Molecular & Structural Biology

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Human microbiome metabolites enhance colon injury by enterohemorrhagic E. coli, study shows

It remains mysterious why humans get infected by some bacterial or viral pathogens relatively easily while animals that have very similar tissues and immune functions do not.

20 Mar 2019

Gene editing and designer babies experiments face global moratorium

Powerful gene editing tools could soon face a global regulations on their use on human embryos, sperms or eggs.

20 Mar 2019

Researchers track effects of epigenetic marks carried by sperm chromosomes

As an organism grows and responds to its environment, genes in its cells are constantly turning on and off, with different patterns of gene expression in different cells. But can changes in gene expression be passed on from parents to their children and subsequent generations?

20 Mar 2019

Androgen receptor plays vital role in regulating multiple mitochondrial processes

Androgens, commonly known as male hormones, stimulate prostate cancer cells to grow. Thus, many of the drugs to target that cancer focus on stopping androgen biosynthesis or blocking the androgen receptor. This standard treatment is known as androgen deprivation therapy.

20 Mar 2019

Salk scientists show how background noise from neurons can interrupt focused attention

It's easy to miss something you're not looking for. In a famous example, people were asked to closely observe two groups of people--one group clad in black, the other in white--pass a ball among themselves.

20 Mar 2019

Study illuminates how hot spots of genetic variation evolved in the human genome

What makes one person different from one another, and how did these differences evolve? A study by University at Buffalo biologists is illuminating one aspect of this complicated question. The research examines hot spots of genetic variation within the human genome, examining the sections of our DNA that are most likely to differ significantly from one person to another.

20 Mar 2019

Study finds previously unknown mechanism for microbes to save energy in lean times

In favorable conditions, many bacteria propel themselves to food sources and other sites of interest using whip-like molecular propellers known as flagella.

20 Mar 2019

New study identifies CD40 molecule as key entry point for dangerous bacteria

A new study identifies a single molecule as a key entry point used by two types of dangerous bacteria to break through cellular barriers and cause disease.

20 Mar 2019

Plant cellulose bone implants are “viable” option to support new bone growth, study finds

Research from the University of British Columbia and McMaster University has led to a new bone implant material made from plant cellulose. The material can be injected into bone cavities to support new growth.

19 Mar 2019

Gene medication shows promise to treat spinal cord injuries

The two-gene medication has been proven to recover motor functions in rats. After several months of treatment, rodents were able to use previously paralyzed limbs. Researchers at Kazan Federal University are now seeking pre-clinical trial investment.

18 Mar 2019

New proteomics-based test could aid in early detection of ovarian cancer

Fewer than half of ovarian cancer patients survive until five years after diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, this is because only about one-fifth of ovarian cancer cases are detected early, when the chances of successful treatment and recovery are highest.

15 Mar 2019

Natural speed limit on DNA replication sets pace for life's first steps

Fruit flies make for stingy mothers, imparting only a portion of the genetic building blocks their offspring need to survive. The rest must be produced by the fertilized egg in its first few steps of growth.

15 Mar 2019

An Insider’s Guide to the chemagic™ Prime™ Junior Instrument

Masoud Toloue from PerkinElmer provides an overview of the chemagic Prime Junior Instrument and gives his inside tips for scientists working with nucleic acids.

From Revvity 14 Mar 2019

Rice University bioscientists reveal danger of vitamin B12 deficiency

Using roundworms, one of Earth's simplest animals, Rice University bioscientists have found the first direct link between a diet with too little vitamin B12 and an increased risk of infection by two potentially deadly pathogens.

14 Mar 2019

Scientists create process for classifying neurons in mouse brain

It's been estimated that the human brain contains roughly 100 billion neurons, together completing countless tasks through countless connections.

14 Mar 2019

Rat study gives a glimpse into habitat of 'Hobbit' hominin

A study of rat body sizes shifting over time gives a glimpse into the habitat of the mysterious hominin Homo floresiensis -- nicknamed the "Hobbit" due to its diminutive stature.

14 Mar 2019

Researchers define pathway that helps us make antibodies

Our bodies are continuously concocting specific antibodies to thwart invaders like a virus or even pollen, and scientists have new information about how the essential production gets fired up and keeps up.

13 Mar 2019

Brain pathway supporting intersection of taste and pain identified

University of Oklahoma neuroscientists have found a pathway in the brain where taste and pain intersect in a new study that originally was designed to look at the intersection of taste and food temperature.

13 Mar 2019

“Fail Fast, But More Confidently”: Developing Organoids for Drug Development and Discovery

Richard Eglen discusses the use of organoids in drug discovery, including the screening of candidate compounds for efficacy, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics.

From Corning Life Sciences 13 Mar 2019

UNH study finds how gender-biased protein may play role in autism

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire are one step closer to helping answer the question of why autism is four times more common in boys than in girls after identifying and characterizing the connection of certain proteins in the brain to autism spectrum disorders.

12 Mar 2019