Structural Biology News and Research

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Shape of a protein on the surface of pneumonia bacteria helps germs invade the human bloodstream

Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered that the shape of a protein on the surface of pneumonia bacteria helps these germs invade the human bloodstream.

23 Dec 2004

New malaria enzyme laid bare with help of computer calculations

Using only computers, a research team at Uppsala University in Sweden has managed to reveal both the structure and the function of a newly discovered enzyme from the most dangerous malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.

8 Dec 2004

Important advance in understanding the structure of phage viruses

An important advance in understanding the structure of phage viruses, which infect and destroy bacteria, has been made by a team of scientists from Oxford and Finland, which could help develop new strategies to combat bacterial infections.

11 Nov 2004

Scientists and clinicians are pioneering the diagnosis and treatment of children's brain tumours

The University of Birmingham, England, is working with Birmingham Children's Hospital to use high-tech science to make a difference to children's lives.

11 Nov 2004

Research shows C. botulinum uses SONO to detect nitric oxide

A deadly bacterium's defense against a mortal molecular enemy illuminates the origins and structure of a vital protein involved in human cell signaling, University of Texas Medical School scientists report in Science Express.

8 Oct 2004

Patients suffering from diseases as varied as Type II diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's have one thing in common

Patients suffering from diseases as varied as Type II diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and dozens of lesser known maladies have one thing in common: they suffer from a large build up of amyloids

5 Oct 2004

Scientists embark on a five-year study of the effects of soy isoflavones found in dietary supplements on various body tissues

A multidisciplinary team of scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is embarking on a comprehensive five-year study of the effects of soy isoflavones found in dietary supplements on various body tissues.

29 Sep 2004

Promising lead in developing anti-viral drugs with the potential to fight HIV and HSV

Dr Norelle Daly, from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, is looking at the molecular structure of retrocyclin, a molecule with the ability to protect human cells from HIV infection.

23 Sep 2004

Resveratrol in red wine, is thought to contribute to improved cardiovascular effects associated with moderate consumption of red wine

Researchers funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and affiliated with the Salk Institute in San Diego, Calif., have succeeded in converting chalcone synthase, a biosynthetic protein enzyme found in all higher plants, into an efficient resveratrol synthase.

20 Sep 2004

Protein points to anticancer drug targets

A unique tail at one end of a protein called Ubc12 stabilizes a molecular workshop that assembles the “on-switch cells” used to accelerate cell replication.

20 Sep 2004

Scientist rewarded for breaking down transplant rejection

A scientist from Australia's Monash University who has recently determined the structure of drug that is widely used as an immunosuppressant, will be presented the 2004 Science Minister's Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.

8 Sep 2004

Experts consider evidence of link between the rise in childhood leukaemia and increased light at night

International experts will today consider the evidence for a link between the rise in childhood leukaemia and increased light at night at an international scientific conference in London.

8 Sep 2004

International research sheds light on Escherichia coli

An unprecedented picture of how bacteria latch on to human cells has been published by UK, French and US scientists. They have produced a finely detailed model of one of the tools used by some of the nastiest varieties of the stomach bug, Escherichia coli, to stick to and gain entry to host cells.

1 Sep 2004

Researchers have identified a possible cause of an inherited form of Parkinson's disease

Columbia University Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine researchers have identified a possible cause of an inherited form of Parkinson's disease, which may be related to more common forms of the disease.

26 Aug 2004

Enzyme activation key to body clock

Feel like time is repeating itself and won’t move on? It could be your internal clock is backpedaling because your PKG-II is out of whack.

20 Aug 2004

Researchers map structure of anti-cancer molecule and open the door to the creation of more effective cancer treatments

Scientists at Emory University, in collaboration with researchers at three national laboratories, have solved the structural puzzle of how an emerging class of promising cancer drugs works to halt cell division. The discovery potentially opens the door to the creation of more effective cancer treatments.

13 Aug 2004

Automated science speeds solution of Human Genome data

Scientists in Argonne's Biosciences Division are automating and accelerating the complex processes that coax a protein to reveal its structure so they can learn the role Nature assigned it.

6 Aug 2004

New compound that is designed to overcome Gleevec resistance

One of the truly spectacular success stories in modern oncology is the development and implementation of Gleevec, a drug that virtually halts the progress of chronic myeloid leukemia. Yet for some patients who harbor particularly stubborn genetic mutations, Gleevec fails miserably.

17 Jul 2004

Scientists determine structure of staph, anthrax enzyme

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago have determined the crystal structure of sortase B, an enzyme found in the bacteria that cause staph and anthrax. While an antibiotic is probably five to seven years away, the structure could provide the first clue in developing a treatment for the infections.

15 Jul 2004

Learning about protein structure is especially relevant for treating illnesses that alter protein function

The field of structural genomics - the study of the three dimensional geometric structures of proteins - is complicated by vast amounts of data, expensive experiments and cumbersome methods of analysis.

24 Jun 2004