Molecular & Structural Biology

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Molding bacteria into unnatural shapes reveals the robustness of cell division

Researchers at OIST have shown that microbes can be molded into an array of unusual, elaborate shapes that are not seen in nature.

18 Oct 2018

Loss of tumor protein p53 helps cancer cells grow in hostile environment

Researchers have discovered a novel consequence of loss of the tumor protein p53 that promotes cancer development, according to new findings in eLife.

17 Oct 2018

Researchers demonstrate epigenetic memory transmission via sperm

A new study suggests that if the epigenetics of sperm chromosomes are altered by the environment a father experiences, then this could affect offspring’s health.

17 Oct 2018

Scientists create synthetic tissue capable of synchronized beating

A team of chemists at the University of Bristol have developed a prototissue that is capable of synchronized beating when it is heated and cooled.

16 Oct 2018

Zebrafish study uncovers molecular 'brake' that helps control eye lens development

How different cells in a multicellular organism acquire their identities remains a fundamental mystery of development. In the eye, for example, the lens contains two cell types - lens epithelial cells and lens fiber cells -- the first of which differentiates into the second as an animal matures.

16 Oct 2018

Researchers develop fibrin-targeting immunotherapy to protect against neurodegeneration

Normally, the blood protein fibrin does not enter the brain. But in several neurological disorders, the blood-brain barrier--which keeps large molecules in the blood from entering the brain--becomes abnormally permeable, allowing fibrin to leak into the brain and trigger inflammation.

16 Oct 2018

Yale researchers develop way to attack RNA with small-molecule drugs

Yale researchers have developed a way to target RNA with small-molecule drugs, creating a new method for tapping into a vast number of biological mechanisms critical to metabolism and gene expression.

15 Oct 2018

Modeling Non-Numerical Data in Systems Biology

An interview with Dr. Eshan Mitra, discussing the importance of computer models in biology and the development of a more accurate model of the RAF phosphorylation pathway.

15 Oct 2018

Researchers develop comprehensive molecular atlas of postnatal mouse heart development

Myocardial infarction is one of the most common causes of death in the Western world. Typically, MI is caused by the blockage of a coronary artery by an atherosclerotic plaque: as the oxygen supply of the heart drops, cell death occurs.

15 Oct 2018

Researchers identify basic relationships of cell cycle and cellular senescence in the placenta

Working with researchers from Stanford University and St. Anna Children's Cancer Research, researchers from Jürgen Pollheimer's laboratory at the Medical University of Vienna's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology have now, for the first time, identified basic relationships of the cell cycle and cellular senescence in the human placenta.

15 Oct 2018

Study identifies molecular switch that controls fate of milk-producing breast cells

A research team, led by investigators from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, details how a natural and dramatic process -- changes in mammary glands to accommodate breastfeeding -- uses a molecular process believed to contribute to survival of pre-malignant breast cells.

15 Oct 2018

'Digital brain' recreates protein trafficking in the brain

Researchers have developed a digital 3D brain demonstrating how the toxic proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases are transported through the brain.

12 Oct 2018

Scientists use haploid stem cells to produce mice with same-sex parents

In a new study, Chinese researchers were able to produce healthy mouse pups with two mothers. The research involved the use of haploid embryonic stem cells.

12 Oct 2018

Basophils play key role in development of macrophages in the lung

The adult lung consists of different, highly specialized cell types that are protected by a variety of immune cells.

12 Oct 2018

Scientists reprogram mature inhibitory neurons into dopaminergic cells

Attempting to make dopamine-producing neurons out of glial cells in mouse brains, a group of researchers instead converted mature inhibitory neurons into dopaminergic cells.

12 Oct 2018

Researchers uncover how common pain reliever causes liver failure

Acetaminophen is a common pain reliever found in every pharmacy. However, it is also the No. 1 cause of acute liver failure in the United States. In the liver, acetaminophen is converted into a new compound that covalently binds to proteins at an amino acid called cysteine.

11 Oct 2018

How Does Amyloid Formation Impact Neurodegenerative Disease?

An interview with Dr Rosie Staniforth discussing her research into amyloid formation and its impact on neurodegenerative diseases.

From Postnova Analytics 11 Oct 2018

Researchers develop organoid that functions as real salivary gland

Researchers have successfully used induced pluripotent stem cells to grow a 3D salivary gland tissue that produces saliva when implanted in mice.

11 Oct 2018

Scientists succeed in growing functional salivary gland

A research group led by scientists from Showa University and the RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research in Japan have, for the first time, succeeded in growing three-dimensional salivary gland tissue that, when implanted into mice, produced saliva like normal glands.

11 Oct 2018