Molecular & Structural Biology

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Exploring sex differences in gene expression

Males and females share the vast majority of their genomes. Only a sprinkling of genes, located on the so-called X and Y sex chromosomes, differ between the sexes. Nevertheless, the activities of our genes--their expression in cells and tissues--generate profound distinctions between males and females.

12 Sep 2020

Study finds cuttlebone’s microstructure to be lightweight, stiff, and damage-tolerant

Ling Li has a lesson in one of his mechanical engineering courses on how brittle materials like calcium carbonate behave under stress.

12 Sep 2020

Antiviral effects of honeysuckle decoction affected in SIDT1poly population

Previously, Chen-Yu Zhang's group have identified SID1 transmembrane family member 1 (SIDT1) as a critical membrane protein mediating dietary miRNAs absorption, which is abolished in SIDT1 deficient mice.

11 Sep 2020

A new approach to study the role of Neandertal DNA during development

Protocols that allow the transformation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines into organoids have changed the way scientists can study developmental processes and enable them to decipher the interplay between genes and tissue formation, particularly for organs where primary tissue is not available.

11 Sep 2020

Allergic immune response against bacteria is not pathological but protective

Allergy is one of the most common diseases in Europe, it is estimated that more than 150 million Europeans suffer from recurring allergies and by 2025 this could have increased to half of the entire European population.

9 Sep 2020

Common diabetes drug controls aspects of inflammation in mice

The diabetes drug metformin--derived from a lilac plant that's been used medicinally for more than a thousand years--has been prescribed to hundreds of millions of people worldwide as the frontline treatment for type 2 diabetes.

9 Sep 2020

Scientists shed new light on gene regulatory pathways activated by stress hormone

Scientists have long known that chronic stress experienced early in life, or even chronic prenatal exposure to maternal stress hormones in the womb, can shorten lifespan and contribute to age-related chronic diseases like arthritis, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even mental illness later in life -- long after the source of stress has been removed.

9 Sep 2020

Computer model can replicate the unique firing-rate dependent behavior of Purkinje neurons

Research conducted by the Computational Neuroscience Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University has shown for the first time that a computer model can replicate and explain a unique property displayed by a crucial brain cell.

8 Sep 2020

Acne drug could be a potential treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of heart failure, affecting 1 in 250 people. The disease is characterised by an increase in size of the left ventricle of the heart.

8 Sep 2020

Viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive

As the world scrambles to control the growing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, new research in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology shows viruses also play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive.

7 Sep 2020

Statistical model uses genomic data to predict a person's risk for esophageal cancer

7 Sep 2020

Fly brain structure governed by lineage-dependent repulsion mechanism between neurons

The brain's structure has columnar features, which are hypothesized to arise from nerve cells (neurons) stemming from the same parent cell, initially forming radial units. How exactly this process unfolds at the molecular level remains unexplained, however.

5 Sep 2020

Study addresses evolutionary rates of larval and adult life stages at a large scale

If you have any children in your life, imagine for a moment that they don't look anything like their parents, they don't eat anything humans normally eat, and they're active only while adults sleep.

5 Sep 2020

New model offers insight into how the brain becomes aware of information

When we watch a movie or hear an orchestra playing, it seems that we perceive images and sounds as a continuous stream of information.

3 Sep 2020

Research provides a map of coronavirus entry factors across the human body

An infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can affect multiple organs. With this in mind, researchers of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Cornell University in the US have investigated cellular factors that could be significant for an infection.

3 Sep 2020

Molecular & Structural Biology

Exploring sex differences in gene expression

Study finds cuttlebone’s microstructure to be lightweight, stiff, and damage-tolerant

Antiviral effects of honeysuckle decoction affected in SIDT1poly population

A new approach to study the role of Neandertal DNA during development

Allergic immune response against bacteria is not pathological but protective

Common diabetes drug controls aspects of inflammation in mice

Scientists shed new light on gene regulatory pathways activated by stress hormone

Computer model can replicate the unique firing-rate dependent behavior of Purkinje neurons

Acne drug could be a potential treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy

Viruses play a key evolutionary role in mammals' ability to reproduce and survive

Statistical model uses genomic data to predict a person's risk for esophageal cancer

Fly brain structure governed by lineage-dependent repulsion mechanism between neurons

Study addresses evolutionary rates of larval and adult life stages at a large scale

New model offers insight into how the brain becomes aware of information

Research provides a map of coronavirus entry factors across the human body

Researchers identify a pattern in cancer’s chromosomal chaos

Scientists aim to find cortisone alternatives with fewer side effects

Researchers create new and quicker method of diagnosing diseases

New EU research project seeks to kickstart the development of "Organoid Cell Atlas"

'Jumping' DNA influences the differentiation, physiological functioning of neurons

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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