Molecular & Structural Biology

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Activating specific brain cells can trigger hibernation-like state in mice

In Sci-Fi movies, astronauts often enter an inactive state in "hibernation chambers" to cross the vastness of space.

12 Jun 2020

MGH researchers identify key mechanism in X chromosome inactivation

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified a key mechanism in X chromosome inactivation, a phenomenon that may hold clues that lead to treatments for certain rare congenital disorders.

12 Jun 2020

Study shows how a nervous system coordinates distinct behavioral outputs

For a nematode worm, a big lawn of the bacteria that it eats is a great place for it to disperse its eggs so that each hatchling can emerge into a nutritive environment.

11 Jun 2020

New insight could aid in the development of universal vaccines for respiratory viruses

A significant site of damage during COVID-19 infection is the lungs. Understanding how the lungs' immune cells are responding to viral infections could help scientists develop a vaccine.

11 Jun 2020

New method uses human embryonic stem cells to generate 3D assembly of cells

Scientists from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with the Hubrecht Institute in The Netherlands, have developed a new model to study an early stage of human development, using human embryonic stem cells.

11 Jun 2020

Study reveals completely new mechanism for mitochondrial disease

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that excessive degradation of the power plants of our cells plays an important role in the onset of mitochondrial disease in children.

11 Jun 2020

Examining dopamine receptors in their natural environment

Dopamine, a chemical that sends messages between different parts of the brain and body, plays a key role in a variety of diseases and behaviors by interacting with receptors on cells.

11 Jun 2020

Neuroscientists reveal how the brain controls our speech

Speaking requires both sides of the brain. Each hemisphere takes over a part of the complex task of forming sounds, modulating the voice and monitoring what has been said.

10 Jun 2020

Study provides insight on genes present during trachea and esophagus development

A new study reporting how a network of genes directs the development of the trachea and oesophagus in mice has been published today in eLife.

9 Jun 2020

Research shows potential new therapeutic strategy for slowing down Huntington's disease

Scientists have described a potential new therapeutic strategy for slowing down early-stage Huntington's disease in a new study published today in eLife.

9 Jun 2020

Researchers discover important molecular mechanism of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is the most common form of inherited neuropathies. A genetic mutation causes the insulating myelin layer of peripheral nerves to become progressively damaged, resulting in severe disabilities in the case of CMT type 4B, for instance.

8 Jun 2020

Genetic studies analyze genome-wide set of genetic variants in different individuals

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) analyze a genome-wide set of genetic variants in different individuals to see if any are associated with a trait or disease.

8 Jun 2020

Perchlorate in drinking water may be more dangerous than previously thought

Sometimes toxins, such as hazardous wastes and industrial byproducts, seep into groundwater, the source of our drinking water.

5 Jun 2020

Study offers a deeper understanding of T cell immunity in the elderly

A study by Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) expands the understanding of the molecular pathways that control T cell function and survival and how it relates to declining T cell immunity in the elderly.

5 Jun 2020

New images of LSD1 enzyme in action shed light on gene regulation

New images of an enzyme in action as it interacts with the chromosome could provide important insight into how cells--including cancer cells--regulate their genes.

5 Jun 2020

Scientists aim to develop a gene-targeting, antiviral agent against COVID-19

A team of scientists from Stanford University is working with researchers at the Molecular Foundry, a nanoscience user facility located at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), to develop a gene-targeting, antiviral agent against COVID-19.

4 Jun 2020

Exploring the molecular landscape of the aortic niche and beyond

Researchers from the group of Catherine Robin at the Hubrecht Institute characterized the molecular landscape of the aorta that supports the generation of the first Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) in the embryo.

4 Jun 2020

Scientists provide clarity into how cells remember their identity

Cancer is often the result of DNA mutations or problems with how cells divide, which can lead to cells "forgetting" what type of cell they are or how to function properly.

4 Jun 2020

Researchers discover novel gene involved in DNA damage repair and male fertility

A research group from the Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics at Kumamoto University, Japan has discovered that the gene C19ORF57 plays a critical role in meiosis.

4 Jun 2020

Hairy human skin grown from pluripotent stem cells

Building on years of groundbreaking discoveries in stem cell research, scientists from Indiana University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School have determined how to grow hairy skin using human stem cells--developing one of the most complex skin models in the world.

4 Jun 2020