Structural Biology News and Research

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Study reveals 3D structure of key phage component in atomic resolution

Given that phages are able to destroy bacteria, they are of particular interest to science. Basic researchers from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) in Berlin are especially interested in the tube used by phages to implant their DNA into bacteria.

16 Nov 2020

Biologists investigate how molecular chaperones dissolve protein aggregates linked to Parkinson's

In many neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, protein aggregates form in the brain and are assumed to contribute to neuronal cell death.

11 Nov 2020

Insulin has met an evolutionary cul-de-sac making most people vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes

Scientists have found that insulin has met an evolutionary cul-de-sac, limiting its ability to adapt to obesity and thereby rendering most people vulnerable to Type 2 diabetes.

5 Nov 2020

Scientists devise new method to map HIV's sugary shield in unprecedented detail

Scientists from Scripps Research and Los Alamos National Laboratory have devised a method for mapping in unprecedented detail the thickets of slippery sugar molecules that help shield HIV from the immune system.

23 Oct 2020

Dexamethasone drug may not benefit COVID-19 patients with diabetes or low albumin levels

A new discovery about how the body transports dexamethasone, a drug that can increase the survival chances of patients with severe COVID-19, suggests diabetes and other factors may reduce its potentially lifesaving effectiveness.

23 Oct 2020

Scientists lay out a novel rationale for COVID-19 drug design

American and Polish scientists, reporting Oct. 16 in the journal Science Advances, laid out a novel rationale for COVID-19 drug design - blocking a molecular "scissor" that the virus uses for virus production and to disable human proteins crucial to the immune response.

19 Oct 2020

Comparative analysis reveals common vulnerabilities across coronaviruses

Three lethal human respiratory syndromes associated with coronavirus (CoV) infections have emerged in the past two decades. They are severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2019.

18 Oct 2020

Study offers new insight on molecular mechanisms that allow malaria parasites to spread disease

New insight on the molecular mechanisms that allow malaria parasites to move and spread disease within their hosts has been published today in the open-access eLife journal.

14 Oct 2020

3D structural model of BAF complex modifies DNA architecture, provides clues on cancer

Scientists have created an unprecedented 3-dimensional structural model of a key molecular "machine" known as the BAF complex, which modifies DNA architecture and is frequently mutated in cancer and some other diseases.

14 Oct 2020

NTHU research could have significant impact on the treatment of dementia

One of the causes of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's is the calcification of the basal nucleus of the brain, which blocks the membrane protein channels on the surface of brain cells, preventing the transmission of signal molecules and nutrients to the cells.

8 Oct 2020

Development of a coarse-grained model of SARS-CoV-2 virion

A team of scientists of the University of Chicago and the University of California San Diego has developed a coarse-grained (CG) model of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virion. The model can be used as a valuable resource to perform multiscale simulations of the SARS-CoV-2 virion. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

5 Oct 2020

Supporting Coronavirus Research with Liquid Chromatography

The RNA in viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 are an ideal research target. RNA purification with liquid chromatography is essential in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.

From KNAUER Wissenschaftliche Geräte GmbH 5 Oct 2020

New national research and training hub at UW-Madison could transform medicine

A national research initiative announced today will place the University of Wisconsin-Madison at the forefront of a revolution in imaging fostered by cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography - technologies that can illuminate life at the atomic scale.

22 Sep 2020

Ineffective immune responses may be responsible for COVID-19 mortality rates in men and the elderly

News-Medical speaks to Dr. Nicole Lieberman about her latest research that discovered delayed immune responses may affect COVID-19 mortality rates.

18 Sep 2020

Study sheds new light on the mechanism of COVID-19 infection

The spike protein on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can adopt at least ten distinct structural states, when in contact with the human virus receptor ACE2, according to research from the Francis Crick Institute published in Nature today.

18 Sep 2020

PARP enzymes can bring two broken DNA ends together, shows study

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified the structure of double-strand DNA break repair by PARP enzymes. The findings show that PARP2 can bridge the gap, bringing two broken DNA ends together.

16 Sep 2020

Researchers develop highly scalable, accurate antibody test for COVID-19

An antibody test for the virus that causes COVID-19, developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin in collaboration with Houston Methodist and other institutions, is more accurate and can handle a much larger number of donor samples at lower overall cost than standard antibody tests currently in use.

12 Sep 2020

Researchers receive $16 million NIH grant to study link between autophagy and Alzheimer's disease

Age is the most significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In the United States, approximately 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 have the disease, and the odds increase to nearly 1 in 3 for those over 85. However, the mechanisms by which aging increases risk are unknown.

9 Sep 2020

New book series advances the development of pharmaceutical agents for treating neurological, CNS disorders

Frontiers in Clinical Drug Research - CNS and Neurological Disorders is a book series that brings updated reviews to readers interested in advances in the development of pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) and other nerve disorders.

21 Aug 2020

LRRK2 protein is a key therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease

An elusive protein that many consider the key of fully understanding the causes of genetic Parkinson's disease has come much more clearly into focus.

20 Aug 2020