Molecular & Structural Biology

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Gladstone scientists gain new insights into the aging brain

The protein klotho has been shown to promote longevity and counteract aging-related impairments. Having more klotho seems to allow for longer and healthier lives, whereas a depletion of this molecule accelerates aging and may contribute to age-related diseases.

12 Nov 2018

Researchers discover how mitochondria deploy a powerful punch against disease-causing bacteria

The constant battle for dominance between disease-causing bacteria and our immune systems has led to the evolution of some crafty warfare tactics on both sides.

12 Nov 2018

Kawasaki disease may be triggered by a combination of environmental factors

A new study has found that Kawasaki disease (KD) is not caused by one single factor but has multiple environmental triggers.

12 Nov 2018

Failed DNA repair triggers chromosomal chaos in cancer cells

Researchers have established the trigger for catastrophic events that occur within the chromosomes of cancer cells and lead to cancer cell death.

12 Nov 2018

MR Solutions reveals elegant bench top CT scanner with clip-on PET and SPECT

MR Solutions continues to expand its range of preclinical scanners with the first showing of its elegant bench top CT scanner.

From MR Solutions 12 Nov 2018

The Human Mini Heart-in-a-Jar That Could One Day Replace Animal Testing

An interview with Dr. Kevin Costa, discussing the miniaturized heart-in-a-jar model developed by Novoheart, and its applications in personalized medicine.

12 Nov 2018

Mitochondrial DNA may have strong influence on cellular metabolism and disease susceptibility

About 1.5 billion years ago, tiny visitors came to live inside the cells that later evolved into all plant and animal life -- including humans.

9 Nov 2018

UCI researchers accelerate and simplify directed evolution bioengineering technique

In a process known as directed evolution, scientists reengineer biomolecules to find ones that perform beneficial new functions. The field is revolutionizing drug development, chemical engineering and other applications, but to realize its promise involves painstaking and time-consuming laboratory work.

9 Nov 2018

Scientists uncover hidden estrogen receptors in epithelial breast cells

Estrogens are hormones that play central roles in the development and the physiology of the breast, but also are involved in breast cancer. Like all hormones, estrogens exert their biological effects by binding to dedicated receptors in the target cell.

9 Nov 2018

Cells retain memory of chemical signals to which they are exposed

We all start out as a clump of identical cells. As these cells divide and multiply, they gradually take on distinct identities, acquiring the traits necessary to form, for instance, muscle tissue, bone, or nerves. A recent study from Rockefeller scientists offers new insight into how these cellular identities are cultivated over the course of development.

9 Nov 2018

Researchers develop powerful method to solve structures of small molecules

Small molecules -- from naturally occurring metabolites and hormones to synthetic medicines and pesticides -- can have big effects on living things. But for scientists to understand how the molecules work and how to design beneficial ones, they need to know the precise arrangement of atoms and chemical bonds.

9 Nov 2018

Salk researchers solve genetic 'whodunnit' for cancer gene

Long thought to suppress cancer by slowing cellular metabolism, the protein complex AMPK also seemed to help some tumors grow, confounding researchers. Now, Salk Institute researchers have solved the long-standing mystery around why AMPK can both hinder and help cancer.

8 Nov 2018

Scientists move closer to gonorrhea vaccine after large-scale proteomic study

In a study of proteins historic in its scope, researchers at Oregon State University have pushed closer both to a vaccine for gonorrhea and toward understanding why the bacteria that cause the disease are so good at fending off antimicrobial drugs.

8 Nov 2018

Scientists grow 3D, beating human heart tissue

Researchers at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf have found a way to grow human heart tissue that can serve as a model for the atria of the heart.

8 Nov 2018

Small molecules designed to inhibit activity of enzymes in infectious diseases

A multidisciplinary study by the Computer Biochemistry Research Group of the Universitat Jaume I from Castellón, Spain, in collaboration with groups from universities from Canada and the United Kingdom, have designed small molecules that are able to bond with and inhibit the activity of enzymes in infectious diseases.

8 Nov 2018

New research to understand fundamental role of ubiquitin in cell death or survival

An effective regulation of programmed cell death is crucial for the correct development of embryos, a working innate immune system, and the prevention of cancer. How cells control the switch between cell survival and death, and which signaling pathways are involved, remain unclear.

8 Nov 2018

Mutant p53 protein 'tackles' DNA guardian to drive tumor development

Melbourne scientists have discovered how tumor development is driven by mutations in the most important gene in preventing cancer, p53.

7 Nov 2018

Tracking down microRNA candidates linked to disease

What started as Ninad Oak's side project turned out into something much larger, his doctorate thesis. "The project started as my qualifying exam that I proposed at the end of my first year of graduate school," said Oak, a graduate student in molecular and human genetics in Dr. Sharon E. Plon's lab. "This was an off topic qualifying exam at the time, meaning the lab had not worked on this topic before."

7 Nov 2018

Scientists discover new details about UHRF1 protein

Epigenetic changes often play an important role in cancer, because they cause the genetic material to be read incorrectly at certain locations. Genes that are especially critical are those that control the growth and death of cells.

7 Nov 2018