Molecular & Structural Biology

RSS

Remains of 17th century Bishop provide insights into the origins of tuberculosis

Bishop Peder Winstrup of Lund, Sweden passed away in the winter of 1679 at the age of 74 and was interred in a crypt at Lund Cathedral.

15 Aug 2020

Understanding the relationship between movement and vision

To get a better look at the world around them, animals constantly are in motion. Primates and people use complex eye movements to focus their vision (as humans do when reading, for instance); birds, insects, and rodents do the same by moving their heads, and can even estimate distances that way.

15 Aug 2020

Scientists hope to find clues about how life emerged by tinkering with its oldest components

"I'm fascinated with life, and that's why I want to break it."

15 Aug 2020

Chemists create complex, oxygen-containing molecules that are normally made by plants

Chemists at Scripps Research have efficiently created three families of complex, oxygen-containing molecules that are normally obtainable only from plants.

14 Aug 2020

Research shows how a protein stops cells from attacking their own DNA

Viruses multiply by injecting their DNA into a host cell. Once it enters the intracellular fluid, this foreign material triggers a defense mechanism known as the cGAS-STING pathway.

14 Aug 2020

UD researchers gain new insights into hepatitis B virus' genetic blueprint

Researchers at the University of Delaware, using supercomputing resources and collaborating with scientists at Indiana University, have gained new understanding of the virus that causes hepatitis B and the "spiky ball" that encloses the virus's genetic blueprint.

13 Aug 2020

Engineered capsids for improved gene delivery to the retina and cornea

A rational design approach created novel variants of adeno-associated viral (AAV) capsids.

13 Aug 2020

Natural controllers shed light on immunity mechanisms against hepatitis B

Infections in humans caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) represent a major public health problem. Despite the availability of effective protective vaccines, more than 250 million individuals worldwide are chronically infected according to WHO estimates.

13 Aug 2020

Research reveals how quickly pre-cancerous skin lesions can form on the DNA

Luis Ortiz-Rodríguez grew up on the beaches of Puerto Rico--surfing, swimming and running in the hot sand--and swears he had never put on sunblock a day in his life.

13 Aug 2020

Researchers identify a protein that facilitates spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus through cells

Eric Ross and Sean Cascarina, biochemistry and molecular biology researchers at Colorado State University, have released a research paper identifying a protein encoded by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, that may be associated with the quick spread of the virus through cells in the human body.

13 Aug 2020

Single-cell analysis provides new details about mitochondrial diseases

Investigators led by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital have made discoveries at the single cell level to uncover new details concerning mitochondrial diseases-- inherited disorders that interfere with energy production in the body and currently have no cure.

13 Aug 2020

Researchers to investigate the role of Connexin 26 protein controlled breathing

The protein Connexin 26 has been previously identified as being directly sensitive to Carbon dioxide and linked to conditions such as KIDS syndrome and deafness.

13 Aug 2020

Studying the Proteome and Human Diseases using Mass Spectrometry

An interview with Amanda Hummon, discussing how mass spectrometry can be used to analyze the proteome and how this can help with the study of human disease.

From Pittcon 13 Aug 2020

Researchers outline how Zika virus suppresses the host immune system

A research team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has outlined how the Zika virus, which constituted an epidemic threat in 2016, suppresses the immune system of its host.

12 Aug 2020

Researchers reveal molecular workings of a key system in learning and memory formation

One of the new realities in biomedical research is that it's increasingly difficult to use a general approach to score advances. Now, investigations into disease mechanisms, for example, are often conducted at the molecular level by specialists who dedicate years to interrogating a single protein or signaling pathway.

10 Aug 2020

Finned nanoporous catalyst facilitates molecular transport

Thousands of chemical processes used by the energy industry and for other applications rely on the high speed of catalytic reactions, but molecules frequently are hindered by molecular traffic jams that slow them down.

10 Aug 2020

Zebrafish study shows individual differences in brain activity

Personality varies widely. There are bold and reserved individuals, who behave very differently when faced with the same environmental stimulus.

10 Aug 2020

Bioluminescent molecule in fireflies shines light on mitochondrial activity

The mitochondria provide energy for our cells, yet their role in many diseases is still poorly understood. Thanks to a bioluminescent molecule, scientists at EPFL can observe them at work in living mammals.

10 Aug 2020

Mathematical model shows how brain remains stable amid varying disturbances

Whether you are playing Go in a park amid chirping birds, a gentle breeze and kids playing catch nearby or you are playing in a den with a ticking clock on a bookcase and a purring cat on the sofa, if the game situation is identical and clear, your next move likely would be, too, regardless of those different conditions.

10 Aug 2020

Scientists find new way of identifying and targeting hidden HIV viral reservoirs during ART therapy

Scientists at The Wistar Institute may have discovered a new way of identifying and targeting hidden HIV viral reservoirs during treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART).

7 Aug 2020