Molecular Biology News and Research

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Molecular biology is the study of biology at a molecular level. The field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry. Molecular biology chiefly concerns itself with understanding the interactions between the various systems of a cell, including the interactions between DNA, RNA and protein biosynthesis as well as learning how these interactions are regulated.

Researchers identify specific target sites for DNA methylases

DNA methylation performs an essential function in mammalian ontogeny. It is also known that abnormalities in this process cause the development of cancers such as leukemia.

22 Jul 2020

Researchers investigate the genetic and molecular basis of PD-L2 regulation

In immune-related disorders, therapy often involves identifying the molecules responsible for immune dysregulation and targeting them using drugs.

22 Jul 2020

Proximity of mutated cells guides the initiation of tumor

Scientists have revealed a key factor that influences whether malignant cells will grow to form a tumor, in a new study published today in eLife.

21 Jul 2020

Developing a Better Understanding of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

In this interview, Dr. Andrea Dunaif talks to News-Medical about their genetic analysis study which suggests there are different subtypes of PCOS.

20 Jul 2020

Study could help develop new drugs for toxoplasma infection

Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have discovered new information about how a dangerous parasite takes control of a patient's cells as it spreads throughout their body, an important finding that could help in the development of new drugs to treat this infection.

17 Jul 2020

Researchers unravel key mechanisms behind the mysteries of aging

Molecular biologists and bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have unraveled key mechanisms behind the mysteries of aging. They isolated two distinct paths that cells travel during aging and engineered a new way to genetically program these processes to extend lifespan.

16 Jul 2020

Researchers solve the mystery of genetic defect in horses

Warmblood fragile foal syndrome is a severe, usually fatal, genetic disease that manifests itself after birth in affected horses.

16 Jul 2020

ATS releases new practice guideline on treating tobacco dependence in adult smokers

Smoking cessation initiatives notwithstanding, along with provocative public health campaigns and clinical guidance, quitting tobacco has remained elusive for many smokers.

15 Jul 2020

Transmission of coronavirus from dogs to humans is scientifically flawed

A study published earlier this year claiming the coronavirus may have jumped from dogs to humans is scientifically flawed, offering no direct evidence to support its conclusions, according to a collaborative group of international researchers, including scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

15 Jul 2020

Bat research critical to help predict and prevent the next pandemic

The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has a likely connection to bats, and the next viral outbreak probably will too, unless scientists can quickly learn more about the thousands of viruses carried by one of the most diverse mammals on the planet.

13 Jul 2020

Long-studied protein can be used as biomarker for traumatic brain injury

Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research have recently demonstrated that cathepsin B, a well-studied protein important to brain development and function, can be used as biomarker, or indicator of severity, for traumatic brain injury.

13 Jul 2020

Breastfeeding helps mother and baby share 'good bacteria'

A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Manitoba has found that bacteria are shared and possibly transferred from a mother's milk to her infant's gut, and that breastfeeding directly at the breast best supports this process.

11 Jul 2020

Insilico Medicine, Arctoris announce technology partnership to discover new COVID-19 drugs

Insilico Medicine, a biotechnology company developing an end-to-end drug discovery pipeline utilizing next-generation artificial intelligence, today announced a technology partnership with Arctoris, the world's first fully automated drug discovery platform, offering remotely accessible, pre-optimized and fully validated R&D processes for its partners and clients globally.

9 Jul 2020

Structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein provides clues to its evolution

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have characterized the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as well as its most similar relative in a bat coronavirus. The structures provide clues about how the spike evolved and could help inform vaccine design.

9 Jul 2020

Research shows Black individuals are twice as likely to test positive for COVID-19

Results of an analysis published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society found that Black individuals were twice as likely as White individuals to test positive for COVID-19.

9 Jul 2020

New research can help overcome challenges in diabetes research

Scientists focused on finding better treatments or cures for types 1 or 2 diabetes are painfully aware of current limitations, including having to use animal tissue in studies that often don't translate to human trials.

9 Jul 2020

Lung physiology and immune function could spare children from severe COVID-19

Differences in lung physiology and immune function in children could be why they are more often spared from severe illness associated with COVID-19 than adults, according to pediatric and adult physicians at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Baylor College of Medicine, who teamed up to investigate the disparity.

8 Jul 2020

Corn-based diet with flavonoids alleviates IBD-like symptoms in mice

Flavonoids from a specific line of corn act as anti-inflammatory agents in the guts of mice with an inflammatory-bowel-disease-like condition, according to a team of researchers who said flavonoid-rich corn should be studied to determine its potential to provide a protective effect on human health.

7 Jul 2020

Study reveals a new way to determine the age of insulin-storage parcels

A study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry describes a new way to determine the age of insulin-storage parcels, known as granules, and sheds light on how their age affects their release into the bloodstream.

7 Jul 2020

NPHS1 is a disease-susceptibility gene for steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome, reveals study

An international research collaboration, including Professor IIJIMA Kazumoto et al. (of the Department of Pediatrics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine) has revealed that NPHS1 is a disease-susceptibility gene for steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome in children.

3 Jul 2020