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.

New blood test could predict early onset Alzheimer’s disease with high accuracy

The research team previously identified that changes in the brain occur two decades before patients show signs of dementia. These changes can be detected through expensive brain imaging procedures.

30 Oct 2014

Landmark study provides new insight into function of enzyme related to BRCA1 protein

A landmark study to be published in the October 30, 2014 print edition of the journal Nature provides new insight into the function of an enzyme related to the BRCA1 breast-cancer protein. The study by a team at Penn State University is the first to produce a detailed working image of an enzyme in the Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) -- a group that regulates cell development and is associated with many types of cancer.

30 Oct 2014

UCLA research could lead to simple saliva test for early diagnosis of deadly diseases

UCLA research could lead to a simple saliva test capable of diagnosing — at an early stage — diabetes and cancer, and perhaps neurological disorders and autoimmune diseases.

30 Oct 2014

Study sheds light on the mystery of biological clock that controls fertility in women

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have identified the biological clock that governs female fertility. The discovery represents a major contribution to research aimed at finding medical approaches to treating infertility in women.

29 Oct 2014

Game theory and the cancer ecosystem: an interview with Professor Pienta, Johns Hopkins

The classic description of game theory was described by the prisoner's dilemma, which is a situation in which two players have two options where the outcome depends on the simultaneous choice made by the other.

29 Oct 2014

New research suggests that TEM5 protein may be a good target for cancer therapy

Do blood vessels that feed tumors differ from other blood vessels? Fourteen years ago, experiments designed to answer that question led to the discovery of several genes that are more active in tumor-associated blood vessels than in normal blood vessels. New research now reveals the normal function of one of those genes and suggests it could be a good target for anticancer drug therapy.

28 Oct 2014

Cleaver Scientific helps in UK fight against Ebola

Cleaver Scientific reports that its horizontal electrophoresis equipment is being used on the frontline of the UK fight against Ebola.

From Cleaver Scientific Ltd 27 Oct 2014

Growth factor boosts natural defence against auto-immune diseases

Our immune system defends us from harmful bacteria and viruses, but, if left unchecked, the cells that destroy those invaders can turn on the body itself, causing auto-immune diseases like type-1 diabetes or multiple sclerosis. A molecule called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) boosts the body's natural defence against this 'friendly fire', scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Monterotondo, Italy, have found.

25 Oct 2014

Research shows FGF21 hormone acts directly on brain to regulate obesity

A hormone seen as a popular target to develop weight-loss drugs works by directly targeting the brain and triggering previously unknown activity in the nervous system, UT Southwestern Medical Center obesity researchers have found.

24 Oct 2014

Next generation sequencing applications automated through partnership between Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and New England Biolabs

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, through a partnership with New England Biolabs®, Inc.

From Beckman Coulter Life Sciences - Automation and Genomics 21 Oct 2014

Research: MHCI protein moonlights in nervous system to regulate synapses

When it comes to the brain, "more is better" seems like an obvious assumption. But in the case of synapses, which are the connections between brain cells, too many or too few can both disrupt brain function.

21 Oct 2014

MMP-3 disrupts brain/spinal cord barrier, promotes hemorrhage

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition with few treatment options. Studies show that damage to the barrier separating blood from the spinal cord can contribute to the neurologic deficits that arise secondary to the initial trauma. Through a series of sophisticated experiments, researchers reporting in The American Journal of Pathology suggest that matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) plays a pivotal role in disruption of the brain/spinal cord barrier (BSCB), cell death, and functional deficits after SCI.

20 Oct 2014

Discovery offers insight on early stages of cancer

The discovery of a cellular snooze button has allowed a team of Michigan State University scientists to potentially improve biofuel production and offer insight on the early stages of cancer.

16 Oct 2014

MGH, MIT partner to accelerate development of diagnostic tools and therapies

A novel partnership between Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology is addressing three major challenges in clinical medicine – improving the diagnosis of disease, developing new approaches to prevent and treat infectious and autoimmune diseases, and developing more accurate methods of diagnosing and treating major neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. While individual collaborations between MGH and MIT investigators are nothing new, this formalized strategic partnership is designed to accelerate the development of diagnostic tools and therapies.

16 Oct 2014

Caregivers more aware of SUDEP than patients

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is concerning and many—even those with seizure disorders—may not be aware of this condition. New research published in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), reports that 76% of caregivers are more likely to have heard of SUDEP compared with 65% of patients with epilepsy.

16 Oct 2014

Researchers discover new kind of stem cell that may hold clues to origins of liver cancer

A Mount Sinai-led research team has discovered a new kind of stem cell that can become either a liver cell or a cell that lines liver blood vessels, according to a study published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports. The existence of such a cell type contradicts current theory on how organs arise from cell layers in the embryo, and may hold clues to origins of, and future treatment for, liver cancer.

15 Oct 2014

Penn State scientists find that mitochondrial disease more prevalent in older moms

The discovery of a "maternal age effect" by a team of Penn State scientists that could be used to predict the accumulation of mitochondrial DNA mutations in maternal egg cells -- and the transmission of these mutations to children -- could provide valuable insights for genetic counseling.

14 Oct 2014

Molecular diagnostics and blood screening systems: an interview with Dr Bos and Dr Koppelman

Screening blood donations and molecular diagnostics for patients started in the nineties. At the beginning, the level of automation in molecular diagnostic testing was limited; most of the work had to be done manually.

12 Oct 2014

Study can help breeders improve health-related traits in cultivated tomatoes

Tomatoes are known to be rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C, lycopene, β-carotene, and phenolics. Antioxidants, substances capable of delaying or inhibiting oxidation processes caused by free radicals, are of interest to consumers for their health-related contributions, and to plant breeders for their ability to provide plants with natural resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.

10 Oct 2014

Study shows rats, mice perform similarly in cognitive tests; offers implications for cognition research

It's one of those ideas that seems to make perfect sense: the bigger the brain, the more intelligent the creature.

9 Oct 2014

Molecular Biology News and Research

Further Reading

New blood test could predict early onset Alzheimer’s disease with high accuracy

Landmark study provides new insight into function of enzyme related to BRCA1 protein

UCLA research could lead to simple saliva test for early diagnosis of deadly diseases

Study sheds light on the mystery of biological clock that controls fertility in women

Game theory and the cancer ecosystem: an interview with Professor Pienta, Johns Hopkins

New research suggests that TEM5 protein may be a good target for cancer therapy

Cleaver Scientific helps in UK fight against Ebola

Growth factor boosts natural defence against auto-immune diseases

Research shows FGF21 hormone acts directly on brain to regulate obesity

Next generation sequencing applications automated through partnership between Beckman Coulter Life Sciences and New England Biolabs

Research: MHCI protein moonlights in nervous system to regulate synapses

MMP-3 disrupts brain/spinal cord barrier, promotes hemorrhage

Discovery offers insight on early stages of cancer

MGH, MIT partner to accelerate development of diagnostic tools and therapies

Caregivers more aware of SUDEP than patients

Researchers discover new kind of stem cell that may hold clues to origins of liver cancer

Penn State scientists find that mitochondrial disease more prevalent in older moms

Molecular diagnostics and blood screening systems: an interview with Dr Bos and Dr Koppelman

Study can help breeders improve health-related traits in cultivated tomatoes

Study shows rats, mice perform similarly in cognitive tests; offers implications for cognition research

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