Molecular & Structural Biology

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Researchers shed light on molecular mechanisms of heart valvular disease

About three per cent of the world's population is affected by valvular heart diseases. It is also the most common cause of heart surgery, as no drug-based treatment is available.

20 Nov 2018

DNA vaccine reduces levels of toxic proteins in Alzheimer’s model

Researchers have developed a new DNA vaccine that reduces the build-up of the toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

20 Nov 2018

Receptor structure could be key to developing new osteoporosis drugs

Researchers at the University of Zurich have determined the three-dimensional structure of a receptor that controls the release of calcium from bones. The receptor is now one of the main candidates for developing new drugs to treat osteoporosis.

19 Nov 2018

RNAi therapy shown to alleviate preeclampsia in animal model

Researcher have used a small interfering RNA (siRNA) to reduce preeclampsia symptoms in an animal model. The approach could provide a new way of treating preeclampsia in humans.

19 Nov 2018

Artificial bone-like substance mimics the way real bone grows at atomic level

Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have discovered how our bones grow at an atomic level, showing how an unstructured mass orders itself into a perfectly arranged bone structure.

19 Nov 2018

Automating Data Capture and Image Analysis in Continuous Experiments

An interview with Lindy O’Clair, discussing the challenges of studying neuronal systems over time, and the development of an automated platform by Sartorius.

From Sartorius 19 Nov 2018

Harvard researchers use echidna forelimb model to shed light on mammal evolution

These days, mammals can use their forelimbs to swim, jump, fly, climb, dig and just about everything in between, but the question of how all that diversity evolved has remained a vexing one for scientists.

18 Nov 2018

New method to analyze cell membrane complexes could revolutionize the way we study diseases

Researchers have developed a new technique to analyze cell membrane proteins in situ which could revolutionize the way in which we study diseases, such as cancer, metabolic and heart diseases.

17 Nov 2018

Researchers show how proteins interact in hypoxic conditions to facilitate mitochondrial fission

During a heart attack the supply of oxygen to heart cells is decreased. This reduced oxygen level, called hypoxia, causes the cell's powerhouses, the mitochondria, to fragment, impairing cell function and leading to heart failure. Until now, few details were known on how this important process occurs.

17 Nov 2018

Researchers produce 3D chemical maps of small biological samples

Scientists at the National Synchrotron Light Source II --a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory--have used ultrabright x-rays to image single bacteria with higher spatial resolution than ever before.

16 Nov 2018

Game-Changers in Western Blotting and Protein Analysis

An interview with Ramya Prabakaran & Melody Chang from GenScript, discussing the development of automated systems that improve outcomes for western blotting.

From GenScript 16 Nov 2018

Brain and muscle cells found within kidney organoids

Researchers have discovered the presence of rogue brain and muscle cells inside kidney organoids and used artificial intelligence to remove them.

15 Nov 2018

CRISPR-based tool shown to enhance cell-based immunotherapy

Researchers have developed a CRISPR-based tool called SLICE that can boost the effectiveness of immune cell therapies.

15 Nov 2018

Researchers succeed in building protein nanotubes from tiny scaffolds

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have succeeded in constructing protein nanotubes from tiny scaffolds made by cross-linking of engineered protein crystals.

14 Nov 2018

Speed and error rate of DNA synthesis influenced by DNA structure

The speed and error rate of DNA synthesis is influenced by the three-dimensional structure of the DNA. Using "third-generation" genome-wide DNA sequencing data, a team of researchers from Penn State and the Czech Academy of Sciences showed that sequences with the potential to form unusual DNA conformations, which are frequently associated with cancer and neurological diseases, can in fact slow down or speed up the DNA synthesis process and cause more or fewer sequencing errors.

14 Nov 2018

Biologists uncover novel genetic control of lipid maintenance and its potential connection to lifespan

Tiny microscopic worms, invisible to the naked eye, are helping scientists to better understand an extraordinarily complex biological pathway that connects fat to overall health and aging in humans.

14 Nov 2018

CityU develops first microarrayed 3D neuronal culture platform

Neuronal development is often regulated by the graded distribution of guidance molecules, which can either attract or repel the neuronal migration or neurite projection when presented in a format of concentration gradients, or chemotaxis. However, many details about the process is largely unexplored.

14 Nov 2018

Study identifies potential therapeutic strategy for patients with clear cell renal cancer

Researchers have provided new insight on the mechanisms behind the development of clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC), according to new findings published in eLife.

13 Nov 2018

Neural networks could replace marker genes in RNA sequencing

Researchers have used neural networks and supervised machine learning techniques to characterize cell types following single-cell RNA sequencing.

13 Nov 2018

First bifacial molecule can invade double-stranded DNA or RNA

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a synthetic molecule that can recognize and bind to double-stranded DNA or RNA under normal physiological conditions. The molecule could provide a new platform for developing methods for the diagnosis and treatment of genetic conditions.

13 Nov 2018