Molecular & Structural Biology

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Cancer DNA signature will revolutionize point-of-care diagnostics

Researchers have developed a potentially game-changing new technology that could revolutionize cancer point-of-care (POC) diagnostics.

4 Dec 2018

Study shows how flies detect novel odors using a tactic similar to that of computers

It might seem like fruit flies would have nothing in common with computers, but new research from the Salk Institute reveals that the two identify novel information in similar ways.

4 Dec 2018

Brown researchers awarded $12 million NIH grant renewal to explore fundamentals of brain function

Brown University's Center for Central Nervous System Function, part of the Carney Institute for Brain Science, has been awarded a $12 million grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health's Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence program.

3 Dec 2018

Oils from garlic and other herbs show strong killing activity against Lyme disease bacteria

Oils from garlic and several other common herbs and medicinal plants show strong activity against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

3 Dec 2018

Scientists develop nanoscale tweezers that can move freely within cells

Researchers have developed nanoscale “tweezers” that can extract cellular components such as DNA, proteins, and organelles, without causing damage or bursting the cell.

3 Dec 2018

Ancient whale from Oregon had neither teeth nor baleen, study reveals

A study reported in Current Biology on November 29 describes a 33-million-year-old fossil whale named Maiabalaena, which means "mother whale." The ancient whale from Oregon is especially remarkable in that it had neither teeth nor baleen.

3 Dec 2018

Researchers find effective new target for mood-boosting brain stimulation

Researchers have found an effective target in the brain for electrical stimulation to improve mood in people suffering from depression.

3 Dec 2018

Study uncovers how HIV DNA is blocked from entering the cell nucleus

Multiple components of the nuclear pore complex and nuclear import machinery enable a protein called human myxovirus resistance 2 (MX2) to inhibit HIV-1 infection, according to a study published November 29 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Michael Malim of King’s College London, and colleagues.

3 Dec 2018

Major soil organic matter compound battles chronic wasting disease

A major compound in soil organic matter degrades chronic wasting disease prions and decreases infectivity in mice, according to a study published November 29 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Judd Aiken of the University of Alberta, and colleagues.

3 Dec 2018

Study provides new insights into how prions enter the brain

The spread of prions to the brain does not occur by direct transmission across the blood-brain barrier, according to a study published November 29 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Annika Keller and Adriano Aguzzi of the University Hospital Zürich, and colleagues.

3 Dec 2018

New study could fine-tune the CRISPR gene editing process

The introduction of the tool for gene editing, the so-called gene scissors CRISPR, in 2007 was a revolution within medical science and cell biology.

30 Nov 2018

New Mainz-based Collaborative Research Center aims to explore DNA repair and genome stability

From January 1, 2019, the German Research Foundation will be funding the new Collaborative Research Center 1361 on Regulation of DNA Repair & Genome Stability.

29 Nov 2018

Sleeping sickness study could aid efforts to beat the disease

Key insights into how the parasites behind sleeping sickness boost their ability to spread could aid efforts to beat the disease.

29 Nov 2018

New strategy for developing cell replacement therapies to combat type 1 diabetes

Scientists have discovered the signals that determine the fate of immature cells in the pancreas. The research shows that they are very mobile and that their destiny is strongly influenced by their immediate environment.

29 Nov 2018

Scientists create mini-placenta's to study early stages of pregnancy

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have used organoid culture techniques to create a cellular model of the early stages of the placenta.

29 Nov 2018

New study solves longstanding mystery in innate immunity

UT Southwestern biochemist and Breakthrough Prize winner Dr. Zhijian "James" Chen's newest study answers a long-standing question in the field of innate immunity.

29 Nov 2018

Antibiotic could protect against age-related brain diseases

An antibiotic, minocycline, can increase the lifespan of roundworms by preventing the build-up of proteins during aging, a study in the open-access journal eLife reports.

28 Nov 2018

Study uncovers new chemical reaction key to cataract formation

Researchers working to understand the biochemistry of cataract formation have made a surprising finding: A protein that was long believed to be inert actually has an important chemical function that protects the lens of the eye from cataract formation.

28 Nov 2018

Discovery about DNA twists could be crucial in development of new antibiotics

DNA replication is vital to all lifeforms, but in some organisms, it can be prevented by twists in the DNA sequence, called 'supercoils'. If too many supercoils are allowed to build up, cells vital to sustaining life will die.

28 Nov 2018

Study reveals why mitochondria are often strangely shaped inside the brain

Columbia neuroscientists have discovered why mitochondria, tiny power generators that keep our cells healthy, are often strangely shaped inside the brain.

28 Nov 2018