Molecular & Structural Biology

RSS

New toolkit to repair DNA breaks linked to aging, cancer and MND discovered

A new 'toolkit' to repair damaged DNA that can lead to aging, cancer and Motor Neurone Disease has been discovered by scientists at the Universities of Sheffield and Oxford.

9 Mar 2020

Research sheds light on molecular mechanisms that enable bacteria to compete and establish symbiosis

Two factors that control the expression of a key gene required by luminescent bacteria to kill competing bacterial cells have been identified.

7 Mar 2020

Study shows how series of ‘clutches’ in the motor cortex help our brains initiate movement

For decades, scientists have wondered why specific cells in the brain that control movement fire when people simply plan or imagine making a movement, or observe someone else making a movement - but do not actually move themselves.

7 Mar 2020

Scientists map novel structure of so-called 'neurotransmitter: sodium symporter’

A novel structure of a so-called 'neurotransmitter: sodium symporter’ has been mapped at the University of Copenhagen.

6 Mar 2020

Molecule-sized drills can target diseased cells and kill them in minutes

Molecule-sized drills do the damage they are designed to do. That's bad news for disease.

5 Mar 2020

X-ray free electron laser helps probe deeper into deadly pathogen

Tularemia is a rare but often lethal disease. It is caused by one of the most aggressive pathogens on earth, the bacterium Francisella tularensis.

5 Mar 2020

Researchers uncover novel neurotransmitter system in the brain

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit signals between neurons or from neurons to other cells. They interact with specific receptors found in the brain of humans and animals, controlling a variety of biological processes, e.g. fear, anger, pleasure, memory, energy, appetite and sleep.

5 Mar 2020

New repair mechanism for alcohol-induced DNA damage discovered

Researchers of the Hubrecht Institute in Utrecht, The Netherlands, and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, United Kingdom, have discovered a new way in which the human body repairs DNA damage caused by a degradation product of alcohol.

4 Mar 2020

Observation of telomerase activity at a single-molecule level using 'optical tweezers'

Stem cells involved in replenishing human tissues and blood depend on an enzyme known as telomerase to continue working throughout our lives. When telomerase malfunctions, it can lead to both cancer and premature aging conditions.

3 Mar 2020

New tool allows researchers to peer into live tissue of the fruit fly gut

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. But what about a real-time window into the complexity of the gastrointestinal system?

2 Mar 2020

Functioning amyloid found in healthy brain

Scientists from St Petersburg University worked with their colleagues from the St Petersburg branch of the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics.

2 Mar 2020

Length of pregnancy related to chemical DNA changes in newborns

Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have together with an international team mapped the relationship between length of pregnancy and chemical DNA changes in more than 6,000 newborn babies.

2 Mar 2020

Manipulation of CRF neurons motivates behavioral style selection under stress

In response to stressors, individuals exhibit different coping styles, each characterized by a set of behavioral, physiological, and psychological responses.

2 Mar 2020

Novel technique helps trace individual chromosomes during embryonic development

The spatial arrangement of genetic material within the cell nucleus plays an important role in the development of an organism.

28 Feb 2020

Researchers elucidate structure and function of enzyme that builds complex sugar trees

Researchers have used cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate for the first time the structure and function of a very small enzyme embedded in cell membranes.

27 Feb 2020

Bifunctional nanobodies with antitoxin potencies could protect against botulinum neurotoxins

New study reveals potential for developing novel antibody-based antitoxins against botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), including the most commonly used, yet most toxic one, Botox.

27 Feb 2020

New clue behind chronic diseases and food spoilage discovered

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have made a surprising discovery that could help explain our risk for developing chronic diseases or cancers as we get older, and how our food decomposes over time.

26 Feb 2020