical Cryo-EM Consortium,” which is the first of its kind worldwide.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific – Electron Microscopy Solutions 4 Apr 2016

Molecular Biology News and Research

Further Reading

New method may help identify small amounts of nanomaterials in environment samples

Researchers one step closer to understanding disease origin

New class of cancer-driver gene may serve as unique therapeutic targets, biomarkers in TNBC

Scientists show how HIV enters female reproductive tract

TSRI study reveals important traits in LCMV, Lassa virus

Researchers discover gene that plays vital role in inherited eye disorder

Researchers determine 3-D structure of RlmN protein from bacteria

Existing cancer drugs may be able to help people with enlarged heart cells

MicroRNAs circulating in blood could lead to first diagnostic test for asthma

FOXO proteins affect dozens of genes common to worms, flies, mice and humans

Improving body clock could protect against metabolic syndrome

Bacteroidia pilins prevalent in human gut and mouth form new type of pili to cling to hosts

Abnormally active Rab5 protein leads to early development of neurodegenerative disease

New GHz-class NMR magnet and probe technologies introduced by Bruker at ENC 2016

Study reveals new activation mechanism for protein kinases

AstraZeneca, MedImmune to present new clinical trial and scientific data on lung cancer treatments at ELCC 2016

Study finds evidence of lung function abnormalities in light-use hookah smokers

Immune-boosting formulation in Chinese herbal remedies comes from bacteria growing on Angelica roots

Blocking blood supply of small cell lung cancer tumors may help delay cancer relapse

Cambridge Pharmaceutical Cryo-EM Consortium formed by FEI, five pharmaceutical companies, the Medical Research Council and the University of Cambridge

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition) eBook

Latest eBooks

Industry Focus eBook - Microbiome (1st edition)

Industry Focus eBook - Cell biology (5th edition)

Advancing degrader and proximity-based drug development

Driving innovation in Korean drug development

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC