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Open-science triumph: Crowdsourced initiative yields potent SARS-CoV-2 antivirals

In this study, researchers harnessed crowdsourcing and open science to develop new antivirals against SARS-CoV-2, focusing on its main protease, Mpro. Their approach led to the discovery of potent compounds, including one with high efficacy in cell lines and cross-reactivity against various COVID-19 variants, demonstrating the potential of collaborative and transparent drug discovery in tackling global health crises.

12 Nov 2023

Revolution by Evolution: Protein Science and its Impact on Drug Discovery

In this interview conducted at SLAS EU 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, we spoke to Mark Abbott, the Managing Director of Peak Proteins, about protein science and its significance in drug discovery.

10 Nov 2023

COVID Moonshot Consortium makes major breakthrough in antiviral drug discovery

The work of the COVID Moonshot Consortium is being published in the prestigious journal Science on 10 November, revealing their discovery of a potent SARS-CoV-2 antiviral lead compound.

9 Nov 2023

Scientists uncover key enzymes involved in bacterial pathogenicity

Gram-negative bacteria cause a variety of infectious diseases in plants and animals alike. Outbreaks of Salmonella and E. coli infections often make headlines due to their severity, and people have to resort to allopathic as well as natural remedies, increasing the burden on the healthcare system.

16 Oct 2023

Scientists unravel secrets about the formation of DNA's building blocks

An international team has uncovered details about the formation of DNA's building blocks, paving the way for potential medical and therapeutic applications.

12 Oct 2023

Research opens up new directions to develop drugs for stopping cytokine storms

Constant exposure of cells to stressing agents, such as pathogens, may disturb an organism's normal functioning. To fight stress, cells have developed several coping mechanisms, including the inflammatory response.

14 Sep 2023

Scientists capture first images of ribosome-modifying enzymes in action

Bacteria draw from an arsenal of weapons to combat the drugs intended to kill them. Among the most prevalent of these weapons are ribosome-modifying enzymes.

14 Aug 2023

Newly identified helicase might hold the key to a novel family of anti-COVID-19 drugs

Researchers used a multidisciplinary approach to investigate a nonstructural protein essential in SARS-CoV-2 replication.

10 Aug 2023

New antibody shows promise in reversing carfentanil overdoses

An antibody in single-chain fragment variable (scFv) format that binds to the powerful opioid carfentanil was shown to reverse signs of carfentanil overdose in preclinical tests conducted by scientists at Scripps Research.

7 Aug 2023

New technique enables high-resolution analysis of DNA

Function and form are deeply intertwined in biology. Knowing how organisms grow, adapt and reproduce requires understanding their physical structures. Hence the transformative power of the microscope across the past four centuries of science.

4 Aug 2023

Scientists investigate a bat virus with pandemic potential

The devastating COVID-19 pandemic occurred when the SARS-CoV-2 virus, native to a species of bats, mutated to infect humans.

10 Jul 2023

Australian rainforest remedies: Scientists explore bioactive plant compounds as potential anti-neuroinflammatory agents

Research discusses the process of discovering anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective drugs from medicinal plants found in the Australian rainforest. It focuses on the pathways from the discovery of bioactive plants to the validation in an appropriate neuro-inflammatory mouse model, using some examples from their current research.

9 Jul 2023

Scientists develop breakthrough approach to create artificial allosteric sites in protein complexes

According to a recently published research paper by a team of scientists, a groundbreaking approach has been developed to create artificial allosteric sites (where by binding an effector molecule, activity at the distal active site is regulated) in protein complexes.

6 Jul 2023

High-res insights into key bacterial enzyme could lead to development of new antibiotics

A team of scientists from around the globe, including those from Trinity College Dublin, has gained high-res structural insights into a key bacterial enzyme, which may help chemists design new drugs to inhibit it and thus suppress disease-causing bacteria.

30 Jun 2023

20 years later: lessons from SARS-CoV-2 inform preparedness against future pandemics

The identification, development, and assessment of medical countermeasures against emerging pathogens.

30 Jun 2023

Analyzing the conformational dynamics of a human tRNA using high hydrostatic pressure

Just as space holds infinite mysteries, when we zoom in at the level of biomolecules (one trillion times smaller than a meter), there is still so much to learn.

23 Jun 2023

New molecule can prevent the invasion of blood cells by malaria parasites

For the first time ever, a molecule able to prevent the invasion of blood cells by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, responsible for malaria, has been identified and described by CNRS scientists, in collaboration with American and English colleagues.

15 Jun 2023

Scientists determine the atomic-level structure of a zinc-transporter protein

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have determined the atomic-level structure of a zinc-transporter protein, a molecular machine that regulates levels of this crucial trace metal micronutrient inside cells.

9 Jun 2023

New method to study the ultra-fast movements of proteins

Proteins are biological molecules that perform almost all biochemical tasks in all forms of life. In doing so, the tiny structures perform ultra-fast movements.

30 May 2023

The potential clinical benefit of the Multabody platform as a therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2

The potential clinical benefit of the Multabody platform as a therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2.

26 May 2023