Electron Microscopy News and Research

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Hard water drives a surge in microplastic shedding from polyester, study finds

Researchers found that hand-washing in mineral-rich water dramatically increases microplastic fibre shedding from polyester fabrics, fragmenting fibres into shorter pieces. A two-layer PDMS coating sharply reduced shedding from green polyester but was far less effective on black polyester due to pre-existing surface finishes.

12 Nov 2025

Scientists map kinesin-2 tail structure to understand cargo binding

For decades, scientists have known that motor proteins like kinesin-2 ferry vital cargo along microtubule "highways" inside cells. But how these molecular vehicles identify and bind to the right cargo remained a mystery. The new study provides a key piece of this puzzle by revealing the atomic-level structure of the kinesin-2 tail and its interaction with cargo and adaptor proteins.

6 Nov 2025

AI and protein language models can accelerate the design of antiviral antibodies

Artificial intelligence (AI) and "protein language" models can speed the design of monoclonal antibodies that prevent or reduce the severity of potentially life-threatening viral infections, according to a multi-institutional study led by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

5 Nov 2025

Opioid receptors caught in motion offering clues for safer painkillers

Scientists have known for decades that opioids relieve pain by binding to molecular switches in the brain called mu-opioid (pronounced "mew-opioid") receptors. What they didn't know - until now - was exactly what happens next.

5 Nov 2025

Researchers identify new molecular switch involved in programmed cell death

In the fight against disease, programmed cell death – also known as apoptosis – is a key protective function of the body. It breaks down cells that are damaged or have undergone dangerous changes.

3 Nov 2025

Scripps Research scientists receive NIH grant to unlock long-term HIV protection

Nearly 40 years after HIV was first identified, the virus continues its devastating march across the globe. Today, 38 million people live with HIV, and each year brings 1.5 million new infections and 650,000 more deaths-while nearly 10 million people still lack access to life-saving medicines.

31 Oct 2025

Scientists capture a near-continuous molecular movie of ribosome formation

Ribosomes are the cell's protein factories, which read the genetic code and assemble the proteins that every organism needs to live. But as far as how ribosomes themselves were formed, tantalizingly little was known.

30 Oct 2025

Unlocking the secrets of NMDA receptors for better brain health

As information zings from cell to cell inside the brain, bursts of electricity spur its transmission. At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), scientists have turned their attention to the tiny pores that let charged ions enter a cell-and the molecular gatekeepers that help control them.

29 Oct 2025

Mitochondria and lysosomes work together to control regulatory T cell activation

Metabolism guides the activation states of regulatory T cells, the immune cells that prevent inappropriate activation of the immune system.

24 Oct 2025

New insight into TRPM3 heat sensor reveals how the body detects temperature

The ability to sense heat protects the body from burns and injury. But how the body actually feels temperature has remained an elusive mystery.

24 Oct 2025

Unveiling the dual role of HIV integrase in viral replication

The rate of HIV infection continues to climb globally. Around 40 million people live with HIV-1, the most common HIV strain.

24 Oct 2025

Study reveals protein plaques in neurodegeneration function as enzymes, breaking down ATP

A new study led by Rice University's Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede has revealed that protein clumps, or plaques that clog the brain, associated with Parkinson's disease are not merely waste; they can actively drain energy from brain cells.

21 Oct 2025

Scientists discover why a powerful leukemia drug fails in most patients

Researchers from Rutgers Health and other institutions have discovered why a powerful leukemia drug eventually fails in most patients – and found a potential way to overcome that resistance.

17 Oct 2025

What happens when microplastics reach the testes? Study shows autophagy and cell loss

Researchers found that microplastics from everyday plastic tableware accumulate in human semen and, although not linked to semen quality in the full cohort, were associated with altered sperm parameters in specific subgroups. Experimental models confirmed that 50 nm polystyrene particles trigger autophagy and apoptosis via the FOXA1/MAP3K1/p38 pathway, impairing sperm structure and function.

15 Oct 2025

Revolutionary structures show how chaperone proteins prevent diseases caused by protein misfolding

The first full-length structures of two heat shock chaperone proteins in a complex reveal the key structural region regulating their function, according to a new study from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

15 Oct 2025

New insights into malaria proteins offer pathway to blocking parasite transmission

Using millions of microscope images magnified up to 130,000 times, researchers from Radboud university medical center and Toronto have unraveled the structure of two key proteins in the malaria parasite.

10 Oct 2025

New NMR technique reveals atomic-scale motion in catalytic enzyme function

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a new structure determination method using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy which shows how different parts of complex molecular machinery like enzymes move while they help catalyze reactions.

6 Oct 2025

Thermo Fisher Scientific expands neurodegeneration research capabilities with launch of Olink® Target 48 Neurodegeneration panel

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced the launch of the Olink® Target 48 Neurodegeneration panel, a high-performance, targeted proteomics immunoassay panel developed to accelerate discoveries in neurodegenerative disease research.

From Olink®- Part of Thermo Fisher Scientific 3 Oct 2025

How the University of Manchester used Bruker equipment to map the dynamics of complex protein

Discover how Bruker and the University of Manchester joined forces to discover more on the dynamics of complex protein.

From Bruker BioSpin Group 2 Oct 2025

Scientists map step-by-step activation of brain receptors

When it comes to brain proteins, small changes can make a dramatic difference. Researchers studying NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors, which are essential for learning, memory and moment-by-moment consciousness, know that even slight changes in their activity level can mean the difference between normal function and serious neurological disorders.

24 Sep 2025

Electron Microscopy News and Research

Hard water drives a surge in microplastic shedding from polyester, study finds

Scientists map kinesin-2 tail structure to understand cargo binding

AI and protein language models can accelerate the design of antiviral antibodies

Opioid receptors caught in motion offering clues for safer painkillers

Researchers identify new molecular switch involved in programmed cell death

Scripps Research scientists receive NIH grant to unlock long-term HIV protection

Scientists capture a near-continuous molecular movie of ribosome formation

Unlocking the secrets of NMDA receptors for better brain health

Mitochondria and lysosomes work together to control regulatory T cell activation

New insight into TRPM3 heat sensor reveals how the body detects temperature

Unveiling the dual role of HIV integrase in viral replication

Study reveals protein plaques in neurodegeneration function as enzymes, breaking down ATP

Scientists discover why a powerful leukemia drug fails in most patients

What happens when microplastics reach the testes? Study shows autophagy and cell loss

Revolutionary structures show how chaperone proteins prevent diseases caused by protein misfolding

New insights into malaria proteins offer pathway to blocking parasite transmission

New NMR technique reveals atomic-scale motion in catalytic enzyme function

Thermo Fisher Scientific expands neurodegeneration research capabilities with launch of Olink® Target 48 Neurodegeneration panel

How the University of Manchester used Bruker equipment to map the dynamics of complex protein

Scientists map step-by-step activation of brain receptors

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