Molecular & Structural Biology

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Scientists develop breakthrough approach to create artificial allosteric sites in protein complexes

According to a recently published research paper by a team of scientists, a groundbreaking approach has been developed to create artificial allosteric sites (where by binding an effector molecule, activity at the distal active site is regulated) in protein complexes.

6 Jul 2023

Researchers discover a molecular switch that regulates lipid metabolism in cells

Our body's fat metabolism plays a vital role in energy production in our body. A research team at the University of Basel, Switzerland, has discovered a molecular switch that regulates lipid metabolism in our cells.

3 Jul 2023

New AI tool can help track and identify complex fruit fly behavior

How can you tell if a fruit fly is hungry? Ask a computer. While that may sound like a bad dad joke, it's reality at Tulane University, where researchers have developed a new A.I. tool that can tell you if a fruit fly is hungry, sleepy or singing (yes, fruit flies sing).

30 Jun 2023

High-res insights into key bacterial enzyme could lead to development of new antibiotics

A team of scientists from around the globe, including those from Trinity College Dublin, has gained high-res structural insights into a key bacterial enzyme, which may help chemists design new drugs to inhibit it and thus suppress disease-causing bacteria.

30 Jun 2023

Katydid fossil found with internal organs intact

50 million years ago in what is now northwestern Colorado, a katydid died, sank to the bottom of a lake and was quickly buried in fine sediments, where it remained until its compressed fossil was recovered in recent years.

26 Jun 2023

Chickpea's secret history: How trade routes and migrations shaped the legume's genetic heritage

With its nutty flavor and dense nutrient profile, the humble chickpea has captivated palates and nourished civilizations for millennia.

23 Jun 2023

Analyzing the conformational dynamics of a human tRNA using high hydrostatic pressure

Just as space holds infinite mysteries, when we zoom in at the level of biomolecules (one trillion times smaller than a meter), there is still so much to learn.

23 Jun 2023

Deciphering a biochemical mechanism explains the center of protein factories

Based on genetic blueprints, individual amino acids are assembled into long amino acid chains, the proteins, in the protein factories of our cells, the ribosomes. Each newly formed protein starts with the amino acid methionine.

23 Jun 2023

UQ researchers uncover the structure of Langya virus' fusion protein

Researchers have shed light on how a highly infectious virus, that has recently transferred from animals to people, is able to enter human cells.

22 Jun 2023

Novel approach to multimodal aging clock for interpretable age prediction and target discovery

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 11, entitled, "Precious1GPT: multimodal transformer-based transfer learning for aging clock development and feature importance analysis for aging and age-related disease target discovery."

21 Jun 2023

Alternative splicing in neurodegenerative disease and the promise of RNA-based therapeutic strategies

Alternative splicing, a clever way a cell generates many different variations of messenger RNAs -; single-stranded RNAs involved in protein synthesis -; and proteins from the same stretch of DNA, plays an important role in molecular biology.

21 Jun 2023

Opentrons partners with Zymo Research to automate key microbiome chemistries on the Opentrons Flex™

Opentrons Labworks, Inc., a leader in lab automation and makers of accessible lab robotics and Zymo Research Corp, a life science reagent company, are collaborating to transform microbiome and metagenome analysis by fully automating comprehensive, end-to-end workflows from sample collection through library preparation on the Opentrons Flex.

From Opentrons 19 Jun 2023

Mapping the evolutionary timeline and population distribution of E. coli’s protective outer capsule

In a new study, published today (15 June) in Nature Communications, a multi-centre team led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Oslo, Imperial College London and UCL, has mapped for the first time the evolutionary timeline and population distribution of Escherichia coli’s protective outer capsule, which is responsible for the bacterium’s virulence.

15 Jun 2023

Researchers create a diagnostic test to identify functional sperm in infertile men

In a recent study, researchers created a diagnostic test to identify functional sperm in infertile men that could change the treatment of male infertility and assisted reproductive technology.

14 Jun 2023

Four pancreatic injury safety biomarkers identified and evaluated by PSTC

Critical Path Institute (C-Path) today announced that the Biomarker Qualification Program (BQP) at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Biomarker Letter of Support (LOS) for four pancreatic injury safety biomarkers identified and evaluated by C-Path's Predictive Safety Testing Consortium's (PSTC) Pancreatic Injury Working Group (PIWG).

14 Jun 2023

CHOP researchers engineer stable, universal MHC-I molecules in a shorter timeframe

Class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) proteins play an essential role in the immune system of all jawed vertebrates. The MHC-I displays peptide fragments of proteins from within the cell on the cell surface, "presenting" them to the immune system, which is constantly scanning the body for foreign or toxic antigens.

13 Jun 2023

UCL researchers produce first image of the structures that power human cilia

The first image of the structures that power human cilia – the tiny, hairlike projections that line our airways – has been produced by a team involving UCL researchers and could lead to much-needed treatments for people with rare cilial diseases.

13 Jun 2023

Berlin scientists further improve nasal vaccine against coronavirus

After having successfully tested a mucosal vaccine against coronavirus in animals just months ago, Berlin scientists have now further developed their live SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

13 Jun 2023

Scientists uncover the structure of the first step in amyloid formation for Huntington's disease

Devastating neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington's, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's are all associated with protein deposits in the brain, known as amyloid.

13 Jun 2023

Scientists determine the atomic-level structure of a zinc-transporter protein

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have determined the atomic-level structure of a zinc-transporter protein, a molecular machine that regulates levels of this crucial trace metal micronutrient inside cells.

9 Jun 2023

Molecular & Structural Biology

Scientists develop breakthrough approach to create artificial allosteric sites in protein complexes

Researchers discover a molecular switch that regulates lipid metabolism in cells

New AI tool can help track and identify complex fruit fly behavior

High-res insights into key bacterial enzyme could lead to development of new antibiotics

Katydid fossil found with internal organs intact

Chickpea's secret history: How trade routes and migrations shaped the legume's genetic heritage

Analyzing the conformational dynamics of a human tRNA using high hydrostatic pressure

Deciphering a biochemical mechanism explains the center of protein factories

UQ researchers uncover the structure of Langya virus' fusion protein

Novel approach to multimodal aging clock for interpretable age prediction and target discovery

Alternative splicing in neurodegenerative disease and the promise of RNA-based therapeutic strategies

Opentrons partners with Zymo Research to automate key microbiome chemistries on the Opentrons Flex™

Mapping the evolutionary timeline and population distribution of E. coli’s protective outer capsule

Researchers create a diagnostic test to identify functional sperm in infertile men

Four pancreatic injury safety biomarkers identified and evaluated by PSTC

CHOP researchers engineer stable, universal MHC-I molecules in a shorter timeframe

UCL researchers produce first image of the structures that power human cilia

Berlin scientists further improve nasal vaccine against coronavirus

Scientists uncover the structure of the first step in amyloid formation for Huntington's disease

Scientists determine the atomic-level structure of a zinc-transporter protein

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

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