Molecular & Structural Biology

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Epigenetic modifications may contribute to Alzheimer's Disease

Scientists report epigenetic modifications in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's, after observing differences in histone acetylation across the genome.

22 Oct 2018

New protein sequencing technique could revolutionize biomedical research

Scientists have developed a new, low-throughput technique that allows individual proteins to be identified. It is called single molecule fluorosequencing.

22 Oct 2018

Resemblance to parents increases with offspring age in monkeys

Most of us would acknowledge that family members often resemble one another, particularly in the face. Indeed, humans are good at picking out pairs of close relatives amongst the faces of unfamiliar adults.

22 Oct 2018

Study reveals connection between two proteins known to be hyperactive in cancer

A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital has revealed a connection between mTORC1 and Src, two proteins known to be hyperactive in cancer.

20 Oct 2018

Scientists uncover key regulator of mTORC1 in cancer growth

Scientists have discovered that Src is needed for activation of mTORC1, a major regulator of cellular metabolism, growth and proliferation in cancer.

19 Oct 2018

Breast Cancer as a Dynamic Disease

An interview with Dr. Andrew Ewald, discussing the influence of the myoepithelium on breast cancer growth and the importance of studying metastasis.

19 Oct 2018

Father’s exposure to nicotine may cause cognitive deficits in descendants

A father’s exposure to nicotine may cause cognitive deficits in his children and even grandchildren, according to a study in mice publishing on October 16 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Pradeep Bhide of Florida State University in Tallahassee and colleagues.

19 Oct 2018

Genetically modifying zebrafish provides numerous, highly accurate disease models

Research published today describes how zebrafish can be genetically engineered to produce more accurate models of human disease.

18 Oct 2018

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