Molecular & Structural Biology

RSS

New insight on mechanics of rotavirus could open up avenues for effective treatments

Researchers have provided new insight on the mechanics of a virus that causes severe diarrhea and sickness in young children, according to a report published in eLife.

12 Sep 2018

Researchers find neural network that helps control babies' brain activity in response to pain

Researchers from the Department of Paediatrics and Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging at the University of Oxford, UK, have identified the neural network that helps control babies' brain activity in response to pain in a similar way to adults.

12 Sep 2018

Prenatal cannabinoid use can cause behavioral and neuronal deficits in male offspring

Taking cannabinoids during pregnancy can cause behavioral and neuronal deficits in adult male offspring, while females remain unaffected, says new research published in eLife.

12 Sep 2018

Discovery of unusual biosynthetic pathways could aid in the search for new natural products

Bacteria are master engineers of small, biologically useful molecules. A new study in Nature Communications has revealed one of the tricks of this microbial trade: synthesizing and then later inserting a nitrogen-nitrogen bond, like a prefabricated part, into a larger molecule.

12 Sep 2018

Molecular switches are far more complex than previously assumed

The GTPases constitute a very large protein family, whose members are involved in the control of cell growth, transport of molecules, synthesis of other proteins, etc. Despite the many functions of the GTPases, they follow a common cyclic pattern.

10 Sep 2018

BAP1 protein serves as tumor suppressor gene in kidney, eye, bile duct and mesothelioma cancers

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have shown how BRCA-associated protein 1 (BAP1) serves as a tumor suppressor gene in kidney, eye, bile duct, mesothelioma and other cancers by regulating a form of cell death called ferroptosis, opening up a potential new area of therapy research.

10 Sep 2018

Researchers develop the first interactive model of cell division

Researchers have developed an interactive atlas of human cell division, that shows the effect of protein misfolding on mitosis.

10 Sep 2018

Family genetic background essential for understanding autism progression

Whether an individual develops a neurodevelopmental disorder like autism or ADHD and the severity of that disorder depends on genetic changes beyond a single supposedly disease-causing mutation.

7 Sep 2018

A joint effort to provide new insights into how gene activity drives cartilage development

Anyone with arthritis can appreciate how useful it would be if scientists could grow cartilage in the lab. To this end, Keck School of Medicine of USC scientists in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Denis Evseenko, MD, PhD, collaborated with colleagues at several institutions to provide new insights into how gene activity drives the development of cartilage.

7 Sep 2018

Mimicking Human Brain Development Using Organoids

Dr. Paul Tesar from the Tesar Laboratory at Case Western University, Ohio, discusses the importance of organoids in biological research and the development of organoids which are capable of simulating the early stages of human myelin.

7 Sep 2018

Stress can permanently and profoundly impact connectivity of developing nerves

Scientists stunted the puberty of male worms by starving them before they underwent sexual maturation. In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, the scientists suggested that stress from starvation even days before sexual maturation prevented normal changes in the wiring patterns of key neuronal circuits, which caused adult male worms to act immature.

7 Sep 2018

Researchers find new gene in brown fat cells that may help in treatment of obesity

A team of researchers, led by Professor Jan-Wilhelm Kornfeld from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Elena Schmidt from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research, Cologne, Germany and Martin Bilban from the Medical University, Vienna, Austria, have made a groundbreaking discovery in obesity research.

7 Sep 2018

Research uncovers how the immune system detects DNA damage

Our immune system is working every day to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and parasites, but it can also detect when our own cells are damaged.

6 Sep 2018

Lymph node structural cells exert control over T cell responses

Until now, the study of the immune system has focused almost exclusively on white blood cells, and T cells in particular, as the body’s major infection fighters.

6 Sep 2018

Discovering Prion-like Proteins in Eukaryotic Viruses

Dr. George Tetz discusses the discovery of prion-like domains in eukaryotic viruses, and the implications of this study on gene therapies and common neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease.

6 Sep 2018

Biophysicists propose new way to identify crucial factors for protein folding

A protein's folding patterns help them perform their dedicated tasks. As the real "doers" of the cell, even a tiny alteration in a protein's amino acid backbone can cause misfolding and hinder the protein's functionality or cause disease.

5 Sep 2018

Researchers identify enzyme that plays vital role in sexual development of fungi

Biologists at Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen have gained new insights into specific enzymes that effect the specialization of fungal cells.

5 Sep 2018

Mechanical properties of viral DNA influence the course of infection, study finds

A new study reveals a previously unknown mechanism that governs whether viruses that infect bacteria will quickly kill their hosts or remain latent inside the cell. The discovery, reported in the journal eLife, also may apply to viruses that infect humans and other animals, the researcher said.

5 Sep 2018

Researchers discover how a protein complex safeguards against certain brain tumors

Researchers have discovered how a molecule can help prevent certain types of brain tumors by recognizing and 'disarming' harmful proteins that cause them.

5 Sep 2018

New method identifies 25 genetic changes associated with longer human lifespan

A new method has made it possible to identify twenty-five parallel mutations located in genes associated with wound healing, blood coagulation and cardiovascular disorders. The results could help to develop new drugs to treat aging-related diseases.

5 Sep 2018

Molecular & Structural Biology

New insight on mechanics of rotavirus could open up avenues for effective treatments

Researchers find neural network that helps control babies' brain activity in response to pain

Prenatal cannabinoid use can cause behavioral and neuronal deficits in male offspring

Discovery of unusual biosynthetic pathways could aid in the search for new natural products

Molecular switches are far more complex than previously assumed

BAP1 protein serves as tumor suppressor gene in kidney, eye, bile duct and mesothelioma cancers

Researchers develop the first interactive model of cell division

Family genetic background essential for understanding autism progression

A joint effort to provide new insights into how gene activity drives cartilage development

Mimicking Human Brain Development Using Organoids

Stress can permanently and profoundly impact connectivity of developing nerves

Researchers find new gene in brown fat cells that may help in treatment of obesity

Research uncovers how the immune system detects DNA damage

Lymph node structural cells exert control over T cell responses

Discovering Prion-like Proteins in Eukaryotic Viruses

Biophysicists propose new way to identify crucial factors for protein folding

Researchers identify enzyme that plays vital role in sexual development of fungi

Mechanical properties of viral DNA influence the course of infection, study finds

Researchers discover how a protein complex safeguards against certain brain tumors

New method identifies 25 genetic changes associated with longer human lifespan

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

Latest Life Science News