Molecular & Structural Biology

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Study monitors spatial shifts of liver gene expression in relationship to the circadian clock

Nothing in biology is static. Biological processes fluctuate over time, and if we are to put together an accurate picture of cells, tissues, organs etc., we have to take into account their temporal patterns. In fact, this effort has given rise to an entire field of study known as "chronobiology".

11 Jan 2021

MDC researchers develop a potent weapon against lymphomas

MDC researchers have developed a new approach to CAR T-cell therapy. The team has shown in Nature Communications that the procedure is very effective, especially when it comes to fighting follicular lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common type of blood cancer in adults.

11 Jan 2021

Study sheds new light on the role of MLL4 gene in Kabuki syndrome

Scientists have known for years that mutations in the MLL4 gene can cause Kabuki syndrome, a rare developmental disorder.

11 Jan 2021

Researchers succeed in mapping the structure of virus that causes diarrhea

Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have for the first time at the atomic level succeeded in mapping what a virus looks like that causes diarrhea and annually kills about 50,000 children in the world.

11 Jan 2021

NIST compiles the first detailed tutorial on DNA origami

In a technique known as DNA origami, researchers fold long strands of DNA over and over again to construct a variety of tiny 3D structures, including miniature biosensors and drug-delivery containers.

8 Jan 2021

Researchers unravel the process that makes viruses infectious

Researchers have for the first time identified the way viruses like the poliovirus and the common cold virus 'package up' their genetic code, allowing them to infect cells.

8 Jan 2021

Researchers create first usable computational model of entire SARS-COV-2 virus

Researchers at the University of Chicago have created the first usable computational model of the entire virus responsible for COVID-19 - and they are making this model widely available to help advance research during the pandemic.

8 Jan 2021

MSU researchers show how microbes could soak up toxic pollutants

When Michigan State University's Gemma Reguera first proposed her new research project to the National Science Foundation, one grant reviewer responded that the idea was not "environmentally relevant."

8 Jan 2021

Scientists decipher the structure of protein found in parasites that cause neglected tropical diseases

Brazilian researchers have managed to decipher the structure of a protein found in parasites that cause neglected tropical diseases, paving the way to the development of novel medications.

8 Jan 2021

Study reveals molecular machinery that regulates membrane association of Arf proteins

The small GTPases of the ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) family are key initiators of various physiological processes including secretion, endocytosis, phagocytosis, and signal transduction. Arf family proteins function to mediate the recruitment of cytosolic effectors to specific subcellular compartments.

7 Jan 2021

A map of brainstem circuitry reveals which neurons control fine motor skills

Writing, driving a screw or throwing darts are only some of the activities that demand a high level of skill.

6 Jan 2021

Scientist receives $1.37 million grant to advance metabolomics data

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded University of Massachusetts Amherst biostatistician Raji Balasubramanian a four-year, $1.37 million grant to advance the analysis of data from metabolomics research.

5 Jan 2021

Groundbreaking research project shows how brain health can traverse generations

Your father's exercise routine may have made you smarter according to EU-funded researchers studying how lifestyle choices affect brain function and memory. The findings could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

5 Jan 2021

Replacing the RNA strand with DNA may enhance efficacy of ASO-based drugs

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) hold great promise for pharmacotherapy. Now, researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, advancing their earlier work on a heteroduplex oligonucleotide (HDO) model, have demonstrated augmentation of ASO-based drugs by replacing the RNA strand with DNA.

5 Jan 2021

Researchers resolve mysteries about the function of key gene-silencing protein

A long-running debate over how an important gene-silencing protein identifies its targets has been resolved by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

4 Jan 2021

Researchers discover protein crucial to T cell metabolism and anti-tumor immune response

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that a protein called NF-kappa B-inducing kinase (NIK) is essential for the shift in metabolic activity that occurs with T cell activation, making it a critical factor in regulating the anti-tumor immune response.

4 Jan 2021

Tissue healing after brain injury could spur tumor growth

The healing process that follows a brain injury could spur tumor growth when new cells generated to replace those lost to the injury are derailed by mutations, Toronto scientists have found.

4 Jan 2021

Researchers find mechanism underlying plasticity in adult brains

Developing brains constantly sprout new neuronal connections called synapses as they learn and remember. Important connections — the ones that are repeatedly introduced, such as how to avoid danger — are nurtured and reinforced, while connections deemed unnecessary are pruned away.

24 Dec 2020

Researchers discover how shattered chromosomes make cancer cells more aggressive

Cancer is one of the world's greatest health afflictions because, unlike some diseases, it is a moving target, constantly evolving to evade and resist treatment.

23 Dec 2020

Researchers identify new weapon to battle the rising tide of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

As scientists around the globe wage war against a novel, deadly virus, one University of Colorado Boulder lab is working on new weapons to battle a different microbial threat: a rising tide of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which, if left unchecked, could kill an estimated 10 million people annually by 2050.

23 Dec 2020