Structural Biology News and Research

RSS

New study will help design better antibodies for potential treatments

Scientists are harnessing hard X-rays in the fight against cancer. A team of researchers, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, has used ultrabright X-ray light to determine how specific types of antibodies can tell the difference between different forms of a cancer-linked molecule.

3 Jun 2021

Melatonin prevents kidney damage caused by metabolic complications of obesity

Scientists from the University of Granada (UGR), the Hospital Universitario La Paz (Madrid), and the University of Texas (USA) have taken an important step in the fight against kidney damage and its progression towards kidney failure, which is closely related to diabesity (obesity and its type 2 diabetes) and its complications.

27 May 2021

Scientists unveil new Ebola virus vaccine design

Scientists at Scripps Research have unveiled a new Ebola virus vaccine design, which they say has several advantages over standard vaccine approaches for Ebola and related viruses that continue to threaten global health.

13 May 2021

Study could help understand how Tuberous Sclerosis Complex arises

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) affects between one and two of every 10,000 new-born babies. This genetic disease leads to the formation of benign tumors which can massively impair the proper functioning of vital organs such as the kidneys, the liver and the brain.

12 May 2021

Key mechanism behind mutant p53 aggregation process is linked to cancer pathology

Cancer has been recently shown to be affected by protein clusters, particularly by the aggregation of mutant variants of the tumor suppressor protein p53, which are present in more than half of malignant tumors.

5 May 2021

Argonne's Advanced Photon Source guided the development of new COVID-19 vaccine now in trials

Human clinical trials have begun on a new vaccine candidate that may protect against not only SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, but against at least two of the variants emerging around the world.

21 Apr 2021

Rare compound found in a shrub could help fight previously 'undruggable' cancer protein

A chemist from Purdue University has found a way to synthesize a compound to fight a previously "undruggable" cancer protein with benefits across a myriad of cancer types.

20 Apr 2021

Numerous agents with anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential discovered with crystallographic screening

An international team of researchers focused on the macrodomain part of the non-structural protein 3 (Nsp3) gene product that SARS-CoV-2 uses to overturn the host cell’s natural antiviral response. The team provided a template that can help develop novel antivirals that are direct-acting and can combat the current pandemic.

16 Apr 2021

Study shows how proteins work in concert to resolve DNA double-strand breaks

From cancer treatment to sunlight, radiation and toxins can severely damage DNA in both harmful and healthy cells. While the body has evolved to efficiently treat and restore damaged cells, the mechanisms that allow this natural repair remain misunderstood.

16 Apr 2021

Study reveals molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A consortium of researchers from Russia, Belarus, Japan, Germany and France led by a Skoltech scientist have uncovered the way in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis survives in iron-deficient conditions by utilizing rubredoxin B, a protein from a rubredoxin family that play an important role in adaptation to changing environmental conditions.

9 Apr 2021

Landmark discovery may lead to safe, effective antiviral drugs against COVID-19

The COVID-19 vaccines currently rolling out are providing hope that the spread of the disease can be halted. But infection rates are still high, and for those who contract COVID-19, the search for effective treatments remains important.

8 Apr 2021

Scientists use cryo-electron microscopy to unravel how 'guardian' of the genome works

Scientists from the Genomic Integrity and Structural Biology Group led by Rafael Fernández-Leiro at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre have discovered how certain proteins ensure the repair of errors introduced into the DNA during its replication.

6 Apr 2021

Massive X-ray screening identifies several candidates for drugs against novel coronavirus

A team of researchers has identified several candidates for drugs against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 at DESY´s high-brilliance X-ray lightsource PETRA III.

3 Apr 2021

Study reveals the structure of key enzyme that may advance cancer research

In order to develop more effective drugs against a range of cancers, researchers have been investigating the molecular structure of many diseased-linked enzymes in the body. An intriguing case in point is Taspase 1, a type of enzyme known as a protease.

30 Mar 2021

UVA-led researchers urge rapid action to better prepare for the next pandemic

An international team of researchers led by a University of Virginia School of Medicine professor is warning that scientists must better prepare for the next pandemic - and has developed a plan to do just that.

29 Mar 2021

Scientists produce high-resolution 3D image of sarcomere using electron cryo-tomography

Scientists have produced the first high-resolution 3D image of the sarcomere, the basic contractile unit of skeletal and heart muscle cells, by using electron cryo-tomography (cryo-ET).

25 Mar 2021

New study shows how the immune system relates to cancer

Three University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers are part of a team that recently published a paper offering new insight into how the immune system relates to cancer.

22 Mar 2021

Study shows how coronavirus variants spread more quickly

The fast-spreading UK, South Africa, and Brazil coronavirus variants are raising both concerns and questions about whether COVID-19 vaccines will protect against them.

18 Mar 2021

Insights into elusive protein complex can help find novel treatments for chromosomal disorders

The cells in our body are constantly fighting off the threat of cancer by repairing damaged DNA. In a new study, scientists from Tokyo University of Science investigate the structure of an elusive protein complex that plays a key role in the activation of the "Fanconi anemia pathway" involved in DNA repair, and report on the factors governing its stability.

17 Mar 2021

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prizes for 2021 go to four female and six male researchers

Four female and six male researchers are to receive the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize this year, the top award for early career investigators in Germany.

16 Mar 2021