Fluorescent Protein News and Research

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Researchers create tiny, biodegradable nanoparticles that carry DNA to brain cancer cells

Working together, Johns Hopkins biomedical engineers and neurosurgeons report that they have created tiny, biodegradable “nanoparticles” able to carry DNA to brain cancer cells in mice.

30 Apr 2014

BRCA gene loss may accelerate cancer-promoting chromosome rearrangements

Inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes are by far the most frequent contributors to hereditary cancer risk in the human population, often causing breast or ovarian cancer in young women of child-bearing age.

29 Apr 2014

MIT researchers develop test that can rapidly assess DNA repair systems

Our DNA is under constant attack from many sources, including environmental pollutants, ultraviolet light, and radiation. Fortunately, cells have several major DNA repair systems that can fix this damage, which may lead to cancer and other diseases if not mended.

25 Apr 2014

Noval neuroimaging technique enables detailed insights into mitochondria

Reactive oxygen species are important intracellular signaling molecules, but their mode of action is complex: In low concentrations they regulate key aspects of cellular function and behavior, while at high concentrations they can cause "oxidative stress", which damages organelles, membranes and DNA.

25 Apr 2014

Scientists solve a decades-long mystery of cell biology

A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has identified a long-sought protein that facilitates one of the most basic functions of cells: regulating their volume to keep from swelling excessively.

11 Apr 2014

New research reveals new complexity to nerve cells in brain that could affect future therapies

Research from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation reveals a new complexity to nerve cells in the brain that could affect future therapies aimed at altering mood and memory in humans.

25 Mar 2014

Cumulative amount of specific gene products affects changes in cell fate, say researchers

Johns Hopkins biologists have discovered that when biological signals hit cells in rhythmic waves, the magnitude of the cells' response can depend on the number of signaling cycles — not their strength or duration. Because such so-called “oscillating signaling cycles” are common in many biological systems, the scientists expect their findings in single-celled organisms to help explain the molecular workings of phenomena such as tissue and organ formation and fundamental forms of learning.

24 Mar 2014

Protein that controls Drosophila nervous system may play role in reversing brain injuries in human

A protein that controls the metamorphosis of the common fruit fly could someday play a role in reversing brain injuries, said Duke University researchers.

28 Feb 2014

Elusive progenitor cells that give rise to ILCs identified in fetal liver and bone marrow of mice

The elusive progenitor cells that give rise to innate lymphoid cells-a recently discovered group of infection-fighting white blood cells-have been identified in fetal liver and adult bone marrow of mice, researchers from the University of Chicago report early online in the journal Nature.

14 Feb 2014

New super-resolution microscopy method could spot dozens of distinct types of biomolecules

A new microscopy method could enable scientists to generate snapshots of dozens of different biomolecules at once in a single human cell, a team from the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University reported Sunday in Nature Methods.

4 Feb 2014

Scientists progress towards understanding how some bacterial cells escape being killed by antibiotics

Scientists have made an important advance in understanding how a subset of bacterial cells escape being killed by many antibiotics.

10 Jan 2014

Study shows wide-ranging variation in patterns of X chromosome inactivation in female mice

Producing brightly speckled red and green snapshots of many different tissues, Johns Hopkins researchers have color-coded cells in female mice to display which of their two X chromosomes has been made inactive, or “silenced.”

10 Jan 2014

Study quantifies photoactivation efficiency of fluorescent proteins

To know how many proteins assemble together at the nanoscale is fundamental for understanding protein function. Sometimes, proteins must be in an "oligomeric" state to be functional, although "oligomerization" of certain proteins can also lead to diseases. The ability to determine protein stoichiometry and monitor changes in the balance between monomeric, dimeric and multi-meric proteins can allow scientists to see the differences between a properly functioning cell and a diseased cell. Therefore, there is a great interest in being able to count proteins and determine their stoichiometry.

7 Jan 2014

Study explains how nicotine exploits body's cellular machinery to promote addiction

A study in The Journal of General Physiology helps explain how nicotine exploits the body's cellular machinery to promote addiction. The findings could lead to new therapies to help people quit smoking.

30 Dec 2013

Researchers study zebrafish embryo skin to find link between low calcium and colon cancer

A tiny, transparent fish embryo and a string of surprises led scientists to a deeper understanding of the perplexing link between low calcium and colon cancer.

14 Dec 2013

Penn researchers identify protein that could clear Alzheimer's plaques

The body is structured to ensure that any invading organisms have a tough time reaching the brain, an organ obviously critical to survival. Known as the blood-brain barrier, cells that line the brain and spinal cord are tightly packed, making it difficult for anything besides very small molecules to cross from the bloodstream into the central nervous system. While beneficial, this blockade also stands in the way of delivering drugs intended to treat neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's.

9 Dec 2013

New genetics promises to change faulty genes of future generations by using "designer sperm”

Bethesda, MD-Get ready: The "new genetics" promises to change faulty genes of future generations by introducing new, functioning genes using "designer sperm." A new research report appearing online in The FASEB Journal, shows that introducing new genetic material via a viral vector into the sperm of mice leads to the presence and activity of those genes in the resulting embryos.

3 Dec 2013

Researchers identify critical mechanism to improve survival and behavior of new brain cells

A specialized type of brain cell that tamps down stem cell activity ironically, perhaps, encourages the survival of the stem cells' progeny, Johns Hopkins researchers report.

11 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

Researchers explore the origin of sweat gland stem cells

Without sweat, we would overheat and die. In a recent paper in the journal PLOS ONE, USC faculty member Krzysztof Kobielak and a team of researchers explored the ultimate origin of this sticky, stinky but vital substance - sweat gland stem cells.

24 Oct 2013