Molecular & Structural Biology

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Study offers molecular insights into how toxic proteins are regulated in brain diseases

Rutgers researchers have discovered some of the first molecular insights into how toxic proteins are regulated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

13 Sep 2021

Researchers discover transposon-encoded RNA-guided nucleases with potential for genome editing

Researchers seeking to understand the origins of CRISPR-Cas9 systems have uncovered a class of transposon-encoded RNA-guided nucleases, which they dubbed "OMEGA," that could be harnessed for genome editing in human cells.

12 Sep 2021

First rat model recapitulates all disabling alterations experienced by patients with Morquio A disease

A research team from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona has generated the first rat model recapitulating all disabling alterations experienced by patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis type IVA, also known as Morquio A disease.

12 Sep 2021

NIH researchers develop a detailed cellular map of chronic MS lesions

Chronic lesions with inflamed rims, or "smoldering" plaques, in the brains of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been linked to more aggressive and disabling forms of the disease.

10 Sep 2021

Scientists model the process of capsid disassembly in hepatitis B virus at atomic level

With up to 2.4 million U.S. cases and over 250 million chronic cases globally, hepatitis B infection persists despite the availability of a vaccine.

8 Sep 2021

Research uses rodent models to connect the influence of feronomic signals on memory

The work, published recently in Nature Communications, used a model of rodents and managed to connect for the first time the influence of feronomic signals on memory. This will make it possible to explore the deficits of integration of spatial memories and social studies in transgenic models of Alzheimer's disease in the future.

7 Sep 2021

Research project focusing on membraneless organelles receives funding from Volkswagen Foundation

As part of its "Life?" project, the Volkswagen Foundation is funding a research project that is placing membraneless organelles within cells in the spotlight as a way of understanding the fundamental processes that are essential to life.

6 Sep 2021

New insights could help unlock the mystery of how lung cancer arises in never smokers

A genomic analysis of lung cancer in people with no history of smoking has found that a majority of these tumors arise from the accumulation of mutations caused by natural processes in the body.

6 Sep 2021

SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptides play distinct roles according to neutron scattering

A new study determines the physical and thermodynamic events associated with the interactions that lead to the fusion between SARS-CoV-2 and the host.

5 Sep 2021

Scientists identify a critical checkpoint in transcription elongation

Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified a critical checkpoint in transcription elongation, the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template, according to findings published in Molecular Cell.

4 Sep 2021

Stanford researchers engineer an efficient, multi-purpose, mini CRISPR system

The common analogy for CRISPR gene editing is that it works like molecular scissors, cutting out select sections of DNA. Stanley Qi, assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University, likes that analogy, but he thinks it's time to reimagine CRISPR as a Swiss Army knife.

4 Sep 2021

Novel molecular device exhibits exceptional computing prowess

In a discovery published in the journal Nature, an international team of researchers has described a novel molecular device with exceptional computing prowess.

2 Sep 2021

Uppsala researchers find solution to long-standing biological search enigma

How the cell can mend broken DNA using another DNA copy as template has puzzled researchers for years. How is it possible to find the correct sequences in the busy interior of the cell? Researchers from Uppsala university have now discovered the solution; it is easier to find a rope than a ball if you are blindfolded.

1 Sep 2021

Structure-based model of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reveals opportunity to halt virus transmission

Scientists have simulated the transition of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein structure from when it recognizes the host cell to when it gains entry, according to a study published today in eLife.

1 Sep 2021

Researchers show how a protein molecular motor can 'constrict' cell membranes

Cells in the human body constantly receive substances from the outside via a process called endocytosis. One important endocytosis pathway involves the formation of a protrusion within the cell membrane, pointing to the inside of the cell, triggered when a molecule needing to get in reaches the membrane.

31 Aug 2021

Scientists identify small compounds that can regulate extracellular vesicle production

Biological vesicles are nano-sized containers that transport proteins and other substances within or between cells.

31 Aug 2021

Researchers decipher genetic mechanisms governing the speed of protein synthesis

In all eukaryotic organisms, genetic material is stored in the cell nucleus in the form of DNA. In order to be used, this DNA is first transcribed into messenger RNA in the cell cytoplasm, then translated into protein with the help of ribosomes, small machines capable of decoding messenger RNA to synthesise the appropriate proteins.

31 Aug 2021

Study uses novel technology to map the brain circuitry of spirituality

Scientists have long suspected that religiosity and spirituality could be mapped to specific brain circuits, but the location of those circuits remains unknown. Now, a new study using novel technology and the human connectome, a map of neural connections, has identified a brain circuit that seems to mediate that aspect of our personality. The work appears in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier.

31 Aug 2021

New, one-stop method developed to avoid de novo genetic disease in embryos

De novo variants (DNVs), genetic mutations that were not previously identifiable in the family history of one of two prospective parents, may cause disease in any children they have.

31 Aug 2021

Molecular autopsy of dried blood spots can identify underlying cause of sudden cardiac death in a young person

The underlying cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in a young person is often difficult to identify. A genetic analysis could provide more information in many cases, but blood samples are not collected routinely at the time of death, and DNA extracted from the tissues collected at autopsy is damaged because of the way they are fixed in formalin and paraffin-embedded.

30 Aug 2021

Molecular & Structural Biology

Study offers molecular insights into how toxic proteins are regulated in brain diseases

Researchers discover transposon-encoded RNA-guided nucleases with potential for genome editing

First rat model recapitulates all disabling alterations experienced by patients with Morquio A disease

NIH researchers develop a detailed cellular map of chronic MS lesions

Scientists model the process of capsid disassembly in hepatitis B virus at atomic level

Research uses rodent models to connect the influence of feronomic signals on memory

Research project focusing on membraneless organelles receives funding from Volkswagen Foundation

New insights could help unlock the mystery of how lung cancer arises in never smokers

SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptides play distinct roles according to neutron scattering

Scientists identify a critical checkpoint in transcription elongation

Stanford researchers engineer an efficient, multi-purpose, mini CRISPR system

Novel molecular device exhibits exceptional computing prowess

Uppsala researchers find solution to long-standing biological search enigma

Structure-based model of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reveals opportunity to halt virus transmission

Researchers show how a protein molecular motor can 'constrict' cell membranes

Scientists identify small compounds that can regulate extracellular vesicle production

Researchers decipher genetic mechanisms governing the speed of protein synthesis

Study uses novel technology to map the brain circuitry of spirituality

New, one-stop method developed to avoid de novo genetic disease in embryos

Molecular autopsy of dried blood spots can identify underlying cause of sudden cardiac death in a young person

Evolving spectrophotometry for modern biopharma workflows

Scaling B-cell cloning workflows for antibody development

Fluidics in Modern Healthcare & Medical Device Innovation

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