Crystallography News and Research

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Scientists find new clues to how RSV causes disease

By age 2, most children have been infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which usually causes only mild cold symptoms. But people with weakened immune systems, such as infants and the elderly, can face serious complications, including pneumonia and -- in some cases -- death.

30 Jun 2017

Scientists resolve 3D protein structures to combat dangerous infectious diseases

An international team of scientists including the Computation Institute has determined the 3-D atomic structures of more than 1,000 proteins that are potential targets for drugs and vaccines to combat some of the world's most dangerous emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

22 Jun 2017

Scientists discover new approach for antifungal drug treatments

Each year, invasive fungal infections sicken an estimated 2 million people worldwide and kill nearly 800,000 - but a team of international scientists have discovered a new approach for antifungal drug treatments.

15 Jun 2017

Researchers identify key Lassa virus structure using powerful Argonne X-rays

Before Ebola virus ever struck West Africa, locals were already on the lookout for a deadly pathogen: Lassa virus.

13 Jun 2017

TSRI study reveals first-ever structure of Lassa virus protein

Before Ebola virus ever struck West Africa, locals were already on the lookout for a deadly pathogen: Lassa virus. With thousands dying from Lassa every year - and the potential for the virus to cause even larger outbreaks- researchers are committed to designing a vaccine to stop it.

1 Jun 2017

Scripps scientists make important advance in HIV vaccine design

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made another important advance in HIV vaccine design. The development was possible thanks to previous studies at TSRI showing the structures of a protein on HIV’s surface, called the envelope glycoprotein. The scientists used these structures to design a mimic of the viral protein from a different HIV subtype, subtype C, which is responsible for the majority of infections worldwide.

29 May 2017

Researchers capture first cryo-EM snapshots of key cellular receptor in action

Researchers at the University of Michigan, Stanford University and biotech company ConfometRx have captured the first cryo-electron microscopy snapshots of a key cellular receptor in action.

25 May 2017

Researchers show how DPF2 protein controls blood cell production in leukemia

Many things go wrong in cells during the development of cancer. At the heart of the chaos are often genetic switches that control the production of new cells.

23 May 2017

Research paves way for safer and more effective drugs to treat type 2 diabetes

Research led by the University of Adelaide is paving the way for safer and more effective drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, reducing side effects and the need for insulin injections.

18 May 2017

Discovery could help design better drugs to fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs

Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health threat. So much so that a 2014 study commissioned by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom predicted that, if the problem is left unchecked, in less than 35 years more people will die from antibiotic-resistant superbugs than from cancer.

4 May 2017

Atomic resolution structure of key molecule may contribute to drug discovery for devastating conditions

Culminating a nearly 10 year effort, researchers have determined the atomic resolution structure of a key molecule that translates signals from a cell's local environment into a language that the cell can understand and use.

18 Apr 2017

Scientists solve structure of protein crucial to reproduction and spread of Zika virus

Zika virus is a mosquito-borne infectious disease linked to certain birth defects in infants in South and Central America and the United States.

11 Apr 2017

Study explains how genetic mutations linked to telomere capping complex contribute to cancers

Scientists at The Wistar Institute have unveiled part of the protein complex that protects telomeres - the ends of our chromosomes. The study, published online in Nature Communications, explains how a group of genetic mutations associated with this protein complex contributes to various cancers.

10 Apr 2017

Researchers observe crystallization on molecular level for the first time

Crystallization is a very basic chemical process: School children can witness it with their own eyes. But scientists had not, until now, been able to observe this process on the molecular level - that is, the instant in which molecules overcome their tendencies to float individually in a liquid solution and take their place in the rigid lattice of a solid crystal structure.

10 Apr 2017

Rutgers scientists reveal structure of TB drug target and identify new inhibitors

Rutgers University scientists have determined the three-dimensional structure of the target of the first-line anti-tuberculosis drug rifampin. They have also discovered a new class of potential anti-tuberculosis drugs that kill rifampin-resistant and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis bacteria.

7 Apr 2017

New finding on key protein opens door to potential therapies for chronic illnesses

Scientists have determined unexpected characteristics of a key protein linked to blood pressure control and to nerve growth, pain control and heart tissue regeneration. The findings, published April 5 online in the journal Nature, opens doors to potential new therapies to control cardiovascular disease and pain.

6 Apr 2017

X-ray study sheds new light on promising drug target

Researchers hope to design a new generation of drugs against an array of deadly diseases. The task, however, is costly, arduous and often ineffective. One of the key challenges is understanding a particular class of proteins adorning cell surfaces, which are the targets of the majority of pharmaceutical drugs.

5 Apr 2017

ISS crew members grow crystals for drug development

Crew members aboard the International Space Station will begin conducting research this week to improve the way we grow crystals on Earth. The information gained from the experiments could speed up the process for drug development, benefiting humans around the world.

31 Mar 2017

Scientists identify molecules that may be key to drug resistance in estrogen-driven breast cancers

Three-quarters of all breast cancer tumors are driven by the hormone estrogen. These tumors are frequently treated with drugs to suppress estrogen receptor activity, but unfortunately, at least half of patients do not respond to these treatments, leaving them with drug-resistant tumors and few options.

20 Mar 2017

High-resolution images of protein complex performing first step in genome-replication dance captured

It's a good thing we don't have to think about putting all the necessary pieces in place when one of our trillions of cells needs to duplicate its DNA and then divide to produce identical daughter cells.

17 Mar 2017