Molecular & Structural Biology

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'Chromosome scanner' that protects against cancer identified

In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have identified one of the main mechanisms behind the repair of serious damage to the human DNA. A 'scanner' inside the cells decides whether or not so-called flawless DNA repair, which protects against cancer, is launched.

26 Feb 2019

Researchers map molecules and functions of skin from tissue samples

The skin constitutes the barrier between the body and the outside world. The skin serves various purposes and it protects the body from external impact such as heat, cold, radiation or bacteria while maintaining a stable environment inside the body.

26 Feb 2019

Disease X: an unknown disease that could claim millions of lives

Dubbed ‘Disease X’, scientists believe a future epidemic of the influenza virus could cause millions of deaths worldwide.

25 Feb 2019

Researchers engineer 'antibody-like' T cell receptors to combat deadly virus

Researchers have engineered "antibody-like" T cell receptors that can specifically stick to cells infected with cytomegalovirus, or CMV, a virus that causes lifelong infection in more than half of all adults by age 40.

23 Feb 2019

The gene-edited twins born in China may have altered cognition and memory

A new study has fuelled further concerns over the controversial gene-editing experiment that was performed in China last year.

22 Feb 2019

UVA scientist receives $1 million award to map out submicroscopic world

A scientist at the University of Virginia School of Medicine has received a prestigious three-year, $1 million award from the William M. Keck Foundation to develop a new and better way to map out the submicroscopic world.

22 Feb 2019

Newly designed molecule could benefit people with Friedrich's Ataxia

Skin cells taken from patients with a rare genetic disorder are up to ten times more sensitive to damage from ultraviolet A radiation in laboratory tests, than those from a healthy population, according to new research from the University of Bath.

21 Feb 2019

Study doesn’t find enough evidence related to effects of noncaloric sweeteners on gut microbiota

The study, carried out by the UGR professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Ángel Gil and his research team, has been published in the scientific journal 'Advances in Nutrition'

21 Feb 2019

Scientists uncover new mechanisms regulating neural stem cells

The use of stem cells to repair organs is one of the foremost goals of modern regenerative medicine. Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich have discovered that the protein Akna plays a key role in this process.

21 Feb 2019

Researchers develop new neuro-inspired system to detect temporal patterns

A new methodology to classify temporal patterns inspired by brain circuits has been developed to help understand the mechanisms that underlie biological learning.

21 Feb 2019

Study quantifies hepatic and intestinal mRNA expression of Ugt isoforms in rats

In pharmaceutical companies, rats are used commonly in nonclinical studies to investigate the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic profiles of drug candidates before they are entered into clinical studies. Most compounds administered via the oral route are metabolized in the liver and intestine, so the metabolism is a key determinant of pharmacokinetics.

20 Feb 2019

Scientists demonstrate influence of food odors on proteostasis

The smell of food induces a variety of physiological processes in our body. Thus, the production of saliva and digestive enzymes is stimulated before the actual food intake in order to prepare the gastrointestinal tract for the upcoming digestive process.

20 Feb 2019

Scientists probe into the mind of worms to unravel how memories form

Try as you might, some events cannot be remembered. Known in psychology as memory blocking, the phenomenon has remained elusive since first described more than half a century ago.

20 Feb 2019

Study shows how 3D organization of genetic material helps perpetuate the species

From fathers to children, the delivery of hereditary information requires the careful packing of DNA in sperm. But just how nature packages this DNA to prepare offspring isn't clear.

19 Feb 2019

Researchers identify suicide toxin in the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis

The bacteria responsible for tuberculosis can be killed by a toxin they produce unless it is neutralized by an antidote protein. The European team of scientists behind this discovery is coordinated by researchers from the Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.

18 Feb 2019

Customizing the Cellular Microenvironment to Improve Physiological Relevance

An interview with Marie-Charlotte Manus, discussing a new technology called PRIMO that improves the physiological relevance of cells in culture.

From Alveole 18 Feb 2019

Promising drug developed to rejuvenate muscle cells

Researchers from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have developed a promising drug that has proven to significantly increase muscle size, strength and metabolic state in aged mice, according to a study just published in Biochemical Pharmacology.

15 Feb 2019

MUSC researchers discover new mechanism for a class of anti-cancer drugs

Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina reveal a novel binding site for a class of anti-cancer drugs known as E1 inhibitors. This finding could lead to the design of more efficient E1 inhibitors.

15 Feb 2019

Discovery of weakness in a rare cancer could be exploited with drugs

Cancer cells are, in some respects, impressive: They can grow relentlessly, sidestep the aging process by becoming immortal, and evade the immune system's persistent attacks. But in the process of acquiring such superpowers, the cells must occasionally relinquish other, more mundane skills--including the ability to produce certain nutrients.

15 Feb 2019

New study seeks to understand how colibactin causes cancer

For more than a decade, scientists have worked to understand the connection between colibactin, a compound produced by certain strains of E. coli, and colorectal cancer, but have been hampered by their inability to isolate the compound.

15 Feb 2019