Molecular & Structural Biology

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Scientists elucidate surprising dual function of ceramide synthase

Scientists at the University of Bonn have clarified a surprising dual function of ceramide synthase. The enzyme not only catalyzes a central step of the production of vital lipids. It also has the ability to turn genes involved in lipid metabolism on or off. The study is being published in the renowned journal Cell Reports.

24 Jan 2018

Researchers explore how cells navigate inside the body

Researchers have long wondered how our cells navigate inside the body. Two new studies, in which Lund University researcher Pontus Nordenfelt has participated, have now demonstrated that the cells use molecular force from within to steer themselves in a certain direction.

24 Jan 2018

Researchers unravel function of protein ‘smallish’

During the development of an embryo, every single cell needs to know who it is, where it is, and what it has to do. Important is the polarity of the cell: Where is the top, where is the bottom, where are front and back? Only when the cell is polarized in the right way can it change the shape in exactly the way which is needed to form a certain structure or organ.

23 Jan 2018

Enzyme discovery provides new horizon of therapeutic opportunities across disease spectrum

Doctors have long treated heart attacks, improved asthma symptoms, and cured impotence by increasing levels of a single molecule in the body: nitric oxide.

19 Jan 2018

Researchers propose new regulation mechanism linked to action of SirT6 on chromatin

Researchers from the Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, led by Dr. Àlex Vaquero, have proposed a new regulation mechanism of the NF-κB pathway, which is associated with accelerated cellular aging, based on the analysis of the function of the SirT6 protein.

19 Jan 2018

Genetic study identifies six new gene regions associated with type 1 diabetes in children

This article outlines a recent study which identified six novel gene regions in children who are at risk of type 1 diabetes.

17 Jan 2018

Scientists provide insights into crucial interaction for DNA repair

Osaka University scientists, in collaboration with The University of Tokyo, describe the crystal structure of RNF168 bound to ubiquitin chains, a crucial interaction for DNA repair, to find a unique interaction DNA is like the computer code of the body, and it must be preserved for our bodies to survive.

16 Jan 2018

Genes involved in spinal cord repair of lamprey also present in mammals, study reveals

Many of the genes involved in natural repair of the injured spinal cord of the lamprey are also active in the repair of the peripheral nervous system in mammals, according to a study by a collaborative group of scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory and other institutions.

16 Jan 2018

Scientists discover new enzyme that could help in the battle against obesity

Scientists have discovered a new enzyme in adipose tissue that helps regulate inflammation. The discovery could help in the battle against obesity.

15 Jan 2018

Caltech researchers develop new method to see neural connections in living flies

The human brain is composed of billions of neurons wired together in intricate webs and communicating through electrical pulses and chemical signals.

12 Jan 2018

Study finds new mechanism regulating giant protein essential for muscle and heart function

Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III and Columbia University in New York have discovered an important mechanism in the regulation of a protein that plays an essential role in the function of skeletal muscle and the heart.

12 Jan 2018

UCLA scientists coax human stem cells to become sensory interneurons

Researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have, for the first time, coaxed human stem cells to become sensory interneurons -- the cells that give us our sense of touch.

11 Jan 2018

Biomedical, Biophysical and Biological Applications of AFM

An interview with Dr. Thomas Mueller, Director of Product Management at Bruker Nano Surfaces conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, MA (Cantab).

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 10 Jan 2018

New 3-D imaging system offers insight into potential obesity and diabetes treatments

Researchers have developed A 3-D tissue imaging system that has revealed the inner workings of fat cells in mice, providing insight into potential therapeutic targets for combating obesity and diabetes.

10 Jan 2018

Identical twins share additional level of molecular similarity

An international group of researchers has discovered a new phenomenon that occurs in identical twins: independent of their identical genes, they share an additional level of molecular similarity that influences their biological characteristics.

9 Jan 2018

Deciphering Antibodies with Next-Generation Protein Sequencing Technology

Mr. Mingjie Xie, MSc, MBA, is the co-founder and CEO of Rapid Novor Inc. He is a computer scientist by training andreceived his MSc degree from Western University in the field of bioinformatics. He received his MBA degree from Richard Ivey School of Business to pursue his interests in business. Prior to co-founding Rapid Novor Inc, Mingjie is the COO of a bioinformatics software company.

From Rapid Novor Inc 9 Jan 2018

Survival strategy of mRNAs during sugar deficiency in the cell

If a cell runs low on sugar, it stores certain messenger RNAs in order to prolong its life. As a research group at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel has now discovered, the protein Puf5p determines whether individual messenger RNAs will be stored or degraded when sugar levels are low.

9 Jan 2018

WPI professor receives Smith Family Foundation grant to explore biology of cancer cells

Amity Manning, assistant professor of biology and biotechnology, has received a three-year, $300,000 award from the Smith Family Awards Program for Excellence in Biomedical Research.

8 Jan 2018

University of Montana researchers make discovery on unusual gene evolution in bacteria

University of Montana researchers have made another discovery at the cellular level to help understand the basic processes of all life on our planet - this time within the unusual bacteria that has lived inside cicada insects since dinosaurs roamed Earth.

5 Jan 2018

Precision editing of gut bacteria reduces inflammation in mouse model of colitis

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have used precision editing of the bacterial populations in the gut to prevent or reduce the severity of inflammation in a mouse model of colitis.