Molecular & Structural Biology

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Simulations crack code of human egg fertilization

Who hasn't seen it before: the view through the microscope in which a sperm penetrates an egg cell and fertilizes it.

5 Feb 2024

Unveiling HIV's "latch": New study reveals key to blocking infection

As the HIV virus glides up outside a human cell to dock and possibly inject its deadly cargo of genetic code, there's a spectacularly brief moment in which a tiny piece of its surface snaps open to begin the process of infection.

2 Feb 2024

Scientists discover orderly structure hidden within bacterial biofilms

Bacteria are traditionally imagined as single-cell organisms, spread out sparsely over surfaces or suspended in liquids, but in many environments the true bacterial mode of growth is in sticky clusters called biofilms.

2 Feb 2024

Scientists coax a deadly bacterium to destroy itself from the inside out

Northwestern University researchers have successfully coaxed a deadly pathogen to destroy itself from the inside out.

31 Jan 2024

Scientists discover key pathway linking brain's habit center and motor learning region

Researchers explored how the cerebellum directly affects dopamine release in the substantia nigra compacta (SNc).

29 Jan 2024

Revolutionary CAR T-cell therapy shows promise in reversing age-related metabolic dysfunction

study evaluates senolytic CAR T-cell therapy targeting uPAR-positive cells in aged mice, showing its effectiveness in mitigating age-related metabolic dysfunction and offering a potential long-lasting treatment for aging-associated conditions.

28 Jan 2024

Discovering distinct gut-brain pathways for sugars and fats

Researchers identify independent vagal sensing pathways for fat and sugar detection.

23 Jan 2024

CRISPR off-switch discovered: Safer gene editing for future therapies

Using CRISPR, an immune system bacteria use to protect themselves from viruses, scientists have harnessed the power to edit genetic information within cells.

19 Jan 2024

New structural insights pave the way for drug-resistant malaria therapies

Structural insights into a potent antimalarial drug candidate's interaction with the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have paved the way for drug-resistant malaria therapies, according to a new study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Van Andel Institute.

18 Jan 2024

DNA origami used to unveil novel Notch receptor activation pathway

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have used DNA origami, the art of folding DNA into desired structures, to show how an important cell receptor can be activated in a previously unknown way.

18 Jan 2024

Unlocking protein secrets: X-ray crystallography reveals hidden shapes

Proteins do the heavy lifting of performing biochemical functions in our bodies by binding to metabolites or other proteins to complete tasks.

12 Jan 2024

Nicotine beliefs elicit dose-response reactions in human brains

Researchers investigate whether nicotine-related beliefs may influence brain processes in a dose-dependent manner similar to pharmaceutical effects.

10 Jan 2024

New peptide library paves the way for targeting elusive cancer factor MYC

Researchers developed a second-generation NTB bicyclic peptide library, identifying NT-B2R, a peptide that effectively targets MYC, a key factor in most human cancers, demonstrating its potential in inhibiting MYC transcription activities and cancer cell proliferation.

8 Jan 2024