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TSRI scientists discover unusual protein that probably helps some bacteria evade immune response

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has discovered an unusual bacterial protein that attaches to virtually any antibody and prevents it from binding to its target. Protein M, as it is called, probably helps some bacteria evade the immune response and establish long-term infections.

7 Feb 2014

Researchers gain better understanding of HIV infection through electron microscopy

The human intestinal tract, or gut, is best known for its role in digestion. But this collection of organs also plays a prominent role in the immune system. In fact, it is one of the first parts of the body that is attacked in the early stages of an HIV infection. Knowing how the virus infects cells and accumulates in this area is critical to developing new therapies for the over 33 million people worldwide living with HIV. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology are the first to have utilized high-resolution electron microscopy to look at HIV infection within the actual tissue of an infected organism, providing perhaps the most detailed characterization yet of HIV infection in the gut.

30 Jan 2014

Research findings could affect how drugs are developed to treat autoimmune diseases

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have zoomed in on what is going on at the molecular level when the body recognizes and defends against an attack of pathogens, and the findings, they say, could influence how drugs are developed to treat autoimmune diseases.

8 Jan 2014

Researchers explore molecular level changes when body recognizes, defends against pathogens

8 Jan 2014

Transplanting self-donated Schwann cells aids hind limb functional recovery

A study carried out at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine for "The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis" has found that transplanting self-donated Schwann cells (SCs, the principal ensheathing cells of the nervous system) that are elongated so as to bridge scar tissue in the injured spinal cord, aids hind limb functional recovery in rats modeled with spinal cord injury.

24 Dec 2013

Transport of bacterial substrates through injectisome observed almost in real time

When attacking body cells, bacteria, such as salmonellae or Yersinia (plague pathogens), inject specific bacterial proteins through hollow, syringe-like structures - called injectisomes - into the host cells. These substances reprogram the cells and can thus overcome their defense. From then on, they can infiltrate the cells unhindered in large numbers, and trigger diseases such as typhus, plague, or cholera.

13 Dec 2013

Study brings effective hepatitis C cure closer to reality

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have determined the most detailed picture yet of a crucial part of the hepatitis C virus, which the virus uses to infect liver cells. The new data reveal unexpected structural features of this protein and should greatly speed efforts to make an effective hepatitis C vaccine.

29 Nov 2013

Linkam Scientific Instruments report the use of CMS196 for the imaging of mammalian cells at the London Research Institute, Cancer Research UK

Market leaders in temperature controlled microscopy, Linkam Scientific Instruments report on the use of their innovative CMS196 cryo stage for the study of mammalian cells at the London Research Institute, Cancer Research UK.

From Linkam Scientific Instruments 5 Nov 2013

NTU launches new CryoEM lab equipped with advanced cryo transmission electron microscope

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) today launched a new electron microscopy lab led by world renowned scientist Professor Daniela Rhodes. Named the NTU Cryo-Electron Microscopy Laboratory, it is also the world's first university research facility to be equipped with an advanced cryo transmission electron microscope fitted with the latest detector/camera ten times more sensitive than a regular electron microscopy camera.

25 Oct 2013

Activation mechanism of protective protein in ocular lens resolved

The lens of the human eye is made up of a highly concentrated protein solution that imparts the eye its high refractive power. Yet, despite this high protein content the ocular lens must remain clear and transparent.

24 Oct 2013

Study reveals olive leaf extract can inhibit lead-induced brain injury

In recent years, neurotoxicity from exposure to low levels of lead in the environment has become increasingly prevalent. Therefore, the discovery of herbs that have lead-eliminating properties without harmful side effects is essential for the management of lead poisoning.

17 Sep 2013

Study: Structural defect in skin cells can contribute to allergy development

In a new study published in Nature Genetics, Northwestern Medicine and Tel Aviv University scientists have found that a structural defect in skin cells can contribute to allergy development, including skin and food allergies, traditionally thought primarily to be a dysfunction of the immune system.

27 Aug 2013

Exo70 protein responsible for plasma membrane reshaping and cell movement

Both basic scientists and clinicians have an interest in how the cells of our body move. Cells must be mobile in order for organisms to grow, to heal, to transmit information internally, to mount immune responses and to conduct a host of other activities necessary for survival.

14 Aug 2013

Specialized endocytocis play a crucial role in shaping cells themselves

The process cells use to 'swallow' up nutrients, hormones and other signals from their environment - called endocytosis - can play a crucial role in shaping the cells themselves, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have found.

12 Aug 2013

ASU expert receives $1.6 million grant to advance microscopy imaging research

At Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute, Nongjian (NJ) Tao has been designing advanced microscopy methods with the ambitious aim of capturing molecular-scale phenomena in living systems. The new techniques, which combine multiple imaging modalities, are poised to revolutionize the study of biology and the development of new drugs.

8 Aug 2013

Wiring diagram of retinal neurons: The first step toward mapping the human brain

The human brain has 100 billion neurons, connected to each other in networks that allow us to interpret the world around us, plan for the future, and control our actions and movements. MIT neuroscientist Sebastian Seung wants to map those networks, creating a wiring diagram of the brain that could help scientists learn how we each become our unique selves.

8 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

Scientists solve structure of infection tool used by Yersinia bacterium

Abdominal pain, fever, diarrhoea -- these symptoms could point to an infection with the bacterium Yersinia. The bacterium's pathogenic potential is based on a syringe-like injection apparatus called injectisome.

1 Aug 2013

Scientists discover new details of biochemical interactions necessary for cell division

Building on earlier work exploring the complex choreography by which intricate cellular proteins interact with and copy DNA prior to cell division, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have captured a key step-molecular images showing how the enzyme that unwinds the DNA double helix gets drawn to and wrapped around its target.

15 Jul 2013

Research: Experimental drug can protect kidneys from acute kidney injury

New research reveals the mechanism by which an experimental drug can protect the kidneys from sudden damage, called acute kidney injury (AKI). The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), show how the drug may be able to save many lives and cut medical costs related to the condition.

12 Jul 2013