Molecular & Structural Biology

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Phages use selfish DNA to outmaneuver competitors

Curious bits of DNA tucked inside genomes across all kingdoms of life historically have been disregarded since they don't seem to have a role to play in the competition for survival.

5 Jul 2024

Research reveals how motorized processes shape chromosome structure development

Researchers at Rice University are making strides in understanding how chromosome structures change throughout the cell's life cycle.

3 Jul 2024

Key differences in RNA editing found between postmortem and living brain

Researchers examined the adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) nucleoside editing of postmortem and live prefrontal cortical tissues.

3 Jul 2024

Ribosomes and ZAK protein spur the cell's initial response to UV radiation damage

In a recent study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine suggest the cell's messenger RNA (mRNA) - the major translator and regulator of genetic material - along with a critical protein called ZAK, spur the cell's initial response to UV radiation damage and play a critical role in whether the cell lives or dies.

2 Jul 2024

Decoding the viscoelastic properties of biomolecular condensates

Biomolecular condensates are membraneless hubs of condensed proteins and nucleic acids within cells, which researchers are realizing are tied to an increasing number of cellular processes and diseases.

2 Jul 2024

Modulating gene expression using small molecules

The correct functioning of cells relies heavily on the ability to finely control gene expression, a complex process by which the information contained in DNA is copied into RNA to eventually give rise to all the proteins and most of the regulatory molecules in the cell.

2 Jul 2024

Optibrium demonstrates accelerated lead optimization in complex agrochemical development

Optibrium, a leading developer of software and AI solutions for molecular design today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study in Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, ‘From UK-2A to florylpicoxamid: Active learning to identify a mimic of a macrocyclic natural product’

From Optibrium Ltd. 2 Jul 2024

New light-activated method targets cancer and inflammatory cells with precision

A new method of precisely targeting troublesome cells for death using light could unlock new understanding of and treatments for cancer and inflammatory diseases, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report.

1 Jul 2024

New weakness found in antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are experts in evolving new strategies to avoid being killed by antibiotics.

1 Jul 2024

ERC Advanced Grant aids study on ubiquitin in DNA repair and genome stability

Professor Helle Ulrich, Executive Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) and professor at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), has been awarded an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).

28 Jun 2024

MICROBIOMES4SOY: Harnessing microbiome innovations for sustainable food systems

MICROBIOMES4SOY responds to the urgent call on World Microbiome Day to transition to healthier, more environmentally friendly, plant-based diets.

27 Jun 2024

Study identifies key neurons controlling threat response and escape in mice

Neuroscientists have discovered how the brain bidirectionally controls sensitivity to threats to initiate and complete escape behaviour in mice. These findings could help unlock new directions for discovering therapies for anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

27 Jun 2024

Novel approach can make many more bacteria amenable to genetic engineering

Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial species.

26 Jun 2024

Using deep learning to design synthetic soluble versions of cell membrane proteins

Many drug and antibody discovery pathways focus on intricately folded cell membrane proteins: when molecules of a drug candidate bind to these proteins, like a key going into a lock, they trigger chemical cascades that alter cellular behavior.

21 Jun 2024

Breakthrough in enzyme communication could pave the way for new drugs

A mechanism that could help scientists harness enzymes for use in drug discovery has been discovered in a research breakthrough at the University of Birmingham.

20 Jun 2024

Novel method for 'rationally engineering' enzymes to deliver improved performance

Scientists have prototyped a new method for "rationally engineering" enzymes to deliver improved performance.

20 Jun 2024

Researchers propose a 'protein aggregation clock' to measure aging and health

Could measuring protein clumps in our cells be a new way to find out our risk of getting age-related diseases? Professor Dorothee Dormann and Professor Edward Lemke of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), who are also adjunct directors at the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) in Mainz, propose the concept of a "protein aggregation clock" to measure ageing and health in a new perspective article published in Nature Cell Biology.

19 Jun 2024