Molecular & Structural Biology

RSS

Neuroscientists control visual behavior of a mouse with single-cell precision

For the first time, a team of neuroscientists from Columbia University have controlled a visual behavior of a mouse by activating a few neurons in its visual cortex.

4 Jul 2019

Unique method to study proteins could open new doors for medicinal research

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed a unique method for studying proteins which could open new doors for medicinal research.

3 Jul 2019

Scientists discover a new way to kill drug-resistant parasites

Over one billion people, including 880 million children, are infected with intestinal nematode worms, such as roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms, according to the World Health Organization.

2 Jul 2019

'Scissors' component of CRISPR/Cas9 sometimes gets stuck

In biotech these days, CRISPR/Cas9 is a hot topic, because of its utility as a precise gene editing tool. Before humans repurposed it, CRISPR/Cas9 was a sort of internal immune system bacteria use to defend themselves against phages, or viruses that infect bacteria, by slicing up the phages' DNA.

2 Jul 2019

Study reveals time taken for DNA repair after chemotherapy

In the time it takes for an Amazon Prime delivery to arrive, cells damaged by chemotherapy can almost completely fix their most important DNA. That is the case in the livers of mice at least, according to a new study.

2 Jul 2019

Scientists identify new genetic mutation behind serious skull disorder

A collaboration led by scientists at Oregon State University, the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and Erasmus University in The Netherlands has identified a new genetic mutation behind the premature fusing of the bony plates that make up the skull.

2 Jul 2019

Artificial DNA can help release active ingredients from drugs in sequence

A drug with three active ingredients that are released in sequence at specific times: Thanks to the work of a team at the Technical University of Munich, what was once a pharmacologist's dream is now much closer to reality.

29 Jun 2019

Scientists discover neurons for 3D vision in insect brains

Scientists at Newcastle University, UK have discovered neurons in insect brains that compute 3D distance and direction. Understanding these could help vision in robots.

29 Jun 2019

White matter structure in the brain reflects individual differences in music sensitivity

The white matter structure in the brain reflects music sensitivity, according to a study by the research group on Cognition and Brain Plasticity of the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute.

29 Jun 2019

Cutting-edge electron microscopy reveals first structures of a lipid-flippase

Using cutting-edge electron microscopy, researchers from Aarhus University have determined the first structures of a lipid-flippase.

29 Jun 2019

Cells in humans are affected by thirdhand smoke, study shows

Thirdhand smoke can damage epithelial cells in the respiratory system by stressing cells and causing them to fight for survival, a research team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has found. The finding could assist physicians treating patients exposed to thirdhand smoke.

28 Jun 2019

Protein linked to malignant melanoma

Almost 300,000 people worldwide develop malignant melanoma each year. The disease is the most serious form of skin cancer and the number of cases reported annually is increasing, making skin cancer one of Sweden's most common forms of cancer.

28 Jun 2019

Salk study unravels how the brain encodes color and shape

There are hundreds of thousands of distinct colors and shapes that a person can distinguish visually, but how does the brain process all of this information? Scientists previously believed that the visual system initially encodes shape and color with different sets of neurons and then combines them much later.

28 Jun 2019

New computational modeling method predicts how gut microbes change over time

A new computational modeling method uses snapshots of which types of microbes are found in a person’s gut to predict how the microbial community will change over time.

From PLOS ONE 28 Jun 2019

Zebrafish offers new clues to regenerating damaged cardiac tissue

Research into the hearts of zebrafish, a pet shop staple marked by their eponymous stripes, has shed light on ways the human heart muscle could be healed following damage.

26 Jun 2019

Bruker announces novel phenomics solutions at Metabolomics 2019

At Metabolomics 2019, Bruker highlights innovative MS and NMR systems, and novel high-value solutions for molecular phenomics and clinical metabolomics.

From Bruker Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry 26 Jun 2019

Using Light Scattering to Characterize Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions

Harnessing the interactions between DNA, RNA, and proteins holds much promise for detecting biomarkers, diagnosing disease, and improving cancer-targeting therapeutics. Quantifying these interactions is essential for understanding and controlling their biomolecular mechanisms.

From Waters | Wyatt Technology 26 Jun 2019