Molecular & Structural Biology

RSS

New technique for fast, easy optimization of antibodies using chicken cells

Antibodies for potential use as medicines can be made rapidly in chicken cells grown in laboratories. Researchers refer to their technique as the human ADLib system, short for autonomously diversifying libraries.

26 May 2020

Rejuvenated fibroblasts could be used in regenerative medicine, stem cell engineering

Fibroblasts are the most common connective tissue cells. They produce the structural framework for animal tissues, synthesize the extracellular matrix and collagen, and play a critical role in wound healing.

26 May 2020

Researchers recombine entire chromosomes with CRISPR/Cas technology

The CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors work like a fine surgical instrument and can be used to modify genetic information in plants.

25 May 2020

Study uncovers the role of DNA repair in preserving egg quality

A Monash University study has uncovered the role DNA repair plays in preserving egg quality, offering hope for women whose eggs may be damaged through treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy.

22 May 2020

Virginia Tech researcher wins $661,216 grant to study Lyme arthritis

With a $661,216 grant from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, Brandon Jutras, an assistant professor of biochemistry in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will study Lyme arthritis, including the cellular component that contributes to it.

22 May 2020

Study hints a mechanistic link between sex and stress response in microbes

Why is sex so popular? The question of why so many organisms reproduce sexually has mystified evolutionary biologists since before Darwin, who wrote that "The whole subject is as yet hidden in darkness."

21 May 2020

Novel tool helps translate complex communication between microbes and the body

A new tool developed by scientists at the Quadram Institute and Earlham Institute is helping to translate the complex communication between the microbiome and the body.

21 May 2020

Research demonstrates self-synthesis and assembly of 30S subunit of ribosome

As the cell's protein factory, the ribosome is the only natural machine that manufactures its own parts. That is why understanding how the machine, itself, is made, could unlock the door to everything from understanding how life develops to designing new methods of drug production.

21 May 2020

New test strip could provide accurate point-of-care diagnostics for cancer, COVID-19

A new synthetic paper for finger-prick blood tests could provide accurate point-of-care diagnostics for cancer, COVID-19, and other serious diseases.

20 May 2020

Study: Bioelectrical view can provide biological understanding of cellular processes

We use cells to breathe, to moderate body temperature, to grow and many other every day processes, however the cells in these processes are so complex its left scientists perplexed into how they develop in different environments.

20 May 2020

New technique determines lipid composition in a brain region

Researchers at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new technique that can determine the specific molecular form, location, and the number of lipids in samples of rat brain tissue.

20 May 2020

Rib movements started to facilitate locomotion, then co-opted for breathing

When early tetrapods transitioned from water to land the way they breathed air underwent an evolutionary revolution.

19 May 2020

Study shows how normal RAS interacts with mutated RAS in living cells

Many cancer medications fail to effectively target the most commonly mutated cancer genes in humans, called RAS.

19 May 2020

Researchers identify determining factor in luminal cancer cells

The Translational Control of Cell Cycle and Differentiation Lab at IRB Barcelona, led by ICREA researcher Raúl Méndez, has published a study in the journal Science Advances that has identified a key factor in the development of luminal breast cancer.

18 May 2020

Researchers reveal the molecular biology behind Hyaline Fibromatosis Syndrome

Hyaline Fibromatosis Syndrome (HFS) is a rare but severe genetic disease that affects babies, children, and adults. Hyaline, a glassy substance, accumulates in the skin and various organs, and causes painful deformities that can lead to an early death.

18 May 2020

Fibroblasts of different pancreatic diseases exhibit distinct properties, study reveals

Fibroblasts present in different pancreatic diseases are genetically distinct and their functions are 'programmed' by the unique environment of each disease, according to new research from the University of Liverpool (UK).

18 May 2020

The dreaming brain suppresses information from the outside world

Scientists from the CNRS and the ENS-PSL in France and Monash University in Australia have shown that the brain suppresses information from the outside world, such as the sound of a conversation, during the sleep phase linked to dreaming.

15 May 2020

New book demystifies the molecular biology of breast cancer

Breast cancer is known as one of the most deadly diseases among women. However, recent advancements in the imaging tools and diagnostic methods for breast cancer has improved the screening in the past few years.

15 May 2020

First detailed study of the epigenetic landscape of human tumor organoids

The researcher Manel Esteller performs the first massive epigenetic characterization in organoids or 3D cancer cultures and makes the data available to the research community to facilitate new findings on tumor development and progression.

15 May 2020

Researchers identify a group of dysregulated genes in autism

Autism has long been associated only with behavioral and environmental factors, but the role of genetics in its development is now increasingly evident. Some 100 genes have been found to play a role in autism spectrum disorder, and another thousand are being studied to the same end.

14 May 2020