Molecular & Structural Biology

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UTSW researchers identify the structure of a key cell-surface protein

UT Southwestern researchers have identified the structure of a key member of a family of proteins called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in three different shapes.

17 Mar 2021

New method for growing embryos outside the womb

To observe how a tiny ball of identical cells on its way to becoming a mammalian embryo first attaches to an awaiting uterine wall and then develops into nervous system, heart, stomach and limbs: This has been a highly-sought grail in the field of embryonic development for nearly 100 years.

17 Mar 2021

Researchers explore potential role of TARM1 protein in pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis

TARM1 is a receptor protein whose role in the functioning of the immune system is unknown. In a new study, scientists from Japan have explored the potential role of TARM1 in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis by analyzing mouse models.

17 Mar 2021

Insights into elusive protein complex can help find novel treatments for chromosomal disorders

The cells in our body are constantly fighting off the threat of cancer by repairing damaged DNA. In a new study, scientists from Tokyo University of Science investigate the structure of an elusive protein complex that plays a key role in the activation of the "Fanconi anemia pathway" involved in DNA repair, and report on the factors governing its stability.

17 Mar 2021

Study investigates how neurons construct synapses of different strengths

Job descriptions for the thousands of types of neurons in the brain typically include a common function: release chemicals called neurotransmitters to communicate across circuit connections called synapses.

17 Mar 2021

Researchers unravel how a novel microbial small molecule is connected to dental caries development

An inter-disciplinary team of researchers led by Prof. Qian Peiyuan, Chair Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's Department of Ocean Science and Division of Life Science has unraveled how a novel microbial small molecule released by Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) - a bacterium commonly found in the human oral cavity - is connected to dental caries development using a synthetic biology approach, offering new insights to the health impact of the human oral microbiota and facilitating future research on the prevention of tooth decay.

16 Mar 2021

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prizes for 2021 go to four female and six male researchers

Four female and six male researchers are to receive the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize this year, the top award for early career investigators in Germany.

16 Mar 2021

Ketogenesis has a protective effect on mitochondria, finds study

Ketone bodies are generally an alternative energy source during starvation, but in newborns, ketogenesis is active regardless of nutritional status. In a recent study from Kumamoto University (Japan), researchers analyzed the effects of ketogenesis in mice and found that it has a protective effect on cells by maintaining the function of mitochondria.

16 Mar 2021

Chromatin-regulating enzyme found to be a key driver of common lung cancer

A chromatin-regulating enzyme has been shown by in-depth interdisciplinary investigations to be a key driver of a common type of lung cancer. Drugs that target the enzyme could improve treatment and survival rates for this particular cancer.

15 Mar 2021

MGH researchers uncover new clues about X chromosome inactivation

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have uncovered new clues that add to the growing understanding of how female mammals, including humans, "silence" one X chromosome.

15 Mar 2021

Random cellular changes play vital role in longevity beyond genetics and environment

A new model of aging takes into account not only genetics and environmental exposures but also the tiny changes that randomly arise at the cellular level.

13 Mar 2021

Newly discovered cellular stress enzyme may be a target for neurodegenerative disease treatments

An enzyme called MARK2 has been identified as a key stress-response switch in cells in a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

11 Mar 2021

Researchers unveil new technique for observing metabolic processes in real time

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is already widely used in medicine for diagnostic purposes. Hyperpolarized MRI is a more recent development and its research and application potential has yet to be fully explored.

11 Mar 2021

Unbalanced progesterone may cause preterm or prolonged labor in some pregnant women

New research by the National Institutes of Health found that unbalanced progesterone signals may cause some pregnant women to experience preterm labor or prolonged labor.

11 Mar 2021

Princeton researchers elucidate how hepatitis B virus establishes chronic infection

Researchers at Princeton have determined how five cellular proteins contribute to an essential step in the life cycle of hepatitis B virus (HBV).

11 Mar 2021

Study reveals how lung alveolus forms at cellular level

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have determined what happens at a cellular level as the lung alveolus forms and allows newborns to breathe air.

11 Mar 2021

Research shows how humans have sensitive and accurate sense of touch

Fingerprints may be more useful to us than helping us nab criminal suspects: they also improve our sense of touch. Sensory neurons in the finger can detect touch on the scale of a single fingerprint ridge, according to new research published in JNeurosci.

11 Mar 2021

Mosquito protein study could lead to therapeutics against deadly viruses

The mosquito protein AEG12 strongly inhibits the family of viruses that cause yellow fever, dengue, West Nile, and Zika and weakly inhibits coronaviruses, according to scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators.

10 Mar 2021

Researchers shed light on T-cell receptor activation in response to infection

Immune cells specialize to ensure the most efficient defense against viruses and other pathogens. Researchers at the University of Basel have shed light on this specialization of T cells and shown that it occurs differently in the context of an acute and a chronic infection.

10 Mar 2021

First complete atlas of how mutations affect the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease

A study published in the journal eLife made all the possible mutations in the amyloid beta peptide and tested how they influence its aggregation into plaques, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

9 Mar 2021

Molecular & Structural Biology

UTSW researchers identify the structure of a key cell-surface protein

New method for growing embryos outside the womb

Researchers explore potential role of TARM1 protein in pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis

Insights into elusive protein complex can help find novel treatments for chromosomal disorders

Study investigates how neurons construct synapses of different strengths

Researchers unravel how a novel microbial small molecule is connected to dental caries development

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prizes for 2021 go to four female and six male researchers

Ketogenesis has a protective effect on mitochondria, finds study

Chromatin-regulating enzyme found to be a key driver of common lung cancer

MGH researchers uncover new clues about X chromosome inactivation

Random cellular changes play vital role in longevity beyond genetics and environment

Newly discovered cellular stress enzyme may be a target for neurodegenerative disease treatments

Researchers unveil new technique for observing metabolic processes in real time

Unbalanced progesterone may cause preterm or prolonged labor in some pregnant women

Princeton researchers elucidate how hepatitis B virus establishes chronic infection

Study reveals how lung alveolus forms at cellular level

Research shows how humans have sensitive and accurate sense of touch

Mosquito protein study could lead to therapeutics against deadly viruses

Researchers shed light on T-cell receptor activation in response to infection

First complete atlas of how mutations affect the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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