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.

Study suggests new approaches to fighting diseases using the power of illusion

Magic tricks work because they take advantage of the brain's sensory assumptions, tricking audiences into seeing phantoms or overlooking sleights of hand. Now a team of UC San Francisco researchers has discovered that even brainless single-celled yeast have sensory biases that can be hacked by a carefully engineered illusion, a finding that could be used to develop new approaches to fighting diseases such as cancer.

20 Nov 2015

Identifying new mechanism for aspirin in cancer prevention

Aspirin has been shown to decrease the risk of colorectal cancer and possibly other cancers. However, the risk of side effects, including in some cases severe gastrointestinal bleeding, makes it necessary to better understand the mechanisms by which aspirin acts at low doses before recommending it more generally as a preventative, says Cornelia Ulrich, PhD, Senior Director of Population Sciences at Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City.

19 Nov 2015

University of York researchers unveil 3-D structure of cancer target enzyme

A team from the University of York has published research unveiling the 3-D structure of human heparanase, a sugar-degrading enzyme which has received significant attention as a key target in anti-cancer treatments.

19 Nov 2015

IMB scientists unravel complex regulatory mechanism involved in brain development

Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biology in Mainz have unraveled a complex regulatory mechanism that explains how a single gene can drive the formation of brain cells. The research, published in The EMBO Journal, is an important step towards a better understanding of how the brain develops. It also harbors potential for regenerative medicine.

19 Nov 2015

USC discoveries propose promising method to eliminate pain associated with tooth decay

Dual discoveries at USC propose a promising method to regrow nonliving hard tissue, lessening or even eliminating pain associated with tooth decay, which the National Institutes of Health calls the most prevalent chronic disease.

18 Nov 2015

Researchers identify new target for novel immune-oncology treatments

By studying a type of immune cells, a team of researchers at the IRCM led by André Veillette, MD, identified the mechanism of action for a new target for novel immune-oncology treatments. Their discovery is published today in the print edition of the scientific journal the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

17 Nov 2015

Researchers find molecular mechanism that may be responsible for development of amyloidoses

A team of local researchers has proposed a molecular mechanism that may be responsible for the development of life-threatening diseases called amyloidoses. The best known of such diseases is Alzheimer's disease (AD), but there are many others that are receiving increased scrutiny, in part because of mounting evidence linking them to atherosclerosis and aging.

13 Nov 2015

Some gut microbes may hold the key to regulating good health, say Oregon scientists

University of Oregon scientists have found that strength in numbers doesn't hold true for microbes in the intestines. A minority population of the right type might hold the key to regulating good health.

12 Nov 2015

Discovery could offer clues to how some viruses control expression of genetic material

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Michigan have produced the first image of an important human protein as it binds with ribonucleic acid (RNA), a discovery that could offer clues to how some viruses, including HIV, control expression of their genetic material.

12 Nov 2015

Researchers identify factors that spark formation of pluripotent cells

Researchers at EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute and the Wellcome Trust- Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute at the University of Cambridge have identified factors that spark the formation of pluripotent cells.

10 Nov 2015

Seven researchers win 2015 Early Career Researcher UK Awards

The UK is a world-leader in breakthrough scientific discoveries, and seven of the early career researchers leading this field have been recognised for their contributions to areas including malaria elimination, securing water supplies for future generations and empowering patients in the management of their own health care.

6 Nov 2015

Loyola presents Scientist of the Year awards

Susan Baker, PhD, a leading researcher of a class of viruses that includes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), has been named Senior Scientist of the Year at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Wei Qiu, PhD, who is researching the molecular mechanisms of liver cancer, has been named Junior Scientist of the Year.

6 Nov 2015

New treatment may help patients with chronic renovascular disease

A new treatment may help patients with a chronic kidney condition that can also lead to heart problems and premature death, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN).

6 Nov 2015

Scientists create supercharged blood cell that may heal major wounds, block inflammation

Faculty of Medicine scientists have created a "Franken-platelet" - a supercharged blood cell - that might be capable of healing major wounds, busting clots or blocking inflammation.

5 Nov 2015

Oxford professor wins Heinrich Wieland Prize for pioneering method that helps control nerve cells with light

Gero Miesenböck was the first to insert a light-controlled on/off switch into brain cells. His pioneering method allows scientists to switch nerve cells on and off selectively and observe how the behaviour of, for example, fruit flies or mice changes as a result. In this way, researchers can learn in a step-by-step process what behaviour the studied brain circuits control and what goes awry in disease. For his method, hailed as a "breakthrough of the decade," Professor Gero Miesenböck of the University of Oxford will receive the 100,000-euro Heinrich Wieland Prize of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation in Munich on November 6, 2015.

4 Nov 2015

New Swedish study questions treatment of female infertility with stem cell therapy

It has been claimed that a treatment for female infertility will be available by stem cell therapy. But a new study by Swedish researchers from the University of Gothenburg and Karolinska Institutet published in Nature Medicine questions whether new egg cells can be produced using stem cells.

4 Nov 2015

Scientists propose that Alzheimer's disease should be treated separately

Deciphering the mechanism that underlies the development of Alzheimer's disease in certain families but not in others, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Faculty of Medicine have proposed that the malady is actually a collection of diseases that probably should be treated with a variety of different approaches.

4 Nov 2015

Denator forms a new Scientific Advisory Board

Denator AB has announced that a new external expert advisory board has been formed. Karsten Fjärstedt, recently appointed as CEO comments, “It is a great honor for me to be entrusted to lead Denator forward in this new phase of development. With a pipeline of new exciting business opportunities and a strong Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) I am looking forward to realizing the full potential of the company technology”.

3 Nov 2015

Salk scientists uncover enzyme responsible for suppressing deadly lung cancer

Scientists at the Salk Institute have uncovered a molecule whose mutation leads to the aggressive growth of a common and deadly type of lung cancer in humans.

3 Nov 2015

Study highlights importance of sex-specific differences in complex biological processes

New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows that male and female mice respond differently to inflammation at the cellular level. Specifically, in male mice the spleen acts as a source of white blood cells, while in females this is not the case. This discovery suggests that human studies are necessary to determine if current medical practices, which treat men and women generally the same, should be altered to reflect sex-specific differences.

3 Nov 2015

Molecular Biology News and Research

Further Reading

Study suggests new approaches to fighting diseases using the power of illusion

Identifying new mechanism for aspirin in cancer prevention

University of York researchers unveil 3-D structure of cancer target enzyme

IMB scientists unravel complex regulatory mechanism involved in brain development

USC discoveries propose promising method to eliminate pain associated with tooth decay

Researchers identify new target for novel immune-oncology treatments

Researchers find molecular mechanism that may be responsible for development of amyloidoses

Some gut microbes may hold the key to regulating good health, say Oregon scientists

Discovery could offer clues to how some viruses control expression of genetic material

Researchers identify factors that spark formation of pluripotent cells

Seven researchers win 2015 Early Career Researcher UK Awards

Loyola presents Scientist of the Year awards

New treatment may help patients with chronic renovascular disease

Scientists create supercharged blood cell that may heal major wounds, block inflammation

Oxford professor wins Heinrich Wieland Prize for pioneering method that helps control nerve cells with light

New Swedish study questions treatment of female infertility with stem cell therapy

Scientists propose that Alzheimer's disease should be treated separately

Denator forms a new Scientific Advisory Board

Salk scientists uncover enzyme responsible for suppressing deadly lung cancer

Study highlights importance of sex-specific differences in complex biological processes

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