Crystallography News and Research

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3-D structure of proteins show flame retardants can mimic estrogen hormones

By determining the three-dimensional structure of proteins at the atomic level, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have discovered how some commonly used flame retardants, called brominated flame retardants (BFRs), can mimic estrogen hormones and possibly disrupt the body's endocrine system. BFRs are chemicals added or applied to materials to slow or prevent the start or growth of fire.

20 Aug 2013

TSRI scientists discover molecular mechanism by which deadly Ebola virus assembles

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered the molecular mechanism by which the deadly Ebola virus assembles, providing potential new drug targets.

16 Aug 2013

New discovery to fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs

The fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs has taken a step forward thanks to a new discovery by scientists at The University of Nottingham.

14 Aug 2013

NIH-funded study of aquaporin proteins could hold clues to cataract

Researchers have achieved dynamic, atomic-scale views of a protein needed to maintain the transparency of the lens in the human eye. The work, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, could lead to new insights and drugs for treating cataract and a variety of other health conditions.

6 Aug 2013

Researchers contribute to key step in finding cure for prion-folding diseases in humans

The work of University of Alberta researchers and their teams has contributed to an important next step in finding a cure for deadly prion-folding diseases in humans and animals.

1 Aug 2013

TSRI scientists study 3-D structure of glucagon receptor for treatment of diabetes

The study is reported on July 17, 2013, in an advance online edition of the journal Nature, alongside a British laboratory's structural study of another member of the same class of receptors-known as "class B" G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

18 Jul 2013

CRB Bio II, ADE Capital Sodical commit €3M seed investment round in Raman Health Technologies

CRB Bio II, a VC Fund managed by CRB Inverbío, and ADE Capital Sodical, have committed a €3M seed investment round in Raman Health Technologies, a new start up company developing a new non invasive diagnostic technology platform based on Raman laser and Infrarred spectroscopy. Its first indication will be for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in a blood sample.

3 Jul 2013

Researchers identify two promising candidates for development of drugs to combat adenovirus

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified two promising candidates for the development of drugs against human adenovirus, a cause of ailments ranging from colds to gastrointestinal disorders to pink eye.

3 Jul 2013

Ubiquitin protein may treat variety of diseases from Parkinson's to diabetes

A tiny protein called ubiquitin - so named because it is present in every cell of living things as dissimilar as hollyhocks and humans - may hold the key to treatment for a variety of diseases from Parkinson's to diabetes.

3 Jul 2013

Study offers new insights into how genome gets regulated by signalling molecules within human cells

There's not much difference between what makes a man and what makes his beer - at least at the molecular level - according to a new study led by Professor John Schwabe at the University of Leicester.

2 Jul 2013

Berkeley Lab scientists create atomic-scale structure of ribosome

This may look like a tangle of squiggly lines, but you're actually looking at a molecular machine called a ribosome. Its job is to translate DNA sequences into proteins, the workhorse compounds that sustain you and all living things.

29 Jun 2013

New research finding raises questions about common mutant forms of JC polyomavirus

The JC polyomavirus is clearly opportunistic. It infects half the population but lethally destroys brain tissue only in immunocompromised patients - and it may be outright sneaky, too. Even as a new research paper allays fears that common mutant forms of the virus are the ones directly responsible for the disease's main attack, that same finding raises new questions about what the mutants are doing instead.

14 Jun 2013

Cow antibodies points to new ways for making human medicines

Humans have been raising cows for their meat, hides and milk for millennia. Now it appears that the cow immune system also has something to offer. A new study led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) focusing on an extraordinary family of cow antibodies points to new ways to make human medicines.

7 Jun 2013

Structural biologists capture elusive actin nucleation process

Structural biologists from Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have captured the first three-dimensional crystalline snapshot of a critical but fleeting process that takes place thousands of times per second in each human cell.

31 May 2013

Scientists identify new way to boost gene-silencing mechanism

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has found how to boost or inhibit a gene-silencing mechanism that normally serves as a major controller of cells' activities. The discovery could lead to a powerful new class of drugs against viral infections, cancers and other diseases.

10 May 2013

Research opens door to new drug therapies for Parkinson's disease

McGill University researchers have unlocked a new door to developing drugs to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Collaborating teams led by Dr. Edward A. Fon at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital -The Neuro, and Dr. Kalle Gehring in the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, have discovered the three-dimensional structure of the protein Parkin.

10 May 2013

Metallurgists use microwave oven to produce nanocrystal semiconductors

University of Utah metallurgists used an old microwave oven to produce a nanocrystal semiconductor rapidly using cheap, abundant and less toxic metals than other semiconductors. They hope it will be used for more efficient photovoltaic solar cells and LED lights, biological sensors and systems to convert waste heat to electricity.

6 May 2013

Berkeley Lab researchers unveil analytical technique for easy comparisons of proteins in solution

A revolutionary X-ray analytical technique that enables researchers at a glance to identify structural similarities and differences between multiple proteins under a variety of conditions has been developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

30 Apr 2013

Antihistamine drugs work by preventing histamine from attaching to H1 receptors

Itchy eyes, scratchy throat, running nose--it's allergy season! What triggers these allergic reactions, and how do allergy medications work?

26 Apr 2013

3D image of cell signaling molecules indicates a trippable power switch

A three-dimensional image of one of the proteins that serves as an on-off switch as it binds to receptors on the surface of a cell suggests there may be a sort of main power switch that could be tripped. These surface receptors are responsible for helping cells discern light, set the heart racing, or detect pain.

22 Apr 2013

Crystallography News and Research

3-D structure of proteins show flame retardants can mimic estrogen hormones

TSRI scientists discover molecular mechanism by which deadly Ebola virus assembles

New discovery to fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs

NIH-funded study of aquaporin proteins could hold clues to cataract

Researchers contribute to key step in finding cure for prion-folding diseases in humans

TSRI scientists study 3-D structure of glucagon receptor for treatment of diabetes

CRB Bio II, ADE Capital Sodical commit €3M seed investment round in Raman Health Technologies

Researchers identify two promising candidates for development of drugs to combat adenovirus

Ubiquitin protein may treat variety of diseases from Parkinson's to diabetes

Study offers new insights into how genome gets regulated by signalling molecules within human cells

Berkeley Lab scientists create atomic-scale structure of ribosome

New research finding raises questions about common mutant forms of JC polyomavirus

Cow antibodies points to new ways for making human medicines

Structural biologists capture elusive actin nucleation process

Scientists identify new way to boost gene-silencing mechanism

Research opens door to new drug therapies for Parkinson's disease

Metallurgists use microwave oven to produce nanocrystal semiconductors

Berkeley Lab researchers unveil analytical technique for easy comparisons of proteins in solution

Antihistamine drugs work by preventing histamine from attaching to H1 receptors

3D image of cell signaling molecules indicates a trippable power switch

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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