Structural Biology News and Research

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Study reveals structural insights into the elusive tankyrase protein that fuels bowel cancer

Scientists have revealed the inner workings of a key protein involved in a wide range of cellular processes – potentially paving the way for better and less toxic cancer drugs.

23 Nov 2022

Creating New Targeted Antibacterial Products to Help Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance

We speak to Matthew Dunne, Director for Drug Discovery at Micreos Pharmaceuticals, about the importance of creating new targeted antibacterial products.

22 Nov 2022

Collaboration aims to develop new medicines for neurodegenerative diseases

The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute (ADDI) today (Tuesday 8 November) announced that it will collaborate with pharmaceutical company YD Global Life Science (YDGLS) to develop inhibitors of the unfolded protein response for the treatment of the diseases that cause dementia.

9 Nov 2022

Mouse model reveals how RNA splicing defects contribute to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have puzzled over the neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer's disease for decades, but treatments to stop or reverse the disease's effects on the brain have remained elusive.

13 Oct 2022

New cell-free protein crystallization method: A major headway in the field of structural biology

The new cell-free protein crystallization (CFPC) method developed by Tokyo Tech includes direct protein crystallization and is a major headway in the field of structural biology.

3 Oct 2022

Research reveals how carp virus uses a protein domain to inhibit host cell’s defense mechanisms

The team of Prof. Alain Vanderplasschen, virologist and immunologist at the University of Liège, has published an article in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, reporting ten years of research on how a carp virus has been using a protein domain called Zalpha (Zα) to inhibit the defense mechanisms of the host cell.

23 Sep 2022

Researchers identify universal features shaping organelle gene retention

Mitochondria are compartments – so-called "organelles" -- in our cells that provide the chemical energy supply we need to move, think, and live.

16 Sep 2022

Lab experiments add further evidence to the bradykinin storm theory of COVID-19’s viral pathogenesis

A new paper published in Nature Communications adds further evidence to the bradykinin storm theory of COVID-19's viral pathogenesis -; a theory that was posited two years ago by a team of researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

16 Sep 2022

Large molecules glom together into dense droplets to create squishy circuits in cells

An emerging field explores how groups of molecules condense together inside cells, the way oil droplets assemble and separate from water in a vinaigrette.

14 Sep 2022

New method can accurately, quickly predict which antigens will lead to strong immune response

A cell's secrets can be divulged by its surface, decorated with tens to hundreds of thousands of molecules that help immune cells determine friend from foe.

5 Sep 2022

Study opens a window of opportunity to design RAF1 degraders against lung adenocarcinomas

One of the main challenges in oncology is the development of drugs against KRAS oncogenes. These oncogenes -genes that cause cancer when mutated - are responsible for a quarter of all human cancers, including the three tumor types with the highest mortality rates: lung adenocarcinoma, colorectal carcinoma and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

1 Sep 2022

What lessons can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic for HIV?

A new study discussed how experiences from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could be leveraged for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

31 Aug 2022

Evolution can favor flexible proteins, research suggests

When you think of proteins – the enzymes, signaling molecules, and structural components in every living thing – you might think of single strands of amino acids, organized like beads on a string.

26 Aug 2022

Researchers delve deeper into the structure of protein receptor crucial for cardiovascular health

5 Aug 2022

Researchers unravel mechanism of action of bacterial Tc toxin in fatal attacks

A harmful and often deadly substance made by bacteria, a bacterial toxin manipulates host cell functions and disrupts vital cell processes in a living organism.

3 Aug 2022

Jianhua Zhao secures $2.4 million NIGMS grant to study the molecular machinery of proteolysis

Assistant Professor Jianhua Zhao, Ph.D., has been awarded a unique and competitive grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health.

2 Aug 2022

Cross-validation of distance measurements in motile proteins reveals certain inconsistencies

The researchers from PD Dr. Gregor Hagelueken's group at the Institute of Structural Biology of the UKB used so-called PELDOR spectroscopy to study the movement of so-called substrate-binding proteins.

1 Aug 2022

Würzburg scientists are working on the development of new drugs to combat monkeypox

Poxviruses pose a threat to humanity that should be taken seriously, as the current outbreak of monkeypox shows.

1 Aug 2022

Researchers report near-atomic-resolution images of nitrogenase during catalysis using cryo-EM

Previously, it has been impossible to capture the high-resolution images of nitrogenase, the only enzyme capable of reducing nitrogen into ammonia, during catalytic action.

29 Jul 2022

Researchers unravel how one gut bacterium influences immunity

From immunity to metabolism to mental health, it seems like the gut microbiome has been linked to every aspect of human health and disease.

27 Jul 2022