Molecular & Structural Biology

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Study reveals molecular pathogenesis of muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy

In a study recently published in Nature Communications scientists at Okayama University describe the detailed molecular pathogenesis of muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy in mice lacking the fukutin gene (Fktn), the causative gene for Fukuyama muscular dystrophy.

13 Feb 2020

Light-activated protein restores mitochondrion function in fruit fly model of Parkinson’s disease

A light-sensitive protein can restore mitochondria function in fruit flies bearing a gene mutation associated with Parkinson’s disease and relieve its symptoms, report researchers at Juntendo University in the journal Communications Biology.

13 Feb 2020

New insights may guide design of light-sensitive proteins with desired properties

A team of scientists from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University has gained insight into how electric fields affect the way energy from light drives molecular motion and transformation in a protein commonly used in biological imaging.

13 Feb 2020

Bacterial DNA promotes tau protein misfolding and aggregation, study shows

Researchers from Human Microbiology Institute and Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s disease at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School in Houston have discovered that bacterial extracellular DNA can trigger Tau protein misfolding into neurotoxic aggregates, a key process in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis.

12 Feb 2020

Unexpected findings could lead to new therapeutic intervention for ALS

A therapeutic intervention for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, could be on the horizon thanks to unexpected findings by University of Arizona researchers.

11 Feb 2020

DNA misfolding linked to heightened risk for Type 1 diabetes

It's known that genetics, or an inherited genome, is a major determinant of one's risk for autoimmune diseases, like Type 1 diabetes. In human cells, a person's genome--about six feet of DNA--is compressed into the micrometer space of the nucleus via a three-dimensional folding process.

11 Feb 2020

Pioneering project on genomic edition through CRISPR/Cas9 to study early embryonic development

Characterization studies of early embryonic development are limited, mainly due to the lack of samples and the obvious legal and ethical limitations.

11 Feb 2020

Scientists measure how sensory stimuli are processed in the brain

If we cross a road with our smartphone in view, a car horn or engine noise will startle us. In everyday life we can easily combine information from different senses and shift our attention from one sensory input to another - for example, from seeing to hearing.

10 Feb 2020

New mechanism for repair of chromosomal breaks

Chromosomal breaks are the most harmful damage for cells. If they are not repaired, they block the duplication and segregation of chromosomes, stop the growth cycle and cause cell death. These breaks appear frequently in tumor cells and are produced spontaneously during the replication of genetic material.

10 Feb 2020

Researchers identify involvement of certain cortical areas in the loss of control over food intake

Researchers at UPF, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Mainz (Germany), the Center for Genomic Regulation, Instituto Cajal, Johannes Gutenberg University (Germany), the Autonomous University Barcelona and Hospital del Mar have identified for the first time the involvement of certain cortical areas in the brain in the loss of control over food intake.

9 Feb 2020

Study provides new insight into the regenerative capacity of mammalian embryos

A calf was born from an embryo lacking cells which form a large part of the placenta, providing new insight into the regenerative capacity of mammalian embryos.

9 Feb 2020

New strategy uses iPSCs to regulate immune reaction to transplanted tissues

Scientists suggest a new strategy that uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to regulate immune reaction to transplanted tissues.

9 Feb 2020

Fly model could help lay the foundation for new therapies to fight 'difficult' pathogen

The Clostridium difficile pathogen takes its name from the French word for "difficult." A bacterium that is known to cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening colon damage, C. difficile is part of a growing epidemic of concern for the elderly and patients on antibiotics.

8 Feb 2020

Research provides new insights into molecular basis of X-chromosome inactivation

Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg and Institut Curie in Paris have shown that the protein SPEN plays a crucial role in the process of X-chromosome inactivation, whereby female mammalian embryos silence gene expression on one of their two X chromosomes.

7 Feb 2020

Defining neurogenic niche proteome helps identify key regulators of neurogenesis

In mammalian adult brains, neural stem cells are only present in few specific parts, so called niches. Only these niches are capable of generating new neurons.

7 Feb 2020

Collaborative research uncovers underlying rules that, when broken, contribute to ALS

Clumps of proteins inside cells are a common thread in many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.

7 Feb 2020

Researchers reveal new activity above the surface in brain-cell receptors

Like buoys bobbing on the ocean, many receptors float on the surface of a cell's membrane with a part sticking above the water and another underwater, inside the cell's cytoplasm.

7 Feb 2020

Genetic fingerprints could help identify cancer-causing culprits

Causes of cancer are being cataloged through an international study revealing the genetic fingerprints of DNA-damaging processes that drive cancer development.

6 Feb 2020

Study lays foundation for translating mitochondrial biology into clinical applications

A study led by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center furthered understanding about mitochondria, the cell components known as the "powerhouse of the cell." Knowing more about the genome is crucial given that mitochondria play important roles in tumorigenesis.

6 Feb 2020

Researchers discover new mutational phenomenon chromothripsis in cancer

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and EMBL-EBI have carried out the largest analysis across cancer types of the newly discovered mutational phenomenon chromothripsis.

6 Feb 2020

Molecular & Structural Biology

Study reveals molecular pathogenesis of muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy

Light-activated protein restores mitochondrion function in fruit fly model of Parkinson’s disease

New insights may guide design of light-sensitive proteins with desired properties

Bacterial DNA promotes tau protein misfolding and aggregation, study shows

Unexpected findings could lead to new therapeutic intervention for ALS

DNA misfolding linked to heightened risk for Type 1 diabetes

Pioneering project on genomic edition through CRISPR/Cas9 to study early embryonic development

Scientists measure how sensory stimuli are processed in the brain

New mechanism for repair of chromosomal breaks

Researchers identify involvement of certain cortical areas in the loss of control over food intake

Study provides new insight into the regenerative capacity of mammalian embryos

New strategy uses iPSCs to regulate immune reaction to transplanted tissues

Fly model could help lay the foundation for new therapies to fight 'difficult' pathogen

Research provides new insights into molecular basis of X-chromosome inactivation

Defining neurogenic niche proteome helps identify key regulators of neurogenesis

Collaborative research uncovers underlying rules that, when broken, contribute to ALS

Researchers reveal new activity above the surface in brain-cell receptors

Genetic fingerprints could help identify cancer-causing culprits

Study lays foundation for translating mitochondrial biology into clinical applications

Researchers discover new mutational phenomenon chromothripsis in cancer

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

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