Molecular & Structural Biology

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Researchers demonstrate drug diversity in bacteria

Bacteria produce a cocktail of various bioactive natural products in order to survive in hostile environments with competing (micro)organisms.

26 Mar 2019

New molecular mechanism involved in pancreas repair identified

Ramón Muñoz-Chápuli and Rita Carmona, researchers of the UMA Department of Animal Biology, have identified a new molecular mechanism involved in pancreas repair.

25 Mar 2019

Study shows how cooperative breeding could increase lifespan

Seychelles warblers live and breed in family groups on the tiny island of Cousin. In each group, a dominant female and male reproduce.

22 Mar 2019

Queen Mary University of London’s BCI boosts radionuclide imaging capabilities with MILabs VECTor technology

Milabs B.V., manufacturer of the world’s only fully integrated SPECT/PET/Optical/CT-scanner, today announces that the core molecular imaging facility at Queen Mary University of London’s Barts Cancer Institute has boosted its radionuclide imaging capabilities with a MILabs VECTor PET/SPECT/CT omni-tomography system.

21 Mar 2019

UIC scientists identify hidden proteins in bacteria

Scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago have developed a way to identify the beginning of every gene -- known as a translation start site or a start codon -- in bacterial cell DNA with a single experiment and, through this method, they have shown that an individual gene is capable of coding for more than one protein.

21 Mar 2019

Human microbiome metabolites enhance colon injury by enterohemorrhagic E. coli, study shows

It remains mysterious why humans get infected by some bacterial or viral pathogens relatively easily while animals that have very similar tissues and immune functions do not.

20 Mar 2019

Gene editing and designer babies experiments face global moratorium

Powerful gene editing tools could soon face a global regulations on their use on human embryos, sperms or eggs.

20 Mar 2019

Researchers track effects of epigenetic marks carried by sperm chromosomes

As an organism grows and responds to its environment, genes in its cells are constantly turning on and off, with different patterns of gene expression in different cells. But can changes in gene expression be passed on from parents to their children and subsequent generations?

20 Mar 2019

Androgen receptor plays vital role in regulating multiple mitochondrial processes

Androgens, commonly known as male hormones, stimulate prostate cancer cells to grow. Thus, many of the drugs to target that cancer focus on stopping androgen biosynthesis or blocking the androgen receptor. This standard treatment is known as androgen deprivation therapy.

20 Mar 2019

Salk scientists show how background noise from neurons can interrupt focused attention

It's easy to miss something you're not looking for. In a famous example, people were asked to closely observe two groups of people--one group clad in black, the other in white--pass a ball among themselves.

20 Mar 2019

Study illuminates how hot spots of genetic variation evolved in the human genome

What makes one person different from one another, and how did these differences evolve? A study by University at Buffalo biologists is illuminating one aspect of this complicated question. The research examines hot spots of genetic variation within the human genome, examining the sections of our DNA that are most likely to differ significantly from one person to another.

20 Mar 2019

Study finds previously unknown mechanism for microbes to save energy in lean times

In favorable conditions, many bacteria propel themselves to food sources and other sites of interest using whip-like molecular propellers known as flagella.

20 Mar 2019

New study identifies CD40 molecule as key entry point for dangerous bacteria

A new study identifies a single molecule as a key entry point used by two types of dangerous bacteria to break through cellular barriers and cause disease.

20 Mar 2019

Plant cellulose bone implants are “viable” option to support new bone growth, study finds

Research from the University of British Columbia and McMaster University has led to a new bone implant material made from plant cellulose. The material can be injected into bone cavities to support new growth.

19 Mar 2019

Gene medication shows promise to treat spinal cord injuries

The two-gene medication has been proven to recover motor functions in rats. After several months of treatment, rodents were able to use previously paralyzed limbs. Researchers at Kazan Federal University are now seeking pre-clinical trial investment.

18 Mar 2019

New proteomics-based test could aid in early detection of ovarian cancer

Fewer than half of ovarian cancer patients survive until five years after diagnosis. According to the American Cancer Society, this is because only about one-fifth of ovarian cancer cases are detected early, when the chances of successful treatment and recovery are highest.

15 Mar 2019