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New guidelines for designing synthetic molecules that block interaction between two proteins

Inside cells, proteins constantly interact with each other to carry out different functions. For some diseases in which these functions are altered, blocking the binding between two or more proteins emerges as a possible therapeutic approach.

30 Nov 2022

Broadly cross-reactive antibodies that protect from SARS-CoV-2 variants are revealed by virus coldspot-driven discovery

A recent study identified neutralizing antibodies against conserved SARS-CoV-2 epitopes.

30 Nov 2022

Can SARS-CoV-2 be inactivated by resonance caused by sound waves at the ultrasound frequency?

Researchers performed in vitro experiments to test the ability of different frequencies of ultrasound to inactivate SARS-CoV-2.

23 Nov 2022

Over 440 SCI articles published! BGI’s cancer genetics and cell research fuels innovation

BGI has currently published over 440 SCI (Science Citation Index) papers in the field of cancer research, with a cumulative impact factor of over 4,000 points.

From BGI Genomics 23 Nov 2022

Unique resource for identifying new biomarkers of environmental exposures in early life

Researchers now have a unique resource for identifying new biomarkers of environmental exposures in early life and understanding their health effects.

22 Nov 2022

Development of a potent, broadly protective vaccine against all SARS-CoV-2 variants

In a recent study published in the journal npj Vaccines, researchers in China designed, produced, and evaluated the neutralization efficacy of a recombinant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine containing four hot-spot substitution mutations based on a prefusion-stabilized severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein (S) trimer.

15 Nov 2022

Researchers identify 55 broadly reactive monoclonal antibodies to betacoronaviruses

In a recent study published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, researchers pursued novel approaches that could help find monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) broadly targeting coronaviruses (CoVs), especially genera beta CoVs.

8 Nov 2022

Study reveals the molecular mechanisms of dynamic activation of DNMT1 by H3Ub2

This study is led by Dr. Na Yang (State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Key Laboratory of Medical Data Analysis and Statistical Research of Tianjin, Nankai University), and Dr. Bing Zhu (National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science).

28 Oct 2022

Discovery provides better understanding of retinal protein's structure and function

Scientists have discovered a mechanism by which an area of a protein shape-shifts to convert vitamin A into a form usable by the eye's light-sensing photoreceptor cells.

26 Oct 2022

$2.5 million CDC contract to fund one of the largest SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programs in the U.S.

A team led by Scripps Research scientists has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) in support of one of the largest SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programs in the United States.

11 Oct 2022

The effect of ORF3c, a SARS-CoV-2 accessory protein, on cellular innate immune responses, autophagy, and lung cell mitochondrial metabolism

Researchers explored the role of the ORF3c, a SARS-CoV-2 accessory protein not so extensively studied as yet.

7 Oct 2022

Key biophysical attributes of a self-amplifying viral RNA vaccine developed for SARS-CoV-2

Researchers used various analytical characterization techniques to determine the biophysical attributes of the Imperial College London self-amplifying viral RNA vaccine (IMP-1) developed for SARS-CoV-2.

5 Oct 2022

Broadly neutralizing antibodies are the blueprint for variant-proof, pansarbecovirus vaccines

A recent Nature Reviews Immunology study has summarized the efficacy of neutralizing antibodies that target four main regions of the spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), namely, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the S1 subunit, the fusion peptide region in the S2 subunit, the stem helix region, and the N-terminal domain.

2 Oct 2022

A novel method to identify spike stabilizing mutations for COVID-19 vaccine development

Researchers discuss a robust method to identify mutations that improve the expression and stabilize the conformation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

29 Sep 2022

Research reveals how carp virus uses a protein domain to inhibit host cell’s defense mechanisms

The team of Prof. Alain Vanderplasschen, virologist and immunologist at the University of Liège, has published an article in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, reporting ten years of research on how a carp virus has been using a protein domain called Zalpha (Zα) to inhibit the defense mechanisms of the host cell.

23 Sep 2022

Generating a mutation in key molecules could offer new way to prevent and treat gonorrhea

Creating a mutation that inhibits how the bacterial pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes gonorrhea, a common sexually transmitted infection, could offer a new way to prevent and treat the disease, according to researchers in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.

23 Sep 2022

All SARS-CoV-2 variants blocked by a simple peptide with nanomolar neutralizing efficacy

In a recent study published in the journal PNAS, researchers from Finland and the United States reported a novel heptad repeat 2 (HR2) peptide that inhibited severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) without any chemical modifications.

21 Sep 2022

Researchers report development of a self-assembled trimeric RBD subunit vaccine able to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection

The present study reported the development of a new self-assembled trimeric RBD subunit vaccine that could effectively prevent infection from SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the currently dominantly circulating Omicron variant.

21 Sep 2022

Discovery of novel pathway offers a potential solution for preventing cancer chemo-resistance

Researchers have uncovered a novel pathway that explains how cancer cells become resistant to chemotherapies, which in turn offers a potential solution for preventing chemo-resistance.

20 Sep 2022

Novel method can be used to study the resistance profile of bacteria that cause meningitis

A study published in the journal PLOS ONE could one day help health workers determine whether bacteria of the species Streptococcus pneumoniae, which cause meningitis – an inflammation of the membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord – are resistant to antibiotics.

6 Sep 2022