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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Bile acids help norovirus to infect cells of the small intestine

A new study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that human noroviruses, the leading viral cause of foodborne illness and acute diarrhea around the world, infect cells of the small intestine by piggybacking on a normal cellular process called endocytosis that cells use to acquire materials from their environment.

31 Dec 2019

Crab study advocates a more 'multimodal' approach to defining cell identity

A longstanding goal in neuroscience is to classify the brain's many cells into discrete categories according to their function.

31 Dec 2019

Study reveals rapid effects of diet on sperm quality

Sperm are influenced by diet, and the effects arise rapidly. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers at Linköping University, in which healthy young men were fed a diet rich in sugar.

28 Dec 2019

CD4 T cells are not to be blamed for pushing dengue fever from bad to worse

No one knows what makes a mild dengue viral infection morph into a severe and sometimes deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome.

26 Dec 2019

New spatiomolecular map may advance understanding of the brain's decision-making area

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have come one step closer toward understanding how the part of our brain that is central for decision-making and the development of addiction is organized on a molecular level.

26 Dec 2019

Synthetic mRNA nanoparticles restore tumor suppressor gene, make cancer cells susceptible to drugs

In preclinical experiments, investigators restored p53 using synthetic mRNA nanoparticles, making lung and liver cancer cells susceptible to available cancer drugs.

23 Dec 2019

Immunosupressant combination therapy for glioblastoma shows promise

Researchers from the University of Texas have found an immunosuppressing target for the treatment of glioblastoma. In mice studies the team has identified CD73 macrophages which could be used to treat the cancers. The team also performed studies on human tumours to arrive at their conclusions. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Medicine this week.

23 Dec 2019

Scientists develop 3D atlas of bone marrow to help study blood diseases

The bone marrow, which is the spongy and viscous tissue that fills the bone, is the site of blood cell formation or hematopoiesis. If the bone marrow doesn’t work properly, it can lead to many blood diseases, including leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and lymphoma, among others.

23 Dec 2019

New, faster and cheaper method to uncover genetic variants in single cells

Researchers led by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg and the Center for Bioinformatics at Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany, have developed a cheaper and faster method to check for genetic differences in individual cells, which outperforms existing techniques with respect to the information received.

23 Dec 2019

NIH awards $1.2 million grant for studying biomolecular interactions to inform better drug design

Biomolecules -- carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids -- form the foundation of life and are responsible for carrying out every process that occurs in our bodies.

23 Dec 2019

Research shows how the hepatitis D virus copies itself

A team of researchers has discovered how one crucial step occurs in the lifecycle of the hepatitis D virus (HDV), which causes the widespread and hard to treat liver inflammation called hepatitis D. The study, which was published recently in the Journal of Virology, could help develop antiviral therapy to control this disease.

22 Dec 2019

Early-life disruption to lymphotoxin pathway in mice can compromise adult immunity to rotavirus

Researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered how a brief disruption to a molecular pathway in the guts of mice before they are born can compromise adult immunity to a common and often deadly intestinal virus.

22 Dec 2019

Nanopores – the key to identifying amino acids in proteins

DNA and RNA sequencing has become the new watchword for the biological researchers, as this tells them exactly what is going on at cellular level in health and disease. However, it is a partial revelation unless we also know what is happening at the level of proteins as well.

19 Dec 2019

Connection between herpes virus and Alzheimer’s refuted

A new study has shown that unlike previous claims, there is no association between getting herpes infections and developing Alzheimer’s disease. The study from the researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine was titled, “Are HHV-6A and HHV-7 really more abundant in Alzheimer’s disease?” and was published in the journal Neuron.

19 Dec 2019

Domesticated animals hold the key to spread of viruses among humans and wildlife

Our domesticated animals - both pets and livestock - hold the key to the spread of viruses among humans and wildlife according to new research involving Swansea University.

19 Dec 2019

First images of new gene editing complex which could upgrade CRISPR

Nobel Prize-winning technique used to capture images of a new gene-editing tool that could improve CRISPR-based tools.

19 Dec 2019

A fast, sensitive technique to detect cancer markers brings liquid biopsy closer to clinic

A fast, inexpensive yet sensitive technique to detect cancer markers is bringing researchers closer to a "liquid biopsy" - a test using a small sample of blood or serum to detect cancer, rather than the invasive tissue sampling routinely used for diagnosis.

18 Dec 2019

Suppressing MSUT2 gene may protect people from Alzheimer’s disease

In the wake of recent disappointments over clinical trials targeting amyloid plaque build-up in Alzheimer's disease, researchers are focusing more attention on misfolded tau protein, another culprit in brain diseases that cause dementia.

18 Dec 2019

Study refutes link between increased levels of herpes virus and Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine report today in the journal Neuron evidence that refutes the link between increased levels of herpes virus and Alzheimer's disease.

18 Dec 2019

Study opens up new treatment possibilities for Wilms' tumor

As an embryo develops, its cells must learn what to do with the thousands of genes they've been equipped with. That's why each cell comes with a detailed gene-expression manual outlining exactly which genes should be switched on, to what extent, and when.

18 Dec 2019