Molecular & Structural Biology

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White colonies on kimchi surface is not formed by molds but by yeasts, finds study

WiKim reported that the white colonies on the surface of kimchi is not formed by molds but by "yeasts" and that genomic data was acquired regarding the hygienic safety of the yeast strains.

27 Dec 2018

Surfer's ear reveals important clues to lives of ancient pearl divers in Panama

While examining a skull from an ancient burial ground in a pre-Columbian village in Panama, Nicole Smith-Guzmán, bioarchaeologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), was surprised to discover an example of surfers' ear: a small, bony bump in the ear canal common among surfers, kayakers and free divers in cold climates.

24 Dec 2018

Cell-free DNA can be used to predict biological age, according to a new study

Scientists have found that cell-free DNA (cfDNA) within in the blood can reflect differences in the age and health of individuals.

21 Dec 2018

Simple protocol rescues stressed liver cells

Isolated human hepatocytes are essential tools in preclinical and clinical liver research, but cell quality is highly variable. Now, researchers from Uppsala University have devised a simple protocol that improves hepatocyte quality and enables cells from a wider quality spectrum to be used in standard and advanced cell culture. The findings are published in Archives of Toxicology.

21 Dec 2018

Scientists uncover direct link between brain cell size and IQ level

Scientists working within the Human Brain Project have for the first time uncovered a direct relation between brain cell size and IQ level.

21 Dec 2018

Biologists discover how protein clumps damage cells in Parkinson's disease

Biologists studying Parkinson's disease have long hoped to solve the mystery of the telltale "clumps." Scientists want to know how clumps of misfolded proteins damage brain cells and contribute to the disease.

21 Dec 2018

Elegant, low-cost approach enhances single-cell RNA sequencing

Droplet microfluidics has revolutionized single-cell RNA sequencing, offering a low-cost, high-throughput method for single-cell genomics. However, this method has been limited in its ability to capture complete RNA transcription information.

20 Dec 2018

Study lays foundation for addressing unresolved questions in human aging

Doctors have long observed that biological age and chronological age are not always one and the same. A 55-year-old may exhibit many signs of old age and have numerous age-related diseases, whereas an 80-year-old may be healthy and robust.

20 Dec 2018

Study reveals how Parkinson's disease protein 'buys time' for cell repair

Australian researchers have discovered how a protein linked to Parkinson's disease may protect cells such as neurons in the brain.

20 Dec 2018

Molecule discovery could hold the key to novel gene therapies for skin problems

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have discovered a protein that could hold the key to novel gene therapies for skin problems including psoriasis - a common, chronic skin disease that affects over 100 million people worldwide.

20 Dec 2018

Scripps Research finds molecular cause of a group of rare autoimmune disorders

A team from Scripps Research has found a molecular cause of a group of rare autoimmune disorders in which the immune system attacks the body's own healthy cells.

20 Dec 2018

European scientists aim to identify causes of dementia

Dementia is common to a variety of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson disease and Down syndrome. This common symptom is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people.

19 Dec 2018

Researchers synthesize new compound that inhibits replication of hepatitis C virus

A new compound that inhibits the replication of hepatitis C virus in several stages of its lifecycle - and is also capable of acting on bacteria, fungi and cancer cells - has been synthesized by researchers at São Paulo State University in Brazil.

19 Dec 2018

Study uncovers initial folding mechanism of membrane proteins, key in design of new drugs

An international team coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Research Structure in Biotechnology and Biomedicine of the University of Valencia has proved how the folding of membrane proteins begins before they are inserted into biological membranes, a fact that has been central to the biochemical research for decades.

19 Dec 2018