Molecular & Structural Biology

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Research sheds new light on how the CRISPR immune system evolved

With new insights into how the genetic tool CRISPR - which allows direct editing of our genes - evolved and adapted, we are now one step closer to understanding the basis of the constant struggle for survival that takes place in nature. The results can be used in future biotechnologies.

25 Nov 2020

Cell survival protein could protect kidneys from damage caused by cancer therapies

Australian researchers have identified a protein that could protect the kidneys from 'bystander' damage caused by cancer therapies.

25 Nov 2020

UB researchers uncover new functions in ataxin 3 gene that causes Machado-Joseph disease

Ataxia is a minority disease with genetic origins, known for its neuromuscular alterations due to the selective loss of neurons in the cerebellum, the organ of our nervous systems which controls movement and balance.

25 Nov 2020

New link found between Alzheimer's dementia and Dlgap2 gene

A gene known for helping facilitate communication between neurons in the nervous system has been discovered to be connected with Alzheimer's dementia and cognitive decline, according to a national research team led by The Jackson Laboratory and University of Maine.

23 Nov 2020

Molecular action of tarantula toxin may hold clues to better control of chronic pain

Oversized, hairy tarantulas may be unsightly and venomous, but surprisingly their hunter toxin may hold answers to better control of chronic pain.

23 Nov 2020

Understanding biomolecular frustration could help design better drugs

Knowing precisely where proteins are frustrated could go a long way toward making better drugs.

23 Nov 2020

Furin inhibition may mitigate severe COVID-19, study finds

Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, a researcher at the Institute for Functional Medicine in the United States, has explained the role of furin protease in developing severe COVID-19 illness.

20 Nov 2020

Scientists exploit 'trojan horse' feature in SARS-CoV-2 virus to create antivirals against COVID-19

Scientific analysis of a protein enzyme found in COVID-19 could lead to the development of new drugs to treat the virus, research led by Oxford Brookes University scientists has found.

20 Nov 2020

Vibrational motions of spike proteins correlate with infectivity and lethality of coronaviruses

When someone struggles to open a lock with a key that doesn't quite seem to work, sometimes jiggling the key a bit will help.

19 Nov 2020

Researchers identify CLCN6 as disease gene for severe lysosomal neurodegenerative disorder

A mutation in the CLCN6 gene is associated with a novel, particularly severe neurodegenerative disorder. Scientists from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie and the Max Delbrück Center für Molekulare Medizin, together with an international team of researchers, have now analyzed the effect of a point mutation that was found in three unrelated affected children.

19 Nov 2020

Around 10 SARS-CoV-2 virions per cell in human body, study finds

A new study has found that there are about ten virus particles in each cell in the body. The research team from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and the University of California in the USA estimate that each infected person carries around 109-1011 virions during peak infection.

18 Nov 2020

New molecular tool can help better understand the probability of zoonosis

The way a virus like Influenza A is transmitted from animals to humans, is still not well understood. How does the virus recognize the host cells in humans, even if the surface is different from that of animals? Researchers of the University of Twente mimicked the cell surface on a molecular scale, including the sugars to which the virus attaches.

17 Nov 2020

Manipulating mitochondria to improve the efficiency of neuronal reprogramming

The replacement of lost neurons is a holy grail for neuroscience. A new promising approach is the conversion of glial cells into new neurons. Improving the efficiency of this conversion or reprogramming after brain injury is an important step towards developing reliable regenerative medicine therapies.

17 Nov 2020

UV light induces new types of DNA damage that may cause malignant melanoma

Studies conducted in yeast show that exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) induces new types of DNA damage that may cause the deadliest form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma.

17 Nov 2020

Several hepatitis C drugs can inhibit crucial protein in SARS-CoV-2

Experiments led by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have determined that several hepatitis C drugs can inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, a crucial protein enzyme that enables the novel coronavirus to reproduce.

17 Nov 2020

New mechanism controlling brain size discovered

Under the leadership of Professor Lars Allan Larsen and Professor Søren Tvorup Christensen at University of Copenhagen, Denmark, an international research team has taken an important step forward in understanding the complex mechanisms that control development of the so-called cerebral cortex, which is the part of the brain that play a key role in attention, perception, awareness, thought, memory, language, and consciousness.

16 Nov 2020

CMU researchers develop new technique for isolating brain cells associated with Parkinson's disease

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new technique for isolating a type of brain cell associated with Parkinson's disease symptoms, enabling them to study that cell type in detail.

16 Nov 2020

Researchers identify key source of signals encoding past experiences in the brain

Researchers identify a region of the brain as a key source of signals encoding past experiences in the neocortex.

16 Nov 2020

Research provides insight into how Alzheimer’s plaques form

We are beginning to better understand how 'amyloid-β' protein plaques form, which are implicated in degenerative brain diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

16 Nov 2020

MIT researchers unravel the molecular structure of key coronavirus protein

MIT chemists have determined the molecular structure of a protein found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This protein, called the envelope protein E, forms a cation-selective channel and plays a key role in the virus's ability to replicate itself and stimulate the host cell's inflammation response.

12 Nov 2020

Molecular & Structural Biology

Research sheds new light on how the CRISPR immune system evolved

Cell survival protein could protect kidneys from damage caused by cancer therapies

UB researchers uncover new functions in ataxin 3 gene that causes Machado-Joseph disease

New link found between Alzheimer's dementia and Dlgap2 gene

Molecular action of tarantula toxin may hold clues to better control of chronic pain

Understanding biomolecular frustration could help design better drugs

Furin inhibition may mitigate severe COVID-19, study finds

Scientists exploit 'trojan horse' feature in SARS-CoV-2 virus to create antivirals against COVID-19

Vibrational motions of spike proteins correlate with infectivity and lethality of coronaviruses

Researchers identify CLCN6 as disease gene for severe lysosomal neurodegenerative disorder

Around 10 SARS-CoV-2 virions per cell in human body, study finds

New molecular tool can help better understand the probability of zoonosis

Manipulating mitochondria to improve the efficiency of neuronal reprogramming

UV light induces new types of DNA damage that may cause malignant melanoma

Several hepatitis C drugs can inhibit crucial protein in SARS-CoV-2

New mechanism controlling brain size discovered

CMU researchers develop new technique for isolating brain cells associated with Parkinson's disease

Researchers identify key source of signals encoding past experiences in the brain

Research provides insight into how Alzheimer’s plaques form

MIT researchers unravel the molecular structure of key coronavirus protein

Synthetic Biology and the Pursuit of Living Diagnostics

Modular, Scalable, Intelligent: How n6 Is Rethinking NGS Library Prep

Shaping the future of lab automation through AI and robotics

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