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Researchers use powerful X-rays to analyze brain tissues of schizophrenia patients

Schizophrenia, a chronic, neurological brain disorder, affects millions of people around the world. It causes a fracture between a person's thoughts, feelings and behavior.

24 Feb 2021

DNA origami used to analyze the ultra-fast movements of CRISPR enzymes

The remarkable genetic scissors called CRISPR/Cas9, the discovery that won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, sometimes cut in places that they are not designed to target.

23 Feb 2021

Propranolol can be used to treat cerebral cavernous malformations

Propranolol, a drug that is efficacious against infantile haemangiomas ("strawberry naevi", resembling birthmarks), can also be used to treat cerebral cavernous malformations, a condition characterized by misshapen blood vessels in the brain and elsewhere.

23 Feb 2021

Scientists reveal the structure of glutamate transporter in our cells

For the first time, researchers have found one of the most important molecular machines in our cells uses a ‘twisting elevator’ mechanism, solving a mystery of how it transports crucial chemical signals from one cell to another.

18 Feb 2021

Scientists reveal the shape of glutamate transporter in human cells

A University of Sydney-led international team of scientists has revealed the shape of one of the most important molecular machines in our cells the glutamate transporter, helping to explain how our brain cells communicate with one another.

18 Feb 2021

New collaborative project to study the complex roles of lipids in health, disease

A University of Minnesota-Mayo Clinic partnership has joined with the Zooniverse citizen scientist platform and the Francis Crick Institute in London to leverage world-leading expertise in microscope imaging with the power of citizen science to study the relationship between structure and function in biology to better understand health and disease.

17 Feb 2021

New N501Y SARS-CoV-2 mutations increase binding to host cell receptor

A team of researchers used several assays, atomic force microscopy, and simulations to determine that the N501Y mutation in the virus’s receptor-binding domain (RBD) increased the interaction of the virus with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor.

17 Feb 2021

Study shows how SARS-CoV-2 uses an immune system defense for replication

The immune system actually wants to fight SARS-CoV-2 with antiviral signaling molecules. But a research team from Charité and MDC has now shown how such a signaling molecule can promote the replication of the virus. The results have been published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.

17 Feb 2021

Researchers discover the role of a gene involved in cardiac rhythm

Researchers have used the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to identify the role of a gene involved in cardiac rhythm, which could help explain the fundamentals of what it takes to make a human heartbeat.

16 Feb 2021

Researchers identify key genetic changes in interstitial kidney tissue of people with diabetes

Researchers from Indiana University have identified key genetic changes in the interstitial kidney tissue of people with diabetes, a discovery that signifies the potential for a revolutionary new genetic approach to the treatment of kidney disease.

16 Feb 2021

Birds keep a layer of soft, fluffy down feathers to regulate body temperature

Feathers are a sleek, intricate evolutionary innovation that makes flight possible for birds, but in addition to their stiff, aerodynamic feathers used for flight, birds also keep a layer of soft, fluffy down feathers between their bodies and their outermost feathers to regulate body temperature.

15 Feb 2021

Male fruit flies win genetic race with rivals in post-mating fertilization game

Scientists have accepted natural selection as a driver of evolution for more than 160 years, thanks to Charles Darwin

15 Feb 2021

Researchers map the mechanism behind cellular communication

Knowledge on how cells communicate is an important key to understanding many biological systems and diseases.

13 Feb 2021

Using a smartphone-based microscope for detecting single molecules and diagnosing diseases

Biomarkers play a central role in the diagnosis of disease and assessment of its course. Among the markers now in use are genes, proteins, hormones, lipids and other classes of molecules.

13 Feb 2021

New zebrafish model could help advance glioblastoma multiforme research

Scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC have identified a new zebrafish model that could help advance glioblastoma multiforme research. Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of primary brain tumor - fewer than one in 20 patients survive five years after diagnosis.

13 Feb 2021